Weymouth is charming seaside down on the South coast which has been a favourite family beach destination for years!
What To Do
When visiting Weymouth the first place you need to head to is of course the sea front. Weymouth is a beautiful traditional coastal town full of old-fashioned charm that takes me right back to my childhood. It is crammed full of lovely little seaside souvenir shops, ice cream parlors and amusement arcades. There is also now a bustling town centre with a great selection of shops and a cinema.
The beach is a long sandy beach with lovely shallow waters perfect for families to enjoy. The highlight of any trip to Weymouth for me as a child was a ride on the donkeys along the beach and now my kids love doing the same.
At the far end of the beach is the pier which holds the Jurassic Skyline tower. This is an impressive 53m high tower that gives visitors the most incredible view across Weymouth and beyond. You can read more about it in our full review here: Jurassic Skyline
The other obvious attraction to visit in Weymouth is the Sea Life Adventure Park. This is probably Weymouth’s most well-known attraction and is a great day out for all the family. You can read the full review about it here: Weymouth Sea Life Adventure Park
Heading round past the pier which holds the Jurassic Skyline tower you will come across Weymouth Harbour. I love strolling along here watching the boats come and go and doing a little window shopping in all the lovely little shops along the way. There are plenty of cafes with lovely views overlooking the harbour, plus a huge antiques centre at the Brewers Quay to stroll round which also houses the Weymouth Museum.
The island of Portland is attached to Weymouth and is well worth a visit. There are lots of lovely little spots to have a walk along the beach. The quaint little villages are very sweet and there are some museums worth visiting too. We also found Fancy’s Farm which is open daily 10am-5pm and free to visit! There are plenty of animals to see, a cafe and indoor and outdoor play areas.
You can visit the lighthouse on Portland and have a tour round it too.
Where To Stay
As a family of 5 it was quite tricky to find somewhere for us to stay in Weymouth without having to book 2 separate rooms. Most B&Bs can only fit a maximum of 4 people per room so when we came across the Galway Guest House and its 6 person family room we knew we had to book it. The winning factor by far was the amazing castle shaped quad bunk beds for the kids, so cool! Our room had a lovely en suite and a table with chairs to sit at, plus a tv, comfy beds, free wifi and private parking. I also loved the cushioned window seat to sit and watch the world go by outside. Add to that the yummy breakfast of whatever you fancy and you really cant go wrong! The Galway Guest House has been run by the same couple for years. They really know the area well and couldn’t help us enough. It isn’t a 5* hotel but was perfectly comfortable and we had an enjoyable stay. For a larger family like ours it is perfect.
On our second trip we stayed at Haven Littlesea Holiday Park. We had a comfortable dog friendly caravan right by the entertainment complex which was fab. The park has an arcade, indoor and outdoor pools, soft play, crazy golf, play park, wildlife reserve, bar/restaurant, kids activities and evening entertainment. Basically everything you could possibly need! Oh and did I mention the Papa Johns pizza take away?! It’s a great place for families with various sized caravans available to suit your needs. The highlight for our kids was of course the swimming pool and the arcade.
Where To Eat
In Weymouth there is certainly no shortage of lovely places to eat.
On one evening (my birthday!) we ate at The Ship Inn overlooking the harbour. The service was very good and we all enjoyed our meals. I had my favourite which was the bbq rack of ribs served with a Jack Daniels & Coke on the side. The onion rings there are delicious as well. The atmosphere was lovely and the pub was full of local nautical history, including the names of the local lifeboat men painted on the wall. The menu had plenty of variety so it was easy to feed everyone.
The Dorset Burger Co was another restaurant we tried out on our visit. It was by far the best burgers we have ever tasted, in fact all the food was amazing! The restaurant is inside an old church building and is a really quirky, cool place to eat. They have board games and toys to keep the kids entertained at the table. There’s even indoor mini golf to make a night of it with your friends. The staff were really lovely and couldn’t have been more helpful. We will definitely return here again.
I hope you found this little guide helpful. I will add to it each time we visit to include more places to stay and eat and any other activities we discover. There is certainly plenty to do in Weymouth and whoever you go with or whatever your plans I am sure you will love it.
