Durdle Door

Durdle Door was formed when the earths tectonic plates collied millions of years ago and the arch has grown slightly bigger thanks to coastal erosion in the years since. It is one of the most geologically significant parts of the UK coastline and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Highlight of the Jurassic Coast

Every year thousands of visitor’s flock to admire the impressive structure and spend the day relaxing on the shingle beach. It’s a real hit with landscape photographers who create impressive composition of the sun shining through the door.

Despite the beach having no facilities, it has grown increasing popular in recent years thanks to featuring in numerous films and newspaper articles, so we advise arriving early to secure your space. You will need to pack a picnic if you plan on spending the entire day at the beach. During the peak summer month there is a small kiosk on the descent, selling ice creams and refreshments.

The sea here is a beautiful aqua colour, especially on clear days. The water gets very deep quickly and there’s no lifeguard on duty, so swimmers must proceed with caution. The neighbouring Man o’ War beach is much shallower and better suited to families. Both Durdle Door and Man o’ War beach can be reached by following the steps down from the clifftop.

Getting there

The walk from the main car park is relatively short, though the gravel path is steep and unstable underfoot. If you’ve got energy to burn you could park at Lulworth Cove and walk the extended version, which boasts far-reaching views along the coastline. The South West Coast Path passes Durdle Door if you’d like to incorporate your visit into a more strenuous hike.

There are a number of providers offering Durdle Door boat trips if you’d prefer to marvel at the landmark from the sea. This is a great way to see it from a different perspective