These are the beaches in Dorset we list, from the sandy stretches of Bournemouth, Boscombe, Southbourne and Sandbanks to the pebble and shingle coves of the Isle of Purbeck and Portland. Events on soon come first, then places open all year. Every listing links to its source.
Open all year
Lyme Regis has four beaches. Front Beach, part sand and part pebble, is the most popular for swimming and paddling, with RNLI lifeguards in peak season. Monmouth Beach leads to the ammonite pavement and the Undercliffs nature reserve. East Cliff Beach is rich in fossils, but its cliffs are unstable and it can be cut off at high tide. Dogs can use every beach except Front Beach all year.
Open all year
Quiet sandy beaches on Mudeford Spit, good for bathing and popular with dog walkers, who can let dogs off the lead all year. You reach it on foot, by bike or on the land train from Hengistbury Head car park, about a mile away; the land train has a wheelchair carriage. There are cafés, restaurants and toilets, but no lifeguards, and barbecues aren't allowed.
Open all year
A Blue Flag beach of wide, clean sand and shingle, a favourite with locals and away from the bustle of Bournemouth Pier and the town centre. You can walk down from Southbourne high street through Fisherman's Walk. RNLI lifeguards, a pub, a kiosk and accessible toilets are here. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
A quiet shingle bay inside the Army's Lulworth Ranges, a mile's walk (about 20 minutes) from the car park at Tyneham village, and a lovely spot for a picnic. The ranges are usually open most weekends and school holidays: check GOV.UK or call 01929 404714 before you go, and keep to the paths marked with yellow posts. There are no lifeguards or toilets on the beach, and don't sit near the cliffs.
Open all year
A natural, tranquil Blue Flag beach between Shore Road and Branksome Chine, with sandy cliffs and wooden huts, a short walk from the restaurants and shops of Canford Cliffs village. RNLI lifeguards patrol and there are toilets. Getting down from the car park can be difficult; for easier access the council suggests Sandbanks, Shore Road or Branksome Chine. Dogs aren't allowed from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
Sandy beaches beside the historic Boscombe Pier, with views across Poole Bay and plenty to do: surf equipment hire, climbing boulders, slacklining and free electric barbecue hotplates. RNLI lifeguards patrol, and there's a pub, restaurants and kiosks. Boscombe Undercliff car park next to the beach has good level access, and a beach wheelchair and Mobi-Mat matting are available from May to September.
Open all year
A relatively unspoilt pebble beach below imposing clay and ironstone cliffs, within the Hengistbury Head nature reserve. There's plenty of parking, with toilets and cafés at both ends. Well-behaved dogs are welcome on the beach, but keep them on a lead off the beach so they don't disturb rare wildlife. Barbecues aren't allowed anywhere on Hengistbury Head.
Open all year
A striking natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast, reached by a steep path and steps from either Lulworth Cove or the cliff-top car park. The shingle beach suits confident walkers rather than those with mobility difficulties, and swimmers should take care as the shore shelves steeply with a strong under-tow.
Open all year
A rocky bay of shale below layered cliffs, overlooked by Clavell Tower and known for rock pools, fossils and some of Dorset's best surf. Ledges of harder limestone let you walk out and see fossils in the rock. The clear water is good for swimming and snorkelling, and surfers and windsurfers come all year for the waves, including the reef break at Broadbench.
Open all year
Soft golden sand at Sandbanks, which has won the Blue Flag more times than any other UK resort. There's a café, mini golf, a children's play area and RNLI lifeguards. The beach can be reached by ramp, with a beach wheelchair and Mobi-Mat matting from May to September. Dogs aren't allowed on the main beach from 1 May to 30 September, but can use the stretch from the western end of the promenade to Haven Point all year.
Open all year
Sandy beaches by Bournemouth Pier, on the edge of the town's historic gardens, with cliff top walks and views to the Isle of Wight. Restaurants, cafés, mini golf and amusements are close by, and RNLI lifeguards patrol. From 1 July to 1 September the free KidZone scheme helps reunite lost children with their families. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
A gently shelving beach of pebbles and sand, famous with Lyme Regis for its fossils, especially in the winter months. Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre runs guided fossil walks from February to September; collect only from fallen or beach material, never dig in the cliffs. After large cliff falls, stay away from the cliffs, and check tide times as you can be cut off. Dogs are welcome all year on East Beach.
Open all year
Weymouth's sandy beach sits below the Georgian seafront, with a gently sloping seabed and clean water for swimming and water sports, making it a good choice for families. In summer there are deckchairs, a land train, sand sculptures and Punch and Judy, and RNLI lifeguards patrol from May to the end of September. There's ramp and level access, and beach wheelchairs can be hired.
Open all year
Two shingle beaches by the harbour: East Beach, below golden sandstone cliffs, and the smaller West Beach, sheltered and shallow for paddling and popular with young families. West Beach has ramps, summer beach matting and free beach wheelchairs. East Beach shelves steeply with a strong undertow, and after recent cliff falls you should keep well away from the base of the cliffs. Dogs aren't allowed on the main beaches from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
Swanage's gently shelving golden sand and clear water have earned the Blue Flag and Seaside Award for 24 years in a row. RNLI lifeguards cover Central Beach in the summer season, 10am to 6pm, and there's a clearly marked area where boats and other craft aren't allowed. Dogs aren't allowed on Central Beach from 1 May to 30 September, but are welcome all year on Monkey Beach, between the Stone Quay and Swanage Pier.
