Lyme Regis is known as the ‘Pearl of Dorset’. It’s a seaside town in West Dorset and works well as a base in Dorset or as a day trip because there are so things to do in Lyme Regis and many things to do near Lyme Regis too!
I loved this town for its many beaches, nice shops, the harbour and the coastal walks nearby!
In this Dorset travel blog, I’m going to give you a big list of the best Lyme Regis attractions, places to visit in Lyme Regis and the top things to do in Lyme Regis so you can plan your Dorset holiday, or your day out in Dorset.
If you are in Lyme Regis as a family with children, you’ll definitely be pleased with how many things to do in Lyme Regis with kids there are!
Things To Do in Lyme Regis
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How to Get to Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis is in Western Dorset and it’s actually very close to the border of Devon. I stayed in Devon at Royal Oak Farm Stargazing Cabins and it was easy for me to get to Lyme Regis from Devon.
If you are coming from along the coast in Dorset or Devon, you’ll use the A3052 to get there which is a good road, although you often have to slow down through the villages, and you might use the A35 which is a bigger A road.
Lyme Regis Parking
I visited Lyme Regis on a beautiful summer’s day so I was worried about parking and it being busy.
Luckily, there are a few Lyme Regis car parks to choose from:
Holmbush Car Park – This is where I parked as it is the furthest out but only up the hill from the town and beach. This car park has quite a bit of parking available, toilets and is payable at the machine via cash, card and a parking app.
I recommend this car park if you are planning a full day in Lyme Regis taking part in the many Lyme Regis activities on offer!
Monmouth Car Park – This is the next biggest car park from what I saw and it’s well located by the Lyme Regis beaches and harbour. This is definitely a good place to park in Lyme Regis, especially with children so they don’t have to walk as far to the beach.
Cobb Gate Car Park – This is only a tiny car park with very limited spaces that you need to drive through the town to get to. If you are visiting on a busy day I wouldn’t even attempt to park here.
Woodmead Car Park – This car park is also a bit further out of the town but unlike Holmbush is closer to the town centre than the harbour and because it’s further out it’s likely it will have more availability in the busier months.
Lyme Regis Map
To help you with planning all of your things to do in Lyme Regis and your Lyme Regis trip, whether that’s a holiday or day trip, here is a Lyme Regis map with all of the top Lyme Regis attractions I have mentioned below.
Remember to scroll to the bottom to check out what to do near Lyme Regis too as there are plenty of places to go near Lyme Regis!
Lyme Regis Things To Do
1. Lyme Regis Beaches
Easily the best thing about Lyme Regis is its beaches! Most of the beaches are stone but there is a small section of sand beach to make it more enjoyable!
The sand beach in Lyme Regis is close to the harbour, also known as The Cobb. It does get busy on hot days because of everyone trying to sunbathe and enjoy it, but it is a nice beach so I can’t blame them!
In front of the colourful beach huts, you’ll also see the main Lyme Regis Beach which is a stone beach and because of its location it also gets busy.
What I really loved is that around the corner from The Cobb, at the start of Monmouth Car Park is a big stretch of beach which is called Chippel Bay and this was so much quieter than the main beach when I went!
There’s also a really small beach near the town called Church Beach by the Marine Theatre.
This really shows that although Lyme Regis is a popular destination and gets busier in the summer, you can avoid the crowds!
Can you swim in the sea in Lyme Regis?
Yes, it’s a really good place for swimming and other water activities which I’ll get onto soon!
2. Lyme Regis Colourful Beach Huts
The reason I put Lyme Regis on my UK bucket list was that I saw these colourful beach huts and I thought they looked really cool.
They’re one of the good places to visit in Lyme Regis for a cool photo opportunity!
But as well as just posing outside them for a photo, These beach huts can be hired and I think hiring a beach hut is a great way to spend 1 day in Lyme Regis so you have some shade and somewhere to sit if the weather isn’t great
3. The Cobb Harbour
When visiting Lyme Regis, make sure you take a walk down to The Cobb which is the harbour of the town. It’s pretty cool as it curves around and you can walk on top of the wall as well as down by the water.
4. Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium
At the end of The Cobb is the Lyme Regis Marine Aquarium which is a small aquarium with hands-on feeding which is one of the things to do in Lyme Regis to keep the children entertained!
5. Fossil Hunting in Lyme Regis
One of the most popular activities in Lyme Regis and attractions to the town is its fossils! Lyme Regis is said to be Britain’s best fossil hunting destination by Countryfile, and because of this, it is very easy and common to go fossil hunting in Lyme Regis!
Lyme Regis is famous for its geology and the nearby beaches have remarkable fossil remains of sea creatures from the Jurassic seas of 180 million years ago!
For the best Lyme Regis Fossil hunting beach, head to Lyme Regis Fossil Beach (Ammonite Pavement) which is on Google Maps.
Can you take fossils from Lyme Regis?
On some beaches in the UK and along the South Coast of England, visitors are not allowed to take fossils home with them, however, the Jurassic Coast website says that in Lyme Regis you can take fossils home with you!
