Why the Jurassic Coast should be top of your UK travel list in 2025
Share:
The words ‘Jurassic Coast’ might conjure images of a famous movie franchise. But while the 95-mile stretch straddling Devon and Dorset has deep ties to dinosaurs, there’s more than dusty fossils to be discovered here. More than 250 million years old, England’s only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts pristine beaches, quaint seaside towns and adventure experiences to suit almost every type of traveller.
![[A sunny autumn day at Durdle Door]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SEI_207579314-083a.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Just a three-hour drive or train ride from London, the prehistoric coastline is packed with potential for girls’ trips, staycations and weekends with friends. Think scenic walks, spa days, and fish and chips al fresco. A team of Metro journalists did a test drive of the region’s top attractions on a 58-kilometre charity trek so you don’t have to. Here’s what we found.
![[Looking towards Corfe Castle from West Hill on a misty morning. (Photo by: Loop Images/Mark Bauer/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SEI_207579308-20b9.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
All along the coast, history takes shape — rising from the sea in sandstone cliffs and unusual rock formations. The best-known attraction is Durdle Door, a magnificent 200ft limestone arch known locally as the ‘drinking dragon’. One of Devon’s most popular attractions, it’s best viewed from the coastal path at Lulworth Cove. Watch out for seals and dolphins in the water below.
![[2D89TC2 Dinosaur footprints at Keates Quarry on the Jurassic Coast near Langton Matravers in Dorset, England]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SEI_207579303-6ae3-e1718282098569.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Priceless relics have been discovered along the Jurassic Coast, and there are still plenty for eagle-eyed visitors to collect. Aspiring paleontologists should head straight for Lyme Regis, widely hailed as England’s fossil capital thanks to the discoveries of Mary Anning, who unearthed many treasures including the first plesiosaur skeleton.
![[People enjoying the sunny weather on Bournemouth Beach. Picture date: Sunday May 12, 2024. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SEI_203731519-48a5.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
