Weymouth Beach

Three miles of golden sand backing onto the Georgian seafront of Melcombe Regis - that's Weymouth Beach, and it's the sort of place that actually delivers on the postcard promise. The strand runs in a gentle curve from the harbour mouth all the way west, with the promenade lined with the sort of seaside architecture that makes you understand why Victorians bothered coming here at all.

It's a proper family beach. The water's shallow for a good stretch out, which means younger kids can paddle without your heart stopping every thirty seconds. The sand is fine enough that you won't spend the next week extracting it from every crevice, and at low tide you get a decent expanse to work with. The seafront itself has the traditional bits - amusements, fish and chips, ice cream vans - without feeling tacky about it.

That said, it gets rammed in peak summer. If you're staying nearby at one of the holiday parks - Waterside at Chesil Beach is only a couple of miles down the coast and marks itself as five-star - you'll want to come early or late in the day to avoid the crush. Walkers will prefer the stretch beyond the main beach towards the cliffs westward, where things quieten down considerably.

The beach itself is free, obviously. You're paying for the facilities - parking, deckchairs, that sort of thing - not entry. Give yourself a half-day minimum if you've got kids; adults without small ones might find three hours about the mark unless you're genuinely keen on lounging about with a book.