Jurassic Coast

The Jurassic Coast stretches for nearly 100 miles along Dorset's shoreline, and it's properly geological theatre. You're walking past 185 million years of rock layers exposed in the cliffs - from the Triassic right through to the Cretaceous. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means the formations matter enough to protect, but what matters more is what you actually experience walking along here.

West Lulworth is the anchor point, and for good reason. The cliffs around here shift colour and character as you move east - ochre, grey, russet - and the walking is straightforward enough that families can manage sections without turning it into a military operation. Durdle Door itself, just a short stroll from the village, is the money shot: that perfect limestone arch framed against the water. Yes, it's photographed to death. Yes, it's still worth seeing in person because no image captures how the light plays across it at different times of day.

This isn't a sit-down attraction. You're on your feet, and the coastal path alternates between gentle and genuinely steep stretches. Three to four hours gets you a proper sense of it, though you could easily spend a full day if you're into fossils and geology. Winter's actually rather good - fewer people crushing the viewpoints - though the weather can turn quickly.

Staying at Durdle Door Holiday Park puts you within spitting distance. You wake up near world-class geology rather than driving an hour to reach it. That matters more than it sounds.