Just booked a week at campsite in Dorset for summer holidays.

[OhMyStarryEyedSurprise]

What outdoors local gems are there in Dorset? We might do a couple of days out somewhere but I'm really asking for must-see or must-do activities in the Dorset area. Any regular Dorset holiday makers or Dorset locals want to share their knowledge or experience?

Campsite is in Swanage, Dorset if anyone knows around there at all? Very rural. Can't wait!

Any recommendations or advice for must-see places very welcome as the furtherst we've ever been down south was London.

Hit me with your Dorset gems please!

There's one next to the Sea Life centre in Weymouth that looks good - not been myself but thought it always looked really fun

www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/things-to-do/south-west/dorset/sports-and-activities/crazy-golf

My DS11 had to eat Dorset Sommer cake and pasties every day. Swim in the sea.

We went to Bride Valley vineyard for a tour and tasting, they were so lovely and kids really find it interesting too. But all pretty much teens

I love swanage it has a Wimpy that I think they forgot to close 😅 everything everybody said go do it . You can do ribrides at lulworth cove and have a mooch around afterwards.

Yes to Crazy golf in Weymouth. I think Monkey world is still booking only but you can do it from their website.

Swanage also has crazy golf on the seafront.

Go Ape Moors Valley

Osmington Mills for amazing rock pools. When are you visiting Dorset?

Last week in August @Costacoffeeisbetterthansex

Lyme Regis
Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island
Chesil Beach

Dorset Waterpark in Corfe Castle, plus they ha a mud run trail

www.dorsetadventurepark.com/

Five go mason Dorset Both thought of same place! The circus is at Weymouth the last week August and they usually have Once weekly Evening fireworks from a platform in the sea during the summer holidays

Dorset Falconry Park is brilliant!

I bought a Groupon voucher for my spouse and son and they loved the experience of having owls, falcons and eagles landing on their gloved wrists. You can buy a family ticket too:

www.dorsetfalconrypark.co.uk

The Pirate Adventure mini (crazy) golf is adjacent to and operated by the Sea Life Centre and afaik you can buy a combined ticket (best to see the Sea Life website for Weymouth).

It’s fun to go to the end of Portland and go up the Portland Bill lighthouse. Also the Tout Quarry on Portland (free parking) is fun to scramble around on the rocks and see all the interesting sculptures carved into the rocks.

Look up the Visit Dorset and What’s on in Weymouth on Google and Facebook for events :)

The crazy golf in one of the parks in Bournemouth will always have a special place in my heart.

Also love Monkey World and Durdle Door. I love Dorset.

Geocaching. lots of lovely countryside to explore.

There is also www.melplashshow.co.uk/ which is good for all ages. Plus not forgetting www.gdsf.co.uk

Have a fantastic time. I'd been going to Swanage 5-6 times a year for about 10 years until my dad got rid of his caravan. It's such a lovely place.

I lived in Swanage for 30 years, my childhood was just a blur of going to the beach and exploring the area. When are you going? They have a carnival in the summer holidays which is fab and also lifeboat week which has loads of events and live music

We did Segway at Moore’s park, great fun.
go to studland beach and get the ferry across to sandbanks. Very pretty all around there and poole harbour

Go to the Jail House cafe on Portland. It's run to provide training for prisoners so that they have skills and experience to get a job when they leave prison. They also grow some of the food themselves.

It has great views and you are doing your bit to help people turn their lives around.

If you go to the swannery at abbotsbury, do visit Dansel gallery in the village that sells wood - it's amazing. You can also get a combined ticket at abbotsbury for the tropical gardens and a children's zoo or farm.
www.danselgallery.co.uk/
Just outside of Dorchester - the amazing sculpture by the lakes is brilliant
www.sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/

I live near the Isle of Purbeck. It's a beautiful place.

Most of the places I like in the Purbecks have been mentioned here. A couple of good pubs are The New Inn in Church Knowle (has a small animal sanctuary next door) and The Scott Arms in Kingston (great view of Corfe Castle out the back) and Square and Compass in Worth Matravers.

You could take a trip into Poole for a boat trip from the quay or a visit to Upton Country Park, or go into Bournemouth (will be very touristy, but ideal if you are looking for a busier place with lots of attractions and restaurants), beach is lovely, especially if you go towards the Sandbanks end and you can get a ferry over from Studland or drive round (takes about 45 minutes from Swanage to Bournemouth). The New Forest is nice, but about an hour's drive away. Lyme Regis/Bridport is good, but at least an hour away.

One tip is if you do want to travel around is to get up very early as the roads can get very busy by 10am, as does parking anywhere.

Definitely Monkey World. My DS can identify the chimps and orangs better than he can humans! It's expensive to get in if you don't already sponsor one of the primates, but honestly it's money well spent, and it all goes into keeping primates safe and rescuing primates currently living in hideous conditions.

Farmer Palmers was also great back in the day, but DS is grown up now, so haven't been there for years, so not sure if it's still going.

Swanage is great for a day out, really 'seaside-y', likewise Weymouth. 😊

I live in Swanage, it’s a beautiful place!

In Swanage you obviously have the beach which is beautiful!
Love Cake cafe is great for lunch or just coffee and cake. Durlston country park is lovely too.
Land and Wave are a local company who do coasteering. Pierhead watersports (located at swanage pier) for Ringos, kayaking, paddle boarding etc. Walk to Dancing ledge for a swim which you can walk to from Langton Matravers. Go to Worth Matravers for a drink and pasty at the Square and Compass and then walk down to Winspit to see where the new Star Wars series was filmed.
Putlake Farm is lovely, you can bottle feed lambs and goats but would probably be too young for the 14 year old.
Dorset Waterpark in Corfe for the inflatables on the two lakes and they have a mud trail (both are brilliant fun! I take my 2 kids multiple times a year!)
Kimmeridge is nice, they have a small fossil museum and a snorkel trial. Tyneham is very close and interesting for a walk around.
If the weather isn’t good then Tower Park in Poole has lots to do.
There is so so much to do in Swanage (as long as the weathers good) if you didn’t want to travel far there’s more than enough nearby to keep you busy for a week. Also the traffic is pretty horrendous all summer holidays so we tend to limit the amount we leave for those 6 weeks! It’s been exceptionally busy the last 2 years.
We also have a Carnival at the end of July if you’re visiting then?
Have a lovely time!