Swanage Beach — Attraction in England

If you want the quintessential English seaside experience, with a twist of great places to eat and drink; then go here. Families with young children, you have a super soft,safe,sandy beach near the town, with the seafront road behind it closed all day. Superb beach huts are just across that road. Beach is shallow so safe for kids and the tide doesn't go out more than 30 or 40 feet so children always within view. There is a pirate themed amusement park for up to say 10 year olds and usually: punch and Judy on the beach itself. 2 small amusement arcades, but it's not a massive distraction. Good for half an hour or so in the evening on the way out/back. Loads of good places to eat. 4 great fish and chips places. Seafood restaurants, one with rooftop terrace. Cocktail bar and 6 great pubs chattering for all tastes. The other end of the long beach, has great shore side places to eat alfresco, quieter if that's what you want, but with watersports facilities and boat launching ramp to beach. Further along the beach gets really quiet and natural and you can spend a while there in blissful isolation. The town pier is for fishing, boat trips and there is a great scuba diving club. Read the plaques that people buy to help keep the pier in good condition, our buy one as a permanent reminder of your time here. It's a place me, my kids and grandchild have fallen in love with for over 40 years. Plenty to do in surrounding area: including the larger resorts of Bournemouth and Weymouth. If a family or couples beach holiday, with some night time food and drink thrown in, this is your place. PS. Tons of independent shops too. 14-17 year olds might find it doesn't have the big...

Lovely bay that is kept clean with tractors pushing seaweed / stones etc back in to water only during summer holidays. Varies considerably outside of this time. Dog friendly during winter, in the summer the “ dog friendly “ beach is small, overcrowded, dependant on the tide if there is access , not very accessible and worst of all adjacent to the road and used mainly to launch large and small rowing boats / kayaks etc ( rowing club opposite) so in my opinion if you have a dog avoid swanage bay and head to Studland or Weymouth which caters for them on the actual sand beach and is safe. Also no shelter for dogs so unsafe in hot weather. There is another part of the beach that dogs may use but it is a fair walk from town end and very busy in season. Too far from car parks if you have a dog , kids etc and if you want to set up breakers, tents etc with the kids and a dog in tow definitely head to Studland although the car parks there get full very quickly in the holidays. There are grass areas and the Downs but it is not dog friendly on the beach at all. For children though the bay is safe ( except for the sometimes large banks of weed / rocks pushed into the water by said tractors so look out for those. There is a life guard area and the first part of the beach from town has the road closed off so safer for children, rental huts, decent toilet facilities and showers ( only in main season). Lots of ice creams and coffee shops but a lack of cold drinks available and prices are high, no picnic facilities. No bbqs in the whole Purbeck area due to...

Tonight, we ventured to Swanage Beach in our campervan for an idyllic seaside escape and it was nothing short of wonderful. What initially began as a simple plan for fish and chips transformed into an enchanting evening by the sea, complete with breath-taking views that seemed almost poetic in their beauty.

Even amidst the bustling activity of an ongoing festival, the beach maintained its charm. Everyone we encountered was friendly and the atmosphere was lively, yet pleasantly relaxing - a true testament to the community spirit of Swanage.

Our dining highlight was undoubtedly 'The Place' - their fish and chips were simply superb, a gastronomic delight to complement our scenic setting. Despite the unpredictability of the weather, we were gifted with spells of sunshine that only added to the ambience.

We live in Bournemouth, so we often take advantage of these tranquil evening visits, but Swanage Beach is definitely worth a full day's exploration.

In short, our experience was both lovely and relaxing, reaffirming why Swanage Beach remains a top choice for us. We wholeheartedly recommend this place to others, whether you're a local or a visitor looking for a memorable...