Durdle Door is a famous rock formation that’s part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Dorset. It’s a natural landmark in the UK and chances are you’ve seen countless photos of it as it features quite heavily on social media these days. It feels like I see someone new there every week in the summer! But I mean it’s warranted because it’s a gorgeous little slice of natural beauty in the UK.
If you’re thinking of visiting, I’ve popped together this quick guide on what you need to know before you go. Enjoy!
1) Park at the Durdle Door Holiday Park.
To visit Durdle Door you need to head for the Durdle Door Holiday Park. The postcode for the sat nav is BH20 5PU. You do have to pay for parking and it gets busy but it seems pretty well organised and we found it easy to get in and out. The car park opens at 9am all year round but closes (and is locked) at 4pm in the winter and 9pm in the summer.
It’s also worth mentioning that there are free toilet facilities, refreshment vans and rubbish bins in the car park, so it makes a good road trip stop on the way to Devon or Cornwall.
2) Bring your trainers.
To get to the famous view point and get that photo you’ve probably seen all over your Instagram feed, it’s a 15 minute walk down a steep, rocky path. It doesn’t look or sound difficult but I saw so many people fall over and I slipped a few times. So make sure you wear trainers or walking shoes – I wore flip flops and trust me it’s not advisable.
It’s worth mentioning that this means it’s not really accessible for wheelchairs or prams. It’s also a bit tricky for young kids. We had Indi in the toddler carrier (that she’s 100% too big for now) but we didn’t feel comfortable getting her out. There are steep cliff edges everywhere.
If you want to go down to the shingle beach, it’s another 143 steps to descend (which you will need to come back up). But of course you get to see more of Durdle Door and spend more time taking in the view.
3) Don’t go near the caves.
At the bottom of the cliffs there are lots of caves but you can’t go near them I’m afraid. Cliff falls are pretty common so it’s not worth the risk! Be careful please!
4) Explore Nearby Beauty Spots.
If you’ve come all the way to see Durdle Door, you should really go to the nearby beauty spots too. Right next to Durdle Door Beach is Man O’War Beach, which you’ll see on the walk down. Honestly I thought this was prettier than Durdle Door itself, so beautiful!
Lulworth Cove is also dreamy (postcode BH20 5RQ) with beautiful turquoise waters and more pretty rock formations. There’s also a bit more going on here with coffee shops, ice cream parlours and Fish & Chip shops.
There are coastal walks that take in this whole area. The South West Coast Path is the big one at 95 miles long (!) (from Old Harry Rocks to Exmouth), but you can do part of it to take in the views. There are also some circular walks that start from Lulworth Cove – visit the Lulworth Visitor Centre for the various routes.
5) Bring your camera because it’s gorrrrrrge.
Ok but seriously, it’s really quite stunning. Take a look.
Let me know if you go to Durdle Door! Did you like it?
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