Durdle Door

Durdle Door is one of the most recognisable landmarks on the Jurassic Coast, with its famous limestone arch rising from the sea and dramatic cliffs stretching along the Dorset coastline. It's a spectacular place to visit with your dog, whether you're simply heading down to the beach or making it part of a longer coastal walk.

The main Durdle Door car park (BH20 5PU) is large and really the only practical option for parking, as the surrounding roads are mostly double yellow lines. It is expensive, at £15 for half a day (the minimum), but there are plenty of spaces, toilets and a couple of vans selling drinks and ice creams. From the car park, it's a relatively quick but steep walk of around three quarters of a mile down towards the Durdle Door viewpoint. From here, there are steps leading down to the beach, so bear in mind you'll have the climb back up afterwards too.

Dog waste bins are available at the top near the car park, but we didn't spot any further down, so we'd recommend using them before heading towards the coast.

It's particularly important to stick to the designated paths around Durdle Door. The surrounding grassland is an important habitat for wildlife, including reptiles such as adders, while parts of the wider Lulworth area are used by the Ministry of Defence as military training ranges. That sounds more alarming than it actually is - this is an incredibly popular visitor destination - but always follow signs, stick to the paths and don't enter any areas marked as closed.

From Durdle Door, we've picked out a four-mile circular route that also takes in Lulworth Cove. Starting from the car park, the route takes you down towards Durdle Door before following the coast towards Lulworth Cove, with panoramic sea views and Man O'War Bay along the way. It's a relatively short walk, but with some steep climbs and descents, expect a little more effort than the distance might suggest. The route takes a little over two hours and once you factor in stopping to take in the views, you're probably looking at closer to 2 and a half hours. Trust us, it's worth it.

Distance: Approx. 4 miles
Time: Slightly over 2 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

This walk was explored for Dog Owners Guide by Ambassadog @norathemerlepug, who provided the images and first-hand dog friendly information for this listing.

Follow our chosen Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove route on OS Maps

This walk was also selected as one of the UK's 10 Most Scenic Dog Walks as part of our campaign with Petgevity.