Studland Bay is reachable in a 20-minute drive, boasting four miles of sandy and sheltered beaches. Watersports are popular here, with its coast known for its shallow and clear waters. Visit South Beach, popular with locals, Middle Beach and the low cliffs that shelter it, or Knoll Beach, backed by dunes with wide-open spaces and a one-kilometre designated naturist area.
Corfe Castle is a 15-minute drive away, a dramatic thousand-year-old ruin that remains a survivor of the English Civil War. Dorset Adventure Park (01929 505030) is beside the castle, with its outdoor water park and mud trail providing a day of fun for adults and children alike.
Elsewhere, the coastal town of Swanage is a 20-minute drive away with its sprawling sandy beach, while visitors can also enjoy the Swanage Railway (01929 425800), which operates full-size steam and diesel passenger trains on the Jurassic Coast. For cyclists, the Isle of Purbeck also has plenty of safe and traffic-free routes available, along with over 37 miles of paths and bridleways for those seeking a long walk or two.