Pubs, paddleboards and fun parks
Potter to Portesham’s lovely pub. Heed the wild call of rugged Chesil Beach. Coasteer, paddleboard or rock-climb with Adventure 4 All. Drink to the day in The Crown Inn in Puncknowle. Children can find Nemo, plus sharks and seals, at Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park or find rides built just for younger kids at Fantasy Island Fun Park
Country kids
Find Nemo, plus rays, sharks, seals, turtles and the world’s smallest penguins at Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park and Aquarium. And don’t forget the Pirate Adventure mini golf. Or see creatures of a different type and time at the Dinosaur Museum, with its excavation pit, dinosaur puzzles and feely box.
Visit The Keep Military Museum, telling the story of war from the perspective of Devon and Dorset. In an extraordinary castle-like building, walk through a World War One trench, try on uniforms, then hit the roof for great views of Dorchester. Or be charmed by Dorset’s Teddy Bear Museum, featuring over 100 years of well-loved bears.
At the Tutankhamun Exhibition, regularly featured on TV, you can see ancient treasures meticulously recreated in their original materials. Or maybe get active and bring your BMX, scooter, inline skates and skateboards to the state-of-the-art Dorchester Skatepark. Keep things moving on the Weymouth 4 Kids Treasure Trail.
Jump on 13 rides built especially for younger children, plus a soft-play area and arcade, at Fantasy Island Fun Park in Weymouth. Be wowed by sculptures as tall as a double-decker bus at SandWorld International Sand Sculpture Park. Or just rummage around the rockpools of Bowleaze Cove and Lulworth Cove.
For the grown ups
Walk from the doorstep around lovely Portesham village. Potter to the local pub, down to the farm shop for local goodies, across forest and farmland and down to the coast. That coast includes the wild, rugged Chesil Beach, the 18-mile shingle barrier from West Bay to Portland that separates the sea from the Fleet Lagoon.
Stay on Chesil to fish for mackerel offshore at West Bexington. Or head to iconic Durdle Door, with its natural arch and footpath to Lulworth Cove. Keep the outdoor spirit going with coasteering, stand-up paddleboarding and rock climbing care of Adventure 4 All. Or try abseiling, bushcraft or kayaking with Cumulus Outdoor Adventure.
Follow the national cycle network to take in Dorset’s diverse landscapes, or just ride the cliff paths and drink in the views. Enjoy Weymouth’s number 1 speedboat attraction and take an exhilarating rib charter or take a boat trip out to hunt for dolphins off the Jurassic coast.
Visit the cob-and-thatch cottage where Thomas Hardy was born, then see the Victorian house Max Gate designed by Hardy himself, or potter the 30 acres of gardens and pleasure grounds around Sherborne Castle. Wrap up your day with a night out at the buzzing bars of Weymouth.
