Ed Roberts
12 August 2020
Weymouth is a real coastal gem. Just 7 miles from Dorchester in Dorset, this seaside resort has been attracting visitors from all over the world for over 100 years. It’s a pretty place to spend a holiday with lots of things to see and places to go in and around the local area. Home to a large beach, fringed by a Georgian-era esplanade, a cool shopping district and a quaint fishing quay (on the River Wey), Weymouth is a classic coastal destination with something to impress everybody.
Weymouth hosts several annual festivals and is also a popular spot for sailors as the conditions are generally calm, enjoying borrowed natural protection from the Isle of Portland, a huge promontory at the western end of town. With its proximity to the Jurassic Coast and the breathtaking Chesil Beach, Weymouth is a brilliant holiday resort full of charm and enticing reasons to return year on year.
Book a holiday cottage in Weymouth, it’s the perfect backdrop for your Dorset coastal getaway. Choose from renovated townhouses, sea view apartments, and cosy fishermen’s cottages – we have an exciting range of properties all across Weymouth and the surrounding villages. Browse our collection today to find the best property for you and your loved ones.
Our inspiring guide will help you decide what to do and where to go on your trip to Weymouth including places to go with the kids, the best local attractions, an exposé of events occurring in the town, places to dine in the evening and plenty more ideas besides.
1. Day at Weymouth beach – best for outdoor-loving kids
Weymouth has a swathe of beach that stretches from the Pavilion Theatre in the west to RSPB Lodmoor in the east. Who doesn’t love a day on the sand, building sandcastles, paddling in the shallows and worshipping the sun? The beach is fringed by the Esplanade where you can find a whole host of shops to buy buckets and spades, play the slots in the arcades and score some fish & chips. There are good facilities at Weymouth Beach including multiple WCs, a defibrillator, access ramps, lifeguard coverage (during May-Sept) and dog-free zones.
2. A day at Weymouth’s museums
Fancy a day of discovery? Museums have come a long way in the 21st century, no longer a quiet place for spiders to sleep in the ‘cobwebby’ corners, a change has come and its set to continue. Many museums are home to interactive displays, fun dioramas, live re-enactments of historical events and the latest in visual technology to illustrate the past. So how does Weymouth measure up?
Based at Brewer’s Quay is Weymouth Museum which is home to two large galleries, containing Roman archaeological finds, Tudor furniture, Georgian clothing, a model of the nearby castles built for Henry VIII in Weymouth and models of ships associated with the town. You will also find an interesting selection of paintings from over the centuries by well-reputed local artists. If dinosaurs, shipwrecks and smugglers appeal to you, then head to the tiny Portland Museum, which packs an astonishing number of artefacts into its small space. It’s just around the corner from Rufus Castle and the beautiful Church Ope Cove too.
3. Learn to sail in Weymouth Bay
Weymouth is home to a good collection of local sailing schools with RYA certified instructors. You can book courses aboard modern yachts, powerboats and motor cruisers whether you are planning a team-building exercise or one to one training on a boat of your own. The sea conditions in Weymouth are among the best on the Dorset coast, so book ahead to avoid disappointment.
4. Walk along Chesil Beach
Popularised by Ian McEwan’s wonderful novel, On Chesil Beach, this 18-mile-long pebble ridge is one of Dorset’s best-loved landmarks. In contrast to the traditional deckchair and sandcastle stylings of Weymouth’s town beach, Chesil Beach is a much wilder proposition. Forming part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, this beach begins at Portland and ends at West Bay. The view from the village of Abbotsbury over Chesil Beach has been voted as one of the nation’s favourites in Country Life Magazine in recent years (taking the 3rd spot!) Fleet Lagoon sits behind the strand for much of its length giving the beach the appearance of a marine strand. There is a visitor centre close to Fleet Lagoon where you can learn about the wildlife and birdlife that live there, and its SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) status.
5. Meets some swans at Abbotsbury Swannery
Go to one of Dorset’s most popular tourist attractions, Abbotsbury Swannery, which is located at Fleet Lagoon. It’s the only place in the world where visitors can see a nesting colony of mute swans up close. On the 25-acre site, there is also a children’s farm where kids can meet young and baby animals. Also, visit the on-site Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens to relax in during your visit to the Swannery. The Swannery was first established nearly 1,000 years ago in 1040 by Benedictine Monks.
