Meet over 230 primates and the most chimps outside Africa at Monkey World, an internationally acclaimed ape rescue centre in 65 acres of beautiful woodland. Take the steamy Swanage Railway from Norden and Corfe Castle into Swanage and back. And find the world’s best collection of tanks at Bovington Tank Museum.
Go back 250 million years at Dorset Museum. Climb and play at Seal’s Cove. Get under the waves at Weymouth Sea Life Centre. Brave the feely box at The Dinosaur Museum. And meet more dinosaurs at Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, with its adorable animals, tractor-trailer rides, and outdoor play.
Ride out to Brownsea Island to spot red squirrels and tackle the squirrel-inspired agility course, featuring balance beams, climbing frame, obstacles, seesaw and den-building area. And visit Church Ope Cove, founded by Dr Marie Stopes, for stories about smuggling, pirates, war, and stonemasonry.
Book a climbing and bouldering session at Rockburn in Bridport. Tackle the maze and feed the furries at Vurlands Animal Park. Meet donkeys, pigs, and pygmy goats at Symondsbury Estate. Or dig and swim at iconic nearby beaches such as Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Studland Beach and Weymouth.
Walk from the door on ten-, 20-, and 30-minute microtreks through lovely countryside. Or head down to the south-coast path and stroll from Purbeck to Ringstead beach for lovely sand, sheltered swimming and a nice café. Or enjoy more sand and surf at iconic beaches such as Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Studland Beach, and Weymouth.
Take the ferry over to Brownsea Island, the birthplace of scouting, for heathland, woodland, the lagoon, and lots of red squirrels. Discover the beauty of conifers, cycling through Puddletown Forest. Or hit the heart of Wessex at Thomas Hardy’s cottage, where he wrote Under the Greenwood Tree and Far from the Madding Crowd.
Visit Kingston Lacy, a lavish home reimagined as a Venetian palace in rural Dorset. Then it’s off to Maiden Castle, the largest Iron Age hillfort in Europe, whose ramparts span 50 football pitches. Hack the Purbeck Hills with Lulworth Equestrian Centre. And book the sea-view golf course that spawned the Ryder Cup, at Came Down.
Head to Poundbury, Prince Charles’s development on the edge of Dorchester, for its architecture and cafes. Try an award-winning tipple at Furleigh Estate, Langham Wine Estate or Dorset Wine Tasting, with its champagne and sparkling wines, liqueurs, spirits, and even cigars. Contact Sam, the owner, to discuss all your plans.
