Weekend to Dorset coast?

[notlongtilchristmas]

Looking for recommendations for coastal visit to Dorset coast - best area for nice harbours and beaches. Looking for beautiful beaches and mix of nice ships and places to eat.

We love Lyme.

We love Lyme and Bridport. Good shopping and a real market.

If you like a nice harbour, I’d recommend West Bay. We like it because it’s small. It’s only got a handful of shops but such a good choice when it comes to places to eat.

I like Weymouth actually. Beautiful beaches and lovely harbour. Ships tend to come and go so can't comment on them

Mudeford definitely. It has the quay for crabbing, boat over to Hengistbury Head, can swim and kayak or Sup and can walk along the coast. Also has RNLI based there.
Also close to New Forest. Mudeford is a real favourite.

Weymouth is lovely. I liked Galleys Bistro for food.

On some weekends you can go to Tyneham, a village taken over by the military in WW 2. It's really sad but interesting. You can then walk over the top to Duddledor. It's a steep walk but a lovely one.

Oh, and there's a prehistoric giant with an erection carved into a hill near there too. Which is interesting.

Oh and you will find a fossil on Chesil beach, or West bay beach. We did without even trying. The man who ran our b and b said everyone finds them. Still feels special though.

My favourite part of Dorset is the Poole/ studland area. The studland beaches are the best with lovely shallow, warm water and a boat trip around Poole harbour to brownsea island, going by all the little islands is lovely.

Lyme Regis is also one of my favourite places, but tend to go there more out of season as it’s so busy in the summer, still lovely though.

West bay has a nice harbour and good fish and chips, but it’s quite small and the beach has quite steep shelves in places, I’m also quite wary of the cliffs to t he east. Still nice though.

Weymouth if you want the whole package in one.

There are lots and lots of beautiful coves and beaches along that coast line but the best some of them do not include shops or proper steps to get down to them :)

If for this year be flexible, take whatever you can get, it's hard to find anything!

You can walk from Tyneham to Durdle Door but will take you a few hours.

For harbours and shop, West Bay and Lyme is probably your best bet

Lulworth/Durdle Door.
We stay in Swanage which is a good base

@ineedaholidayandwine so do we usually! This year however we've managed to rent a cottage in Lulworth Cove for a week. Going this Friday! V excited :)

@Laiste enjoy, the weather is getting better here next week, just be mindful that they are starting to set up for Camp Bestival so there will be a lot more traffic around