person walking dog in dorset countryside

A guide to dog friendly Dorset

You only have to look at the sheer number of dog friendly beaches in Dorset to know that a holiday here practically demands you keep a canine companion with you. Dog friendly hotels make holidays in Dorset all the easier – with some cooking up everything from sausages for breakfast to chicken and rice gourmet suppers for your furry family members. Yes, they’ll be spoilt, but isn’t that what holidays are about? Pamper yourself and your pooch with a few helpful hints on dog friendly Dorset stays…

Durdle Door on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset

Dorset

The treasures of the Jurassic Coast could tempt you to do little in Dorset beyond discover its coastal offerings. After all, an offshore island gives explorers the chance to see the magnificent red squirrel, the famous Sandbanks delivers a glimpse into glitzier lifestyles and Durdle Door is a geological charmer we just can’t take enough photographs of. But when you’re done mercilessly papping the coastline, turn your lens inland. Country walks lead you through wildflower meadows, woodlands and river-side paths. Museums hold everything from ancient shark teeth to colossal tanks and bookworms can wander through locations that Thomas Hardy peppered through his novels.

Escaping the crowds, madding or otherwise, is easier in Dorset than it might appear. Skip the Cerne Abbas Giant for a pub walk that affords you the opportunity to see the Dorset few might chance upon. Plot map points that lead you to tiny villages and scour the South West Coast Path for steps that lead to secret beaches. When you’re done, the animal sanctuaries and castles will be waiting for you.

breakfast at cafe in bournemouth best restaurants in Dorset

Breakfast, lunch and dinner in Dorset

Looking for a foodie destination that surpasses expectations on the south coast? Look no further than the beautiful county of Dorset. A jewel in the crown of England, feasibly you could spend a month eating your way around Thomas Hardy country and still not have indulged in all the fine fare that is on offer. Whilst delicious fish and chips are always a great seaside treat, if you scratch below the surface, Dorset delivers BIG on the culinary scene.

durdle door beach

The secrets of Dorset’s best beaches and bays

Dorset beaches are famously fossil-strewn stretches of coastline. But the bays, beaches and even the car parks are places to discover everything from secret coves to rare birds and sand that’s just made for sandcastles. Durdle Door is Dorset’s most famous natural wonder – but the heaths here hold natural finds of a different kind. One of the few places in the UK to spot all six British reptiles, Dorset is a wildlife lover’s haven. Family-friendly waters, Blue Flag beaches and even filming locations can be found on the best beaches in Dorset. The only dilemma? Choosing which one to visit first.

widlife watching on brownsea island

Top 6 things to do in Dorset

From coastal walks to hanging out with the primates at Monkey World and a myriad of fun activities in between. There are so many wonderful things to do in Dorset, in all honesty it would take forever to list them all here, but whether you favour marvelling at monkeys, gliding across the water on a paddle board at sunrise or immersing yourself in the history at the tank museum, rest assured that you will have the time of your life in the jewel of the south coast that is Thomas Hardy country.

traditional pub dorset

Six of the best pub walks in Dorset

The only thing that can top Dorset walks? Pairing them with a pub pit stop to turn them into pub walks of course!. Not to be confused with a pub crawl. Pub walks take you to the best pubs in Dorset, adding a little history, local sites of interest, rare wildlife and sumptuous views on route. Our picks include coastal routes that combine smuggler’s caves and homemade pies, parkland romps that pair with gastropub menus and a pub with a collection of curios and fossils to browse.

Treasury - Ancient City of Petra, Jordan

Jordan

Although you’d be right to be picturing deserts, Bedouins and people gently bobbing cork-like in a lake right now, Jordan has some surprises for you. Though we’ll be the first to admit, the Dead Sea is a hyper-saline, aquatic oddity you won’t want to miss. Add a trip to a pine forest to your things to do list too. Elsewhere, a hike through a pine-scented trail might be a little too ordinary. In a country that’s 85% desert, it’s a welcome change from rose-red sands. And, after days wandering the tombs, facades, squares, ruins and water systems of Petra, that greenery will cut through the millennia of history that’s ingrained in your imagination. The mind-boggling notion that only 15% of Petra has been excavated only adds to the wonder of Jordan’s ancient showstopper.

And if, so far, holidays in Jordan aren’t quite shaping up to be the relaxing lounge by the pool you imagined, prepare for more FOMO. In the south, a well-preserved section of Red Sea shoreline delivers on coral, sea creatures and beach life. That’s if you can spare the time between canyoning through wadis, hiking to hot springs and exploring some of the best kept Roman ruins in the world.

Scenery of Eilat beach, Israel over Aqaba city, Jordan.

The ultimate Dead Sea day trip in Jordan 

The Dead Sea is Jordan’s must see. As well as offering a mineral boost, quirky floatation experience and mud mask mayhem, this hypersaline lake also offers blue-hued views worth whipping your selfie-stick out for. Swing by as part of a day trip along the 280km Dead Sea Highway or make a day of it at one of the luxury lakeside resorts with a helping hand from our Orbzii guide…