Lively resorts and peaceful countryside ...
Swanage is a gem, set in the chalk cliffs of Dorset's Jurassic coast - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and now recognised as a World Heritage Site. Little more than the size of a village, the town is particularly self-contained, and has everything for the visitor looking for a complete break, with everything easily reached on foot from your base in a quiet residential street near the town centre and beach.
There is plenty to do and see in the town, while the surrounding area - the "Purbeck" region of Dorset - is rich in scenery and visitor attractions, plus market towns, thatched villages and tea rooms.
Swanage beach, which has been awarded both the European "Blue Flag" and the Tidy Britain Group's "Seaside" awards, has 80 metres of gently shelving sand, ensuring safe bathing in clean water. On the other side of the town, a one-mile walk over the clifftop downs leads to Durlston Country Park, 280 acres of walks and wildlife.
Photo: © Sean Davis