Weymouth Beach - A quick guide
Is Weymouth Beach Sandy?
There is a large section of sandy Weymouth beach with fine golden sands at the pavilion end of the pier. This gradually turns to shingle further along.
Are dogs allowed on Weymouth Beach?
There are some dog friendly sections of Weymouth beach and some sections where dogs are not allowed. Simply look out for the signs.
Where can I park at Weymouth Beach?
Weymouth beach is close to the town so there are plenty of carparks within walking distance. There is a large carpark on the pier at the Pavilion and one at the Swannery. There is some on road parking along the seafront - mostly pay and display.
Where can you eat on Weymouth Beach?
There are a number of huts on the beach that serve hot and cold food and drinks. There are restaurants on the seafront, in the town and around the harbour too.
Can you hire a deckchair on Weymouth beach?
You can hire deckchairs along Weymouth seafront and on the beach. There are also a number of shelters along the esplanade.
How many beaches in Weymouth are there?
As well as the main Weymouth beach, there are a few others as well. Click here to read more about other
beaches in Weymouth.
Weymouth beach is probably the most popular place to visit in Weymouth
Weymouth beach offers an award winning sandy beach with golden sands stretching the length of a fabulous Georgian Esplanade, creating a picture postcard holiday scene. The fine golden sands and clear, sheltered waters make this the place to spend a fine summers day in Weymouth. Being on the south coast, Weymouth enjoys some of the best weather in the UK, meaning plenty of time to spend on Weymouth beach through the summer.
Walking on Weymouth beach, Weymouth attractions on the beach and a dog friendly Weymouth beach section too!
Weymouth beach stretches the full length of the seafront, from the historic Weymouth harbour all the way along to Bowleaze Cove. Standing on Weymouth pier, you have the picturesque Weymouth harbour on one side and the glorious golden sands of weymouth beach meeting the shallow and clear, calm waters on the other. The ideal spot for a paddle. At the top are the Weymouth beach attractions - children's rides and the Weymouth beach donkeys. The dog friendly section of Weymouth beach is here too. Walking along the beach, towards the old bandstand you pass by many beach huts, selling food, drinks and beach goods. Older visitors will remember the old red, white and blue striped huts often depicted on postcards. Today these are now blue.
Continuing the walk - Greenhill Beach and Preston Beach - quieter beaches in Weymouth. Greenhill gardens and on to Bowleaze Cove
As you progress along the beach, the sand turns to shingle and pebbles, this part of the beach tends to be a little quieter and the water gets deep quicker here, making it a popular place for swimming. Continuing the walk, you will soon pass the colourful Greenhill gardens - these small gardens right on Weymouth seafront are beautifully kept all year round and live music is often hosted here in the summer months. A cafe and plenty of seats can be found at this viewing point offering one of the best sights in Weymouth on a clear day. There are many spots around Weymouth that offer great views and this is one of them, fantastic views over Weymouth beach to the Nothe Fort and Portland in one direction and the Osmington White Horse to the other. Continuing further, you find Preston beach, here you have Lodmoor country park across the road and eventually, Bowleaze cove. After this, the beach meets the cliffs upon which the historic Weymouth white horse is etched into the chalk of the hills at Osmington. This brings us to the end of our stroll along Weymouth beach but if you fancy walking up into the hills to the cliffs, to the
Osmington White Horse or further on along the beautiful Jurassic coast. Follow the footpaths to take in the panoramic views across Weymouth beach, the bay and Portland from the clifftops as you enjoy some of the top sights in Dorset.
The Osmington White Horse which can be viewed from Weymouth seafront with the beach at Osmington Mills below it.
Walking along the waters edge is a wonderful but the esplanade stretches the length of the beach from Weymouth pier to Preston if you prefer solid ground. At Preston, you can follow the road as it goes up the hill along the cliffs towards Bowleaze cove - from up here, you will again be treated to another one of the best sights in Weymouth, offering fantastic views across Weymouth Bay and out towards Portland.
Things to do in Weymouth - on the beach... hire a deckchair on beach or esplanade and childrens attractions in Weymouth on the beach
There are numerous things to do on Weymouth beach, you can grab an ice cream, chips or a beer from one of the beach huts. You can hire a deckchair on the beach or esplanade and enjoy the view and there are lots of Weymouth attractions for children right on the beach too. Sandcastle building, a ride on the Weymouth beach donkeys, the trampolines, the helter skelter, the swingboats and the many other attractions that line the sandy end of the beach, all help to make Weymouth beach one of the best beaches to visit in Dorset with children. With so many things to do in Weymouth just on the beach, you will probably just spend the day there but just across the road you can find the town, amusement arcades and a small fairground. The picturesque Weymouth harbour and pier is close by too. To sit back and enjoy some of the best sights in Weymouth, take the Weymouth land train along the seafront and admire the views. On a fine summers day, whatever you fancy, be it a deckchair on the esplanade, building sandcastles on the beach or taking a dip in the crystal clear waters, when the weathers right, a trip to the beach has to be right up at the top of things to do in Weymouth.
