Hidden beaches & coves

Uninterrupted landscapes to view and natural beauty spots to explore.

Local beaches

The Acorn Inn is close to many stunning beaches and coastal areas providing uninterrupted landscapes of natural beauty to explore. Here are some of our favourites...

Overlooking Seatown Beach Dorset England UK
Castle Window

Seatown

A pebbly beach with views of Golden Cap, the south coast’s loftiest cliff, and good fossil-hunting potential. Lunch at The Anchor Inn - a chocolate-box pub right on the beach and ideal for families with a large outdoor dining area.

Distance: 18 miles
Journey time: 35 minutes

An ammonite fossil on the beach close to Lyme Regis on Dorset's Jurassic Coast

Kimmeridge Bay

Great for exploring wildlife and geology along the Heritage Coast, with a marine centre run by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. The sheltered bay allows swimming, diving and picnicking.

Distance: 40 miles
Journey time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Acorn Inn Stone Wall Background
Lulworth Cove, Dorset I  By Image Conscious

Lulworth Cove

A near-perfect semi-circular beach, carved out of the cliffs by the power of the sea, offers safe bathing in the sheltered bay, rock pools at low tide and endless diversions for the geologically inclined.

From Lulworth Cove there is a popular 2km walk along the cliffs to the equally impressive Durdle Door, a natural arch of limestone rock that overlooks the cove.

Distance: 28 miles
Journey time: 45 minutes

West Bay East Beach looking East towards Chesil Beach and Portland

Chesil Beach

Chesil Beach is an 18-mile shingle spit reaching from Portland Bill to Abbotsbury, wonderful for walking and bird watching, and a popular centre for windsurfing.

Whilst in the area, visit the Hive Beach Café at nearby Burton Bradstock or the River Cafe in West Bay where much of the crime series Broadchurch was filmed.

Distance: 21 miles
Journey time: 43 minutes

Isle of Portland.Weymouth.United Kingdom.October 8th 2017.View of the sculpture of olympic rings on the Isle of Portland in Dorset overlooking Chesil beach

Portland Harbour

This is the place for water sports: scuba diving, kite surfing, kayaking, windsurfing and sailing. It was also home to the London 2012 Olympic sailing events, hosted by the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, which also offers sailing lessons.

Recommended dining options with fantastic food with views, include The Crab House Café, Café Oasis, and Quiddles.

Distance: 26 miles
Journey time: 45 minutes

A beautiful walk in July along Studland beach, Shell bay and Studland heath in Dorset south west Englan

Studland Bay

Studland Bay offers 3 miles of beautiful sandy beaches in the unspoilt surroundings of Studland Nature Reserve, a 3200-hectare area of heathland which is a haven for rare birds. The bay’s four main beaches include a National Trust visitor centre and a water sports equipment hire shop, both on Knoll Beach.

Whilst in the area, pop into the Square and Compass Pub in nearby Worth Matravers. You might also like to try some horse-riding at Studland Stables, for rides on the beach, in the forest, on the heath and along the coastal ridge – spectacular views!

Distance: 42 miles
Journey time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Beach scene and eroding cliffs at Burton Bradstock, Dorset, part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England Jurassic Coast,

Burton Bradstock

Ideal for families and perfect for swimmers, Burton Bradstock has ample parking and is easily accessible from neighbouring Bridport. Wonderful cliff top walks can be taken from both ends of the beach.

Whilst in this area, you might like to visit Whitchurch Canonicorum, where you will find the only saint’s relics in England in a parish church. Also buried here is Sir George Somers (the real-life shipwreck who inspired Shakespeare to write the ‘Tempest’), colonizer of the American state of Virginia and the Caribbean island of Bermuda. 

Distance: 16 miles
Journey time: 30 minutes

Weymouth, Dorset, UK. Holidaymakers enjoying the sunshine on the beach and seafront in September at Weymouth in Dorset

Weymouth

Weymouth’s status as a seaside resort was established over 200 years ago when King George III visited to ‘take the waters’. However, a fact that is likely to be of more interest to the children is that Weymouth’s sand is renowned for being particularly suited to sand sculpture and, more importantly, sandcastle building.

Second Wind, a water sports company, offers Jurassic kayak tours, coasteering (jumping/swimming/climbing and rock-hopping on a variety of natural routes), windsurfing tuition, Jurassic paddle-boarding, Weymouth sailing and kite-surfing.

Distance: 22 miles
Journey time: 35 minutes