Mupe Bay Beach Cliffs. (Dorset)

The cliffs at Mupe Bay rise up like something from a geology textbook, all golden limestone and dark shale layers striped horizontally across the face. You can walk right down to the beach here - it's a proper Dorset classic, the kind of spot where you understand why the Jurassic Coast gets all the fuss. The walk from West Lulworth car park takes about forty minutes each way through decent countryside, which filters out the crowds you'd get at Durdle Door down the road. The beach itself is shingly, backed by those dramatic ochre cliffs that glow warm in afternoon light. It's free to visit, and there's no entry fee or time restrictions - you just turn up and walk.

This works brilliantly if you're staying at Durdle Door Holiday Park or any of the caravan sites dotted around Purbeck. Families with school-age kids will manage the walk fine, though younger children might flag on the return leg. Serious walkers and geology enthusiasts will spend hours photographing the strata and pondering how it all got here. The real strength of Mupe Bay is that it feels less processed than some of the other Jurassic Coast hotspots - you're not fighting through turnstiles or queuing for ice creams. Go on a weekday morning if you want it quieter still, and bring proper footwear because the path gets muddy after rain. Allow three hours total if you want to sit about on the beach and actually enjoy it rather than just tick the box.