Jurassic Drive

Drives don't get much bigger than this, a trip along the iconic Jurassic Coast. Running from Exmouth to Studland Bay this World Heritage Site drive has it all with so many spectacular stops on route. This slightly extended version also finishes with an icon in the food world, however you complete this drive, you cannot go wrong.

Drive Overview

A mixture of open flowing A and B coastal roads with some great views on route. Easily driven in a day but with so many great stops on the way, you may wish to split this drive over a couple of days.

Points of Interest

• Exmouth Esplanade
• Lyme Regis
• Charmouth
• Chesil Beach
• Olympic Rings Stone Sculpture
• Isle of Portland
• Weymouth Beach
• Durdle Door
• Lulworth Cove
• Corfe Castle
• Old Harry Rocks
• Rick Stein, Sandbanks
• Bournemouth
• + many more

Extended Drive Highlights & Info

There is no introduction required for this drive, the Jurassic Coast says it all by name alone. A magnificent drive exploring millions of years of geological history, this is a very special drive. We completed this drive in a single day although with so many fantastic stops, we ended up retracing our steps the following day to fit in some of the additional must see spots. We drove eastbound which includes the mega view as you descend through East Bexington towards Chesil Beach but I am sure the drive is equally special in either direction.

We actually started our trip with a night nearby in Exeter at the dog friendly City Gate hotel. Exeter Quay with its array of restaurants was also a great place to spend the evening ahead of the big drive. Puerto Lounge offers a lovely riverside view and is dog friendly too.

Start or finish of your drive, Exmouth Esplanade is a great spot. A large sandy beach with ice cream, fish and chips and plenty of places to park, it’s a classic seaside town. Heading east, we made our way to Lyme Regis, a picturesque town and a pretty walk in along the River Lim if you park at Woodmead Car Park. Our next stop was Charmouth for a spot of fossil hunting. If you fail to find one, you can always pick up a souvenir from the shop.

Moving on, as you travel east, just before you get to Abbotsbury via East Bexington, the view opens up towards Chesil Beach and the distant Isle Of Portland and it is a stunner. Marked on route is a layby which makes a great stop for a photo and the perfect place to soak in the view before we head to Portland to enjoy the view back west.

Portland Harbour was used during the 2012 Olympics Games and next we are heading on up to the Olympic Rings Stone Sculpture, our second mega view of the day. Whether you fancy an ice cream or a swift half, The View Cafe and Bar Portland has you covered to enjoy whilst you admire the view.

Next we are heading east via a short cruise along Weymouth Beach towards Lulworth where there are plenty of treats in store. If you are feeling energetic, there is an amazing walk between Lulworth Cove and the iconic Durdle Door, however you can park at both individually if you are in a hurry. You can easily spend a day here alone, especially if you take on the walk which is what we did, returning back the following day.

As you leave Lulworth and reach East Lulworth you have a choice. You can cut the corner across Lulworth Ranges towards Corfe Castle providing firing is not in progress. The route that way does turn single track, so if you wish to avoid this, head on towards Wareham via the B3070 and then back down towards Corfe Castle via the A351 as shown on the map. The view of the castle on the way down is pretty cool.

Onwards to Studland and we have nearly reached our destination but there is still so much more to do. On the way along the B3351 is Studland Viewpoint which is marked on the map, a layby with an amazing view cross to Sandbanks and Poole. Studland Bay is the official end to the Jurassic Coast but we are going to take things a little further to add the icing on the cake. If you have time, you can also take a stroll out to the famous landmark that is Old Harry Rocks to view the amazing tall chalk formations.

Our next temporary stop is Shell Bay, where we wait for the Sandbanks Ferry to take us across to the homes of the rich and famous. At the time of writing it was £5 to get across and it makes a fantastic end (or start) to your day. Once onto Sandbanks, we reach our final stop for the day, Rick Stein’s restaurant. Whether you fancy posh fish and chips or the highly regarded Indonesian Seafood Curry, you are in for a treat and they are even dog friendly in the bar area if you are travelling with a furry friend.

We chose to spend the night just outside Bournemouth which makes a perfect base to either head into Bournemouth along the promenade the following day or to turn around and catch up on the things you didn’t have time to do the previous day. However you achieve it, the Jurassic Coast is a magical drive with so much to see and do.

Enjoy =)