The Jurassic Coast is a truly wonderful part of the UK that must be explored. From dramatic cliff lines to cute country towns, it has it all!
— Visited July, 2020
The Jurassic Coast gets its name from the main geological layer found within its cliffs. This coastline is rich in history and is so important that it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. The vast variety of coastline in this part of England will have you in awe and we have no doubt you will fall in love with the area.
As itineraries vary along this coastline, we have decided to list the places we visited during our adventure and leave the order up to you!
I hope you enjoy… Best Places To Visit On Dorset’s Jurassic Coast.
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Best Places to Visit on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast
This stretch of coastline is like no other in the United Kingdom. With views matching those of the Mediterranean, be ready to explore one of the most beautiful places in England. The map below summarises all of the spots we visited during our adventure but read on for the details on each location.
Chapmans Pool
Chapman’s Pool was the least populated spot we found along the whole coastline and was a pleasant surprise. With free parking in the Renscombe Car Park, it’s a short stroll through the surrounding farms before you get the view down on this incredible spot.
Following the path all the way down to the water edge, you will pass a few cosy little fishing huts before reaching the rocky beach. While not being the most famous spot for fossil hunting, it is as good a spot as any. Plenty of fossils can be found if you spend the time looking and this is an activity that must be done at least once during your visit to the Jurassic Coast. Make sure you research the tides before visiting, you need the low tide to undertake fossil hunting here otherwise you have the risk of being cut off from the access points.
This spot was also our favourite place to enjoy the sunset along the Jurassic Coast. St Aldhelm’s Head sticks out further to the sea than the neighbouring cliffs, meaning you can view a magical sunset over the entire length of cliffs. The reduced crowds also allow for a peaceful picnic with your friends and/or loved ones.
Corfe Castle
We know the main reason you are venturing to this part of England is to visit the incredible coastline, but we definitely recommend finding the time to visit this gorgeous little village while you are in the area. The name is a bit of a giveaway, but the village features the magnificent castle of Corfe. Located up on a hill, the castle provides an incredible backdrop as you venture around the idyllic small village.
Other than being a fascinating ancient village with wonderful architecture, this little village knows how to put on a beer garden! With several of the restaurants and pubs having beer gardens that look out at the castle, it’s the perfect place to stop for lunch. We enjoyed taking a break from the magnificent coastline to enjoy the gorgeous medieval village look that England is famous for.
Durdle Door Coastline
Whilst this part of the Jurassic Coast is famous for the Durdle Door, we were happily surprised to find so much more to this area that we spent an entire day exploring this length of coastline. We recommend packing lunch and exploring all of the following spots. The ideal route is to head west initially to take in the viewpoints and tackle the steep climbs before coming back to the beach to relax and take a dip.
Durdle Door
It would be rude to not start this section highlighting Durdle Door. This site is the postcard image for the Jurassic Coast and for good reason. The natural archway sitting off the end of the cliff edge makes for a magical view and not one to be missed. The beach at Durdle Door is also a lovely spot to relax for a few hours. We recommend walking at least 100 metres up the beach away from the entrance as from this point on the pebbles turn into soft sand, making it a lot more pleasant to lay down and relax.
Scratchy Bottom
Despite the curious name, the head at Scratchy Bottom is a truly wonderful viewpoint. From this spot, you can see two different cliff types by looking in both directions. One direction provides the incredible view over Durdle Door while also allowing for the backdrop of St Oswald’s Bay up to Lulworth Cove due to the height of this head point. The other direction looks out over the white chalk cliffs as they tower over the peaceful sands below. We stopped here for our picnic to take in the incredible view. We honestly couldn’t believe we were in the UK!
Bat’s Head
Continuing west from Scratchy Bottom you will find the next viewpoint at Bat’s Head. From this point, you’ll think you have transported to Greece. With nothing but towering white cliffs in front of your eyes, it’s a spectacular view. This is also a fantastic spot for bird watching with plenty of the locals flying up and down these cliffs.
Man O’War Beach
Man O’War Beach is the neighbouring bay to Durdle Door. A great opportunity to escape the crowds of the main beach and enjoy yourself in the protected bay. During our visit we watched a guy enjoy his paddleboard as he floated through the cove, to us this looked magical and something we wish we had the opportunity to do whilst there.
Lulworth Cove
East of the Durdle Door and Man O’War Beach you will find Lulworth Cove. A beautiful site with a lot more amenities and food spots, this is a great place to grab lunch before you make the hike over to Durdle Door.
Ladram Bay
Ladram Bay provides another landscape that differs from the rest of the Jurassic Coast through its incredible red cliffs. While the landscape is impressive, we were a little disappointed with how the area had been developed. Having a local caravan park being built right up to this magnificent place, we felt like this spot was a perfect example of how economic gain had managed to ruin such a natural place. If you have limited time on the Jurassic Coast, we would say give this spot a miss.
Swanage
In Swanage, you’ll find everything you would expect to find in a popular family beach holiday town. Fish & Chips on every corner, a mini theme park and more pubs than you could ever visit. For us, it wasn’t our favourite spot. After seeing so many authentic small little villages whilst driving along the Jurassic Coast, it wasn’t the type of place we were looking for. However, with its proximity to the Durlston Country Park and the famous Old Harry Rocks, we completely understand the popularity this spot has with family getaways or a weekend away with the lads/girls.
Extra Spots
Though we didn’t get the opportunity to visit the following spots during our visit to the Jurassic Coast. These are some other well-renowned places that we will definitely be going back to visit one day:
- Abbotsbury Swannery
- Chesil Beach
- Charmouth Beach
- Kimmeridge
- Old Harry Rocks
Tips for visiting the Jurassic Coast
- You definitely need a car to get around the Jurassic Coast.
- Paying for parking is something you will have to do at most stops on your trip. We recommend downloading the phone app ‘Just Park‘ as you can use this at a number of stops. It is also beneficial to have around £20 in £1 coins just in case as none of the parking toll machines accept credit card (except at Durdle Door).
- Summer can be crazy busy along the Jurassic Coast. If you aren’t planning on swimming consider visiting during the winter months so that you can have these sites all to yourself.
- There are many lovely cottage AirBNBs in the area to accommodate you during your stay on the Jurassic Coast. We stayed at The Green Hut which was a private cottage in the backyard of a house with featured chickens! It was amazing.