Getting to Weymouth beach - Weymouth hotels on the seafront and where to park for Weymouth beach
Weymouth beach is easily accessible from most areas of Weymouth. From town, it is just a 5 minute walk. If your on the Nothe side of the harbour (opposite to the beach), its only a 15 minute walk or you may prefer to take the Weymouth harbour ferry ride across the harbour, a novel way of saving the walk. There are lots Weymouth hotels on the seafront offering some fantastic views over the beach and bay. There are also lots around the harbour and town as well as hotels outside Weymouth. There are plenty of other options for staying in Weymouth too - campsites and holiday cottages are plentiful around Dorset so if you find yourself staying further out in one of the surrounding villages, you will find many of the carparks are ideally situated within easy distance of the beach. There are also a number of pay and display parking spaces on the seafront itself ensuring everyone can enjoy one of the best Weymouth attractions - its beautiful beach.
Our favourite things to do on Weymouth beach
As we have already said, there are plenty of things to do in Weymouth without leaving the beach, be it sandcastle building on the fine golden sand, reading a book overlooking the fantastic view from the Esplanade or hiring a kayak. There are plenty of refreshments from the many beach huts and lots of the best childrens attractions in Weymouth including donkey rides, swingboats etc are here too. Weymouth beach also has watercraft and beach huts for hire. Just a selection of the things to do in Weymouth from the beach include:
- Sandcastle building with the fine sands on the same beach as the Weymouth sandman
- Taking a paddle or swim in the crystal clear waters of Weymouth bay
- Hiring a Pedalo or kayak and enjoying being out on water
- Hiring a deckchair or beach hut for the day
- Taking refreshments at one of the many food and drink selling beach huts
- Just across the road are the amusement arcades whilst the shops of Weymouth town are just off the beach.
- You can enjoy a walk along the seafront or along the pier
- Or simply relax, enjoy the sun, sand and gently lapping waters that Weymouth beach has to offer.
And for children's attractions on Weymouth beach...
- The Weymouth beach donkeys
- Swingboats, trampolines, a Helter Skelter and many more.
- Beach goods including balls, bucket and spade, inflatables and almost anything else you can think of are available to buy right on the beach.
Other beaches in Weymouth
As already mentioned, the long sweep of beach known as Weymouth beach is a combination of 3 beaches, the sandy Weymouth beach, Greenhill beach further along and finally Preston beach as you head out towards Bowleaze coveway. There are other beaches in Weymouth too, the quaint, sandy Castle Cove beach just off the Rodwell trail and Smallmouth beach as you head towards Portland. Newtons Cove is another small beach that can be found close to the Nothe Gardens and its the perfect place to see wildlife. The short walk from Newtons cove to the Nothe Fort and around the Nothe gardens is delightful, the views here again offer some of the best sights in Weymouth with views across Portland Harbour and the cliffs of the Jurassic coast all along the walk.
Read more about the other beaches in Weymouth.
Beaches near Weymouth
As well as the beaches in Weymouth, there are also lots of delightful beaches near Weymouth too. Studland beach, the isolated beach at Worbarrow, the beaches of Swanage and Lyme Regis, the large beaches of Bournemouth and the exclusive Sandbanks beach on the Sandbanks peninsula are just a few of our favourites.
Events on Weymouth beach
Many popular Weymouth events take place each year and many of them are held, unsuprisingly at the two biggest Weymouth attractions - the beach and the harbour. Events on Weymouth beach are popular throughout the year but especially in the warm summer months. At this time of year, Weymouth beach events include volleyball, the fantastic Weymouth beach firework displays, the Weymouth carnival and dragonboat racing to name a few. In winter, the beach is a lovely place to take a walk and in November, it hosts a free Weymouth Bonfire night extravaganza where the beach is lit up with a huge bonfire before a fantastic free firework show lights up the skies. The bonfire night Weymouth fireworks display is amongst the best free fireworks displays in Dorset.
Visiting Weymouth beach makes our list of top 10 things to do in Weymouth. Click the link for more great
things to do in Weymouth.