6. Walk around the Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is found close to the edge of Weymouth and makes for a great walk by the sea as the South West Coast Path winds it way around the edge. It’s not a real island as it is joined to the mainland by the western tip of Chesil Beach. Portland’s most famous landmarks are its three lighthouses: Portland Bill, Pulpit Rock, and Old Higher Lighthouse. The Bill, as it’s known for short, is an important way station and marker for shipping traffic hence the need for its beacons. Portland Bill Lighthouse has a visitor centre that’s open to the public for tours up to the lamp itself. There was once an animated children’s series about the lighthouse called The Adventures of Portland Bill which is an obscure delight – seek it out. If you are wondering what the curious bunker shaped citadel built at the highest point of the island is, it's HM Prison The Verne; unofficially referred to as the British Alcatraz.
7. Meet the fish at Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park
Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park is a great choice for a day out with all the family. It’s home to an aquarium where you can see up to 2000 marine creatures in the tropical lagoon, turtle sanctuary, and all kinds of other creature zones. Witness feeding times, enjoy fascinating talks from the staff and then become a fish yourself in the Splash Zone! You are promised to have a ‘whale’ of a time.
8. Check out the sculptures at Sandworld
Another superb place for a family day out, Sandworld offers an unusual spectacle. Showcasing the UK’s largest collection of giant sculptures made from sand, it’s a great place to feel artistically empowered and inspired. You are even invited to build your own art installation of sand during your visit. A brainchild of some of the world’s leading sand sculptures, Sandworld is a cert for a memorable day out.
9. Evening dining in Weymouth
Weymouth is no slouch when it comes to offering up interesting places to dine of an evening. Whilst there is a sprinkling of your high street favourites, we think the local contenders are well worth your time.
For a spot of quality informal dining try Hall’s Kitchen or for gastronomes who adore seafood, the aptly named Crustacean is the place for you. If you fancy more of the same, the Italian Al Molo or the most traditional Seabeats are bound to have many enticing dishes in their repertoire. The Dorset Burger Company are set to become a firm dinner time favourite, you may even feel the need to visit them twice. Holding up the more exotic end of the evening dining options is Chilli’s Contemporary Indian, and the Spanish The Crow’s Nest. And lastly, for a good gastropub, look no further than the Handmade Pie and Ale House. This list is a mere scuff across the surface of the stacks of places to eat in Weymouth.
10. Coincide your holiday with one of Weymouth’s festivals
Weymouth isn’t coy when it comes to festivals. There’s quite a few good ones scattered throughout the year. The Weymouth and Dorset Music Festival (typically each March) celebrates local bands from all of the classic and traditional genres. The colourful Weymouth Kite Festival (each May) is a thing of beauty. Bring your camera so you will have some gorgeous keepsakes from this memorable event. The Weymouth Food Festival appears in August, and it showcases local food and drink producers, live cookouts and talks for all, and finally the Dorset Seafood Festival pitches up along the town quay each September and it’s just ‘sooooo’ good if you love trying out new things to eat.
Wonderful Weymouth
We love Weymouth, so we hope we’ve inspired you with just a few of the places we like to go and the things to do we’ve discovered there. Visit our other blogs on the nearby Dorset towns and places to visit near Weymouth like Lyme Regis, Charmouth, Swanage and Lulworth Cove. Be sure to visit Weymouth’s Tourist Information for the most up-to-date information, you may discover something unique happening in town!
Stay in Weymouth
Seascape | Sleeps: 4 guests
Boasting stunning, panoramic views of Weymouth Bay, this modern semi-detached house is situated in a desirable beach-side location. This charming three-bedroom cottage is located on a quiet lane in Sutton Poyntz, with ample space for up to six people. With village amenities on your doorstep, plus a location almost equidistant between Weymouth and Dorchester, it’s the perfect base to explore the countryside, coastline and towns of this wonderful region.
This quaint holiday home is just right for families or groups of friends looking to catch up on quality time and celebrate Dorset’s abundance of natural beauty. With handy amenities on your doorstep, plus a location almost equidistant between Weymouth and Dorchester, it’s the perfect base to explore the countryside, coastline and towns of this wonderful region.
Come and stay in Weymouth. We have a wide range of self-catering holiday properties just for you, from romantic hideaways to large townhouses for all the family. Build memories to last a lifetime on your Weymouth holiday, where will you stay?
Also, check out our guide to the best attractions in Dorset before your visit too!
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.