6 Adventures to Have in and Around Studland | Dorset

A family favourite of ours, staying in Dorset is something we’ve done a lot of over the years. I was so grateful we finally made it back last summer for a wonderful stay in Studland.

If you’re planning to head this way for a trip, here are some fun things you can get up to! You don’t necessarily need to stay in Studland to have these adventures either.

Spend Time at the Beach

Well duh! I thought I’d start with the most bloomin’ obvious. There’s an epic beach at Studland, whether you’re staying super close, you drive there or catch the bus there, you can enjoy the beautiful golden sand. Last year we hired a beach hut, but if you want to do this, you have to book a year in advance for when you want to use it! I had so much fun sea swimming, but I’m still yet to try paddle boarding. I’m hoping to try that on this year’s holiday though.

Have a Fun Morning Alpaca Walking

Whilst researching things to do last year, I discovered Longthorns Farm, who offer an Alpaca Walking Experience. Now whilst Longthorns isn’t in Studland, it’s really not far to drive. On the Alpaca Walking Experience you get to learn about the alpacas and meet them first, before being given an alpaca to take on a walk. Dr W and I walked Garfield around the woods near the farm, along with getting a chance to feed the alpacas at the end. It really was a fun experience and luckily we had excellent weather for it.

Have a ‘Typical’ Seaside Day Out in Swanage

Now last year we made it a special one by staying in Studland because of Mum and Dad’s anniversary, but we normally stay in Swanage. Last year though to get our seaside fix we hopped on the bus to Swanage so we could play mini golf, eat fish and chips and play on the 2p machines. It’s always fun to have a traditional seaside day I think. We also enjoyed a few ciders in the sunny pub garden, which is always welcome on a warm day!

Explore the South West Coast Path on a Mountain Bike

Having recently gotten into mountain biking, I thought it would be fun to hire bikes during our stay. We used Cycle Experience by Corfe Castle for our bike hire. Heading off on a loop from by Corfe Castle, up onto the South West Coast Path and back down into the village, we had a great day. A little bit of road cycling was needed on this route, but not a lot. Cycle Experience have a handy app which shows you all their routes and difficulties. We picked a more complex route, but there are simpler days out to be had if you’re not as confident or experienced.

Have Lunch at Shell Bay

We’ve eaten at Shell Bay before and I’ve blogged about it, but I couldn’t not include them in this post. Shell Bay is the most delightful restaurant right on the edge of Sandbanks by the chain ferry port. The restaurant offers an amazing array of fresh seafood cooked on their grill. On our visit this time we enjoyed oysters and monkfish, it was absolutely delicious! I love that the menu varies by what has been caught and brought to them that day. In peak times you will need to book well in advance, but I honestly couldn’t recommend eating there more.

Go Hiking

I think this is another fairly obvious adventure to go on in Dorset. There’s great walks from Studland along the coast path to Harry’s Rocks or off up into the moorland inland from the beach. You can walk to Corfe to Swanage, which is something we really enjoyed doing on a previous holiday. The South West Coast Path is really well marked too, which makes it handy.