Swanage’s gentle shelving beach is popular with families and nearby is the Victorian seaside resort with all its attractions.

Swanage is the holder of a prestigious Blue Flag for its beach cleanliness and it is a popular spot for watersports. Swanage pier is one of the best diving locations in the country. There are walks with superb views over the Jurassic coast – England’s only Natural World Heritage Site.

Marker buoys cordon off a swimmers-only area in Swanage Bay. An amusement arcade is opposite the beach. Boat cruises run to and from the pier.

A range of restaurants, cafes, stalls to choose from, beach, shops, supermarkets, newsagents, theatre/cinema, tourist information centre, banks, Post Office and a community hospital.

Swanage steam railway link to Corfe Castle and Norden park-and-ride–trains run every 35 minutes during summer. Wilts and Dorset bus number 150 from Sandbanks runs every hour during summertime - an is open top, and numbers 142 and 143 connect Swanage and Poole via Wareham.

Shell Bay, Knoll Beach, Middle Beach and South Beach are all popular sandy beaches at Studland owned by the National Trust. A marked section is reserved for nudists. To get there Catch the Sandbanks to Studland ferry and follow Ferry Road along to the car parks or take Ulwell Road out of Swanage and join the B3351 from Corfe Castle to Studland.

Wide sweeping sandy beaches great for swimming, watersports, sailing and diving. Water quality is good. There is a shop and café at Knoll Beach and Middle Beach. Shell Bay and South Beach both have a café.

Fine sand is great for sand castles. Sand dunes can be explored via a signposted National Trust trail and there is a woodland nature trail. Studland Study Centre at Knoll car park is open for pre-bookable events and visits all year round.

Public toilets with disabled access and baby changing facilities are available at Knoll Beach, Middle Beach and Shell Bay. There are also toilets at South Beach.

There are approximately 2,500 parking places at four National Trust car parks or Wilts and Dorset bus number 50 runs daily from Bournemouth via Sandbanks & Studland to Swanage.

There is a dog ban at Knoll and Middle Beach during summer. Shell Bay and South Beach allow dogs on leads all year.