To ask for the best caravan park recommendation on fab beach, Dorset

[Windsweptly]

Hi, hoping to get some recommendations for a caravan park anywhere in Dorset on a really beautiful beach. This is a special holiday to celebrate recovery from serious illness and I'm trying myself in knots trying to find the perfect place. Never been before so any recommendations very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I’ve just come back from a weekend in Weymouth - highly recommend Seaview Holiday Park (Haven) which is where we stayed. The park was immaculate, the caravan was clean and comfortable. You also have full access to Haven’s Weymouth Bay park facilities which is right next door and bigger. Weymouth main beach was busy but sandy and gloriously sunny, you can hire pedelos. On our last day we walked from our park down a walking route to a stony beach which was also nice, on the way we passed Waterside holiday park which looked very nice if you want something slightly more posh! There is also an abundance of lovely pubs and restaurants in the area. And the harbour at night is wonderful, the surrounding streets have very lovely little shops and bars. The park is about 3 miles from the main town and beach/harbour. It cost us £8 for a taxi from our park to there on an evening where DP wanted a drink. When we drove we found a decent pay and display car park (Governers Lane car park) which was £4 for 3 hours, always had spaces and was in a brilliant location.

Seadown holiday park, charmouth. Does static hire (can’t remember if you can take your own van). Right next to the beach. Charmouth is course sand if I remember.

Thanks so much everyone! Just working through suggestions. Sadly a couple are fully booked. Love the look of studland! Need a caravan I can walk to there from! Beautiful.

We were at Weymouth last week. The sand is beautiful. It has won prizes for its quality.

And if you can afford it.... we were also at Sandbanks, where there's so much money it's practically millionaires row, and the sand there is also beautiful.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday Windsweptly

I’ve been to sea view also. Lovely and clean. I love Weymouth beach so many childhood memories. It gets very very busy as I’m sure it’s a award winning beach

Just back from a week at Parkdean caravan park at West Bay...did quite a bit of looking around at different places whilst we were there. West Bay is nice enough and easy walk from van to beach but it’s mostly stony with little sand and not what I’d call picture perfect. Weymouth and Swanage are sandy beaches but in the middle of the town so def not picture perfect. Very touristy - think punch & Judy, pedaloes, bouncy castles etc. Fun for the kids but prob not what you are looking for!
I did the coastal walk to both Eype and Seatown from West Bay - both are lovely little coves but again it’s all stony/shingle rather than soft sand.
Studland has lovely sandy beaches and dunes but not sure there are any caravan parks within walking distance..

If you find the perfect place do come back and let us know - I’m also on a quest for a caravan park within walking distance of a lovely sandy beach and haven’t found the right one yet!

I lived in Swanage for 30 years, it's beautiful with sandy beaches. Bay view caravan park is nice (I had my wedding reception there). I live in Christchurch now which is also lovely and the Hoburne parks have great local reviews

Eype camping and holiday park is lovely but be warned, very steep. We went camping there a couple of years ago. It was windy, but you are literally at tne top of the cliff. You can walk to the beach. We went both left and right - left is interesting with big rocks. If you go as far as you can right, you actually get to sand and its much quieter than the inital part of the beach. You can walk the cliff walk, which goes in front of one of the big holiday sites, to West Bay. Its a lovely walk. There is another walk west of the campsite but we didn't have time for that one.

Another place you could go to is Mudeford. There is a holiday home park there a stones throw from a pebble beach. You can go crabbing, get fresh fish, there is a pub at the harbour, watch the boats come in, get a boat across to Hengistbury Head which is beautiful. Lots of walks there.

Unfortunately there aren't any caravan sites close to Studland. Ulwell Cottage is on the outskirts of Swanage but there is a regular bus service that runs from outside the site to Studland and beyond. You would, however, be able to walk into Swanage from there, would take about 20 mins. I LOVE Dorset! Never tire of going there. Enjoy - wherever you end up!

Another vote for rockley park but as someone said it's a man made small beach

The pebbles on West Bay Beach are evil.

www.meadowbank-holidays.co.uk/

Not right on the beach but Southbourne Beach sand is lovely.

Place marking

Just be aware with Rockley that if you are at the very very very back of the park and the military base has something going on you might have to put up with a Chinook landing and taking off at 7am and 8am every morning of your holiday.

Seaview is good for a Haven park. And you have access to the facilities on the Weymouth Bay park as well.

Rockley Park is brilliant. We loved it there.

Oh I love Weymouth. Such a beautiful beach. We have had many a happy holiday there.

If you can go a wee bit further then I would recommend Devon Cliffs. It has its own private beach, which could be seaweedy in places but also offers rockpooling etc at low tide. It’s a big caravan park, the upside of which is it has lots of activities to offer.

Either Swanage Coastal Park or Swanage Bay View Caravan Park. Both right next to each other, both lovely paeks. Bay View has a shop, bar etc but you can walk through from the Coastal Park and use them. I love them both, Swanage is my happy place. Though as another poster says, they are up a steep hill (but that does mean you get incredible views over the bay).

Thank you so much for all the help. After looking at everything, discounting the ones that were fully booked / steep inclines etc and trawling reviews and info we have gone for the Waterside holiday park, Weymouth. Excited to have made a decision! Thanks again everyone, got a few places now on the list for the next holiday!