Where To Stay On The Jurassic Coast – Best Areas (2024) | Anywhere We Roam

With a breathtaking stretch of coastline, you’ll want to find the best place to stay on the Jurassic Coast. Whether you are a hiker, a beach goer or an inactive person; This guide helps you choose your ideal location.

With 95 miles of coastline and 185 million years in the making, the Jurassic Coast is a geological marvel, a landscape refresher and a hiker’s paradise. Finding where to stay on the Jurassic Coast is just the start of a great escape to some of the best coastal activities the UK has to offer.

Spend an afternoon in rejuvenation mode, either hiking along the white cliffs or relaxing on the pebble beaches below. Admire the light of the Jurassic Coast on a sunrise excursion to a ruined castle or under the exposed light bulbs of a trendy brewery producing craft beers.

The Jurassic Coast is a 2 hour drive from one end to the other, so it’s important to understand where you want to stay. Choose from a stylish clifftop hotel, shepherd’s hut, treehouse or traditional pub in a secluded location.

Whatever accommodation you’re looking for, our guide to the best hotels on the Dorset Coast includes all areas of the Jurassic Coast to help you plan your next long weekend in the UK.

1 – PURBECK PENINSULA

The best place to stay on the Jurassic Coast for great hikes and spectacular scenery

The Purbeck Peninsula is a sixty square mile parcel of England, jutting out into the English Channel and bordered on three sides by water. Nowhere along the Jurassic Coast is the scenery more spectacular than on the Purbeck Peninsula. Imposing white cliffs and mighty piles of rocks fall precipitously towards the sea.

Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and Old Harry Rocks – the iconic sites of southern England – are dotted across the peninsula, linked by picturesque walks on the Jurassic Coast. Just inland, the exceptionally photogenic Corfe Castle and several abandoned villages add to the isolated atmosphere of the area.

There are some superb Dorset Coastal hotels on the Isle of Purbeck. From isolated pubs all to themselves on the South West coastal path, grand hotels in charming market towns or a bit of luxury along Studland Bay.

2 – LYME RÉGIS

Best place to stay on the Jurassic Coast for a hip and welcoming beach town

There are a few seaside towns along the Jurassic Coast, but the favorite is Lyme Regis. Unlike some coastal tourist towns, Lyme Regis capitalizes on the character of the area. Independent shops stocked with local produce line the main street, alongside quality restaurants and a surprisingly good café. The Lyme Regis microbrewery perched above a small stream is a secret worth knowing.

At the front, the part-pebble, part-sand beach curves into an arc supported by colorful shacks and pretty townhouses. It is a charming and authentic town with a working port that continues to be active in the early morning as fishermen head out to sea.

A little further afield, take a fossil hunting expedition to Charmouth or enjoy a circular walk around the strange rock formations of West Bay. Abbotsbury’s 14th-century barrel-vaulted chapel is as traditionally English as you could hope to find.

3 – DORCHESTER

The best place to stay on the Jurassic Coast for a charming market town with easy links

If you want to explore all the things to do on the Jurassic Coast, Dorchester is a great option. Ideally located between the Purbeck Peninsula and Lyme Regis, it is an ideal base for exploring many of the coast’s main attractions.

But as the capital of Dorset, Dorchester also has its own appeal. The High Street is lined with grand and imposing architecture, excellent restaurants and museums. Perhaps most importantly, there is good coffee at the Coffee Saloon. As a major centre, it offers a wide range of accommodation from top quality B&Bs to large Jurassic Coast hotels located in iconic buildings.

Dorchester is a great accommodation option on the Dorset coast. In less than an hour’s drive you can reach many of the best places on the coast.

4 – STAYS AT DESTINATION

The best hotels on the Jurassic Coast and innovative stays that are the attraction in themselves

The Jurassic Coast is full of unusual accommodation; places so good that it doesn’t matter that you’re also in one of the most picturesque parts of the country.

Go off-grid in a well-equipped and comfortable shepherd’s hut in the Dorset countryside, or relax in stylish, quirky accommodation with sea views.

For something completely different, escape to the luxurious outdoor accommodation of a treehouse; a unique stay on the Jurassic Coast and a memorable way to relax.

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