Open all year
A designated naturist area on Knoll Beach at Studland, where clothing is optional along a 900m stretch marked by green-topped posts and signs. The National Trust asks naturists to be clothed outside the marked area and everyone to respect others. It's about half an hour's walk from the Shell Bay and Knoll Beach car parks, and there are no toilets at the naturist beach itself. To avoid the area, use the Heather Walk trail through the dunes.
Open all year
A Blue Flag stretch of sand and shingle at the eastern edge of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, on the Hampshire border, popular with swimmers and body boarders. Grassy dunes and low cliffs sit behind it, with paths through to Steamer Point Nature Reserve. The cliff top car park has a café, toilets and disabled parking. Dogs aren't allowed between groynes H4 and H8 from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
A quiet cliff top grassed open space above Bowleaze Cove, with wide views across Weymouth Bay to Portland, good for a picnic, a dog walk or flying a kite. Bowleaze Coveway, the road down to the beach, has a café, shops, a family pub, an amusement arcade and a funfair. There's free on-street parking, public toilets opposite the Oasis Café, and wheelchair access, though some inclines are steep.
Open all year
A secluded pebble cove on Portland's sheltered eastern side, popular for swimming, snorkelling and fishing, and thought to be the site of the first recorded Viking attack on the British Isles. The main path follows the road past Portland Museum and under the arch of Rufus Castle, then down steps on the South West Coast Path; another runs through woodland and the ruins of St Andrew's Church.
Open all year
A pebble beach in a sheltered cove on the Jurassic Coast, popular for its blue waters and rock pools that are good for exploring with children at low tide. Walkers can reach it via the South West Coast Path, with nearby landmarks including Stair Hole and Durdle Door. A visitor centre by the car park offers information, toilets and baby changing facilities.
Open all year
The smallest of Studland's beaches, popular with locals and visitors, with sheltered water that suits paddleboarders and kayakers. There's a swimming-only zone in summer, good rock-pooling at low tide and Joe's Café, which isn't run by the National Trust. Park at South Beach car park, which has toilets nearby, and walk through the village. Dogs are welcome all year, with restrictions in the summer months.
Open all year
A sand and shingle cove just east of Durdle Door on the Lulworth Estate, with aquamarine water and calm seas for gentle swimming and paddling. The final descent is steep and not suitable for people with disabilities, so wear trainers or walking boots. Refreshment kiosks, souvenirs and toilets are in the car park area, and dogs are allowed.
Open all year
A Blue Flag sandy beach with wide views along the coast, a car park right beside it, a beach shop and a popular restaurant. RNLI lifeguards are on duty from late May to early September, 10am to 6pm. The beach can be reached by ramp, and a beach wheelchair is available from the beach office from May to September. Dogs aren't allowed on the main beach from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
A quiet pebble and shingle beach below flower-covered cliffs, with clear water that's safe for bathing and views across Weymouth Bay to Portland. Steep ancient tracks lead down from the National Trust car park at the top of the cliff, and there are no toilets. Dogs are welcome; use a short lead near sheep and nesting birds. The X54 bus stops at Kit Lane, about 3 miles away.
Open all year
A pebble barrier beach running 28km from Portland to West Bay, part of the Jurassic Coast and the reason Portland is joined to the mainland. At the Portland end, Chesil Cove is a popular place to sit on the beach, swim, dive and even surf, and anglers come all along it. The Chesil Beach Centre, beside the Fleet Lagoon, has a boardwalk giving easy access onto the beach.
Open all year
A Blue Flag sandy beach in Mudeford, just east of Mudeford Quay, where Christchurch Bay begins and stretches towards Highcliffe. There's a café, a shop, the Noisy Lobster seafood restaurant and beach huts, plus showers, toilets and watersports hire and lessons in front of the car park. There is level access from Avon Beach car park to the promenade and beach. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach from 1 May to 30 September.
Open all year
Part of Studland Bay's four miles of golden sand, with views of Old Harry Rocks, Knoll Beach is where you'll find the National Trust café, shop and a large car park. Beach wheelchairs and an all-terrain electric wheelchair are free to borrow, and there's a Changing Places toilet. The Purbeck Breezer 50 bus and the Sandbanks chain ferry make it easy to arrive without a car. From May to September dogs must be on a short lead.
Studland Bay has four miles of sand, Swanage and Weymouth have gently shelving beaches, and Durdle Door, Man O'War Bay and Worbarrow Bay are reached by steep paths or a walk from the car park.
In West Dorset, Charmouth and Lyme Regis are known for fossils, and Chesil Beach runs for 28km from Portland to West Bay. Listings describe each beach and, where the official source covers them, lifeguards, dogs and access. Look for the Dog-friendly, Accessible and Car-free friendly tags, and check tide times and the beach's official page before you set off.