The British coast-line offers some really stunning landscapes, from the southern white sheer cliffs, the long Norfolk beaches, the cute colourful fishing villages in Wales, to the historical and majestic castles up in Northumberland and Scotland.
I have to say that the Jurassic Coast in Dorset classes without a doubt on my top favourites, and lucky for me – and you – it offers many opportunities for a good hike.
As you might imagine, the area is a popular one, with around 500,000 visitors a year, a large selection of whom tend to visit in the summer months
With that in mind, you’ve got to pick the date of your visit carefully so you can avoid the main crowds and have an enjoyable experience. While summer can sometimes be unbearable, particularly at the beaches around the iconic arch, the shoulder seasons and those brisk winter days represent a great opportunity to get some coastal walking in.
The area really is a spectacular one, and the walking isn’t too tough, meaning you really get to take in the dramatic rise and fall of the coast and the blue sea beside it. From the car park, as Man O’War Beach comes into view you are blessed with great views. Durdle Door, an incredible limestone arch flanked by a gold sandy beach deserves to be admired by both the beach and the nearby cliffs.
The undulating chalk cliffs taking you on a series of ascents and descents, but the fantastic views more than make up for it. My itinerary goes from Durdle Door towards White Nothe and then back on the same path to Lulworth Cove and back.
On a sunny day, this is one of the best coastal walks in the south of England and it’s worth trying out even if it is a popular area. The walk is roughly a seven-mile round trip and, if you don’t mind an early start or late finish, Durdle Door is a fantastic place to watch a sunrise or a sunset.
