Travelogue: A little getaway called Dorset

Aren’t impromptu plans the best? One minute you are lounging on your sofa on a fine Saturday morning trying to figure out what to cook for breakfast and the next minute you are rapidly getting dressed with a grin on your face, ready to dart out of the door for a day trip! Best.

This is one such trip that we decided to take on a rare sunny Saturday Morning. After pouring over the map and selecting/rejecting a ton of places (including Hyde Park, by the way.. yes it was superbly sunny!!), we selected Dorset. It is perfectly located about 2.5 hours south-west of London on the English Channel coastline. Dorset has a very rich lineage having the Vikings, Saxons, Romans part of its history which is pretty clear by its landscape and the Jurassic Coast, yielding collectible fossils .

Coming back to our trip, we jumped into the car and were off on M3. Now Dorset has many interesting places to visit; the castles, the walking trails, innumerable beaches and coves and we knew doing all that in a day is mostly impossible. So we chose to cover Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove in the 6 hours we had. Very important for travellers to not overdo a destination lest you end up running from cove to cove and pretty much miss the entire essence of the place.

Durdle Door is a prime attraction in Dorset with millions of tourists walking up to the dazzling coast to catch a glimpse and a photography opportunity of this natural limestone arch right off the jagged landscape. The path to the coastline and the stone beach is a long trail along grassy landscape filled with laughing voices and bouncing dogs. If you are more impulsive than a day-trip person, then I suggest you rent one of the trailer homes perfectly placed along the coastline. It is definitely worth it. Once you set your eyes on Durdle Door, everything else pretty much goes in to oblivion. Shining bright in the warm sunlight, the natural landform mesmerises you and literally pulls you to walk down to the beach and settle down for a long gaze.

We bounced down the trail and found ourselves a perfect place to settle in, soak up the sun, sip some white wine and just dream. Despite having a lot of folks visiting, thanks to a sunny day, it was never a crowded moment. There was a secluded serene spot for everyone.  The water was the colour of Aquamarine with equal portions of green and sparkling blue, trying to match the clear blue skies. Along the beach, the coastline has natural cave formations and chalk cliffs that give you lots to see while you idly walk down the beach, sandals in your hand.

Walk to the Coast

Gorgeous coastline

The adjacent beach right behind Durdle Door

Durdle Door in all its glory!

Durdle Door from the beach

Limestone and Chalk Cliffs

Lulworth Cove is a bit more subtle to which you reach via a short walk along the little village lane lined with B&Bs and pubs. It is a perfect semi-circle cove and you almost wonder if it is man-made! But of course it is all natural.  A perfect place to get into your zone and reach your zen moment.

Greens, Blue seas and Bluer skies

Path to Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Cove

This part of Dorset can be pretty much described Idle. Arm yourself with good walking shoes, park your vehicle and set off on the many trails this place has to offer. You won’t be disappointed because on every turn you will find something extraordinary…