Rolling hillsides, dramatic cliffs, sweeping beaches, sleepy villages, bustling towns, quiet countryside - West Dorset's charms are there for all to see.

Within our listings for West Dorset you will find places to stay and things to do in the areas main towns and villages including Abbotsbury, Chideock, Charmouth, West Bay, Bridport and Sherbourne. Although in West Dorset we have seperate sections for the character seaside resort of Lyme Regis and Dorchester the county town of Dorset and focal point of Thomas Hardy's many novels set in the area. The entire coastline of West Dorset forms part of the newly designated World Heritage Coast. Although technically within the borough of Weymouth and Portland, the Isle of Portland at the eastern end of this stretch of the World Heritage Coast offers spectacular views along the whole of the West Dorset coast and is well worth a visit.

These quiet villages and rural market towns also make for great cycling. If angling's more your sport, there's good fishing from the Chesil Bank, the Cobb at Lyme Regis, the pier at West Bay or offshore in deeper waters. Inland, there are plenty of well-stocked lakes pro-viding endless hours of fishing pleasure. Back on dry land, golf addicts have the challenge of eleven West Dorset courses, while horse riders have an excellent choice of riding centres and stables from Abbotsbury to Sherbome, Osmington Mills to Bridport.

The region owes much of its charm to its villages, over 150 of them - and they are well worth ex-ploring. Drive through Abbotsbury's long and winding main street and you will see sandstone cottages, tempting tea rooms and glimpse an old coaching inn. What you won't see is the Swannery, the Tithe Barn or the bracing views over Chesil Beach. So go exploring - Like many of West Dorset's villages, Abbotsbury holds secrets well worth the finding. With quaint names like ToIler Porcorum, Plush and Piddlehinton, each has its history, character and charm. At the heart of these villages you'll find beautiful old churches, small stores and Post Offices selling fine local produce, pubs with grub and a warm welcome everywhere. Many, like Evershot, Nettlecombe or Cerne Abbas - lie hidden in quiet inland valleys. In Cerne Abbas, for instance, you'll find houses dating from the 15th century, the ruins of an Abbey and the famous Giant - a striking 180-foot-high figure cut into the chalk downs overlooking the village. The whole area and the County town of Dorchester (Thomas Hardy's Casterbridge) played the setting for Thomas Hardy's famous novels.

To open a large version of the map in a new window and plan a journey to West Dorset click here.