Here are some more tips on how to go fossil hunting and Lyme Regis Fossils.
6. Dinosaurland Fossil Museum
The beaches are not the only places you’ll find Fossils, one of the top Lyme Regis things to do is to visit Dinosaurland Fossil Museum which is a private museum located in a former church in the middle of the town.
Here you can visit The Time Gallery, see their Fossil Collection, and the Natural History Room. This is one of the best Lyme Regis attractions for families!
7. Lyme Regis Museum
Another brilliant place for information on fossils is Lyme Regis Museum which is also in the town centre. They actually run outdoor fossil walks if that takes your interest and inside as well as fossils you can read and see more about the town’s long history.
Museums may not always be your first choice of attraction but if it gets wet and you are looking for things to do in Lyme Regis in the rain, museums suddenly become very attractive!
8. Walks in Lyme Regis
What I really loved about Dorset is all of the footpaths, and the coastal footpaths linking one beach to another. From Lyme Regis, you could do a coastal walk to Charmouth which is a well-loved beach town and there are many other short walks in Lyme Regis too!
Take a look at this website for walks near Lyme Regis.
After I left Lyme Regis I did the Golden Cap Walk which was so impressive and I highly recommend it!
9. Local Festivals & Markets
If you are looking for things to do in Lyme Regis this weekend and what’s on in Lyme Regis during your holiday, I really recommend researching local markets, festivals and events that are upcoming in Lyme Regis as I saw so many posters for these.
It is definitely the type of town that holds a lot of these types of events and what makes the town so vibrant and worth a visit.
10. Shopping in Lyme Regis
I really enjoyed wandering the main street of the town centre and looking into all of the shops, especially the women’s clothes shops.
So if you are wondering what to do in Lyme Regis, remember that sometimes wandering around the shops is a nice thing to do in a new place!
Also, if you haven’t had enough of the Fossils in Lyme Regis yet be sure to pop into The Old Forge Fossil Shop!
11. Lyme Regis Kayak & Paddleboard Hire
The water in Lyme Regis Bay is perfect for water activities, therefore hiring a kayak or paddleboard, or bringing your own, is easily one of the best things to do in Lyme Regis on a nice day!
There are lots of places to hire boats and boards down by Lyme Regis Beach. If you bring your own, you’re best off parking in Monmouth Car Park so it’s less of a journey to the water!
12. Lyme Regis Boat Trips
Around The Cobb I saw quite a few signs for boat trips, fishing trips which I’ll go onto soon, but also fun boat trips like fast RIB rides which you can book with Lyme RIB Rides.
And you can book a more gentle and longer boat trip from Lyme Regis along the Jurrasic Coast with Stuart Line Cruises who are very popular in the area for their National Trust Cruises!
13. Lyme Regis Fishing Trips
If fishing is on your list of things to do in Dorset then Lyme Regis is the place to do it! There are options to go deep sea fishing in Lyme Regis and Mackerel fishing from Lyme Regis.
Harry May Deep Sea Fishing has an office near The Cobb offering both options starting from 1-hour trips so they will fit nicely into your Lyme Regis itinerary.
Lyme Bay Boat Trips also offer a range of fishing and sightseeing boat options!
14. Private Boat Charter Lyme Regis
If you are a bigger family or group of friends, why not charter your own boat from Lyme Regis to go out fishing and see the Jurassic Coast from it!
Lyme Bay Boat Trips offer this option and I saw a few signs near The Cobb when I was there so it’s likely you can make a last-minute decision or if you’re spending a few days in Lyme Regis you can book for later in your holiday.
15. Mini Golf
Did you even go on holiday to the seaside in the UK if you didn’t play mini golf or crazy golf?? I don’t think so!
Lyme Regis Mini Golf has an 18-hole mini golf course located in the Lister Gardens which is just above the Marine Parade in the centre of the town. This is one of the popular Lyme Regis attractions for adults and children.
16. Woodland Walk
Next to the mini gold course in Lyme Regis is a woodland walk through the gardens. I really love this woodland area with a few different footpaths to take and amazing views of the ocean below. It runs along the top of the Marine Parade and is a nice place to sit for a bit of relaxation too.
Things To Do Near Lyme Regis
17. Golden Cap Walk
For one of the best places to visit near Lyme Regis and one of the most impressive walks near Lyme Regis, head to the Golden Cap Viewpoint which offers views all the way back down the coast to Lyme Regis!
You can do the walk from a few places, I did it from Langdon Hill which took me just 20 minutes to drive to from Lyme Regis, but you can also do it from Seatown and Charmouth Beaches if you want a longer walk.
Here’s my post on how to do the Golden Cap Walk with 3 Routes!
18. Charmouth Beach
Charmouth Beach is a beach that a lot of people told me to visit whilst in Dorset because it’s a really lovely beach so if you want to change up your beach view you can head there.
You can even do the Lyme Regis to Charmouth Coastal Walk and back if you feel up for it!
19. West Bay Beach
West Bay is one of the top places to visit in Dorset because of its dramatic cliffs and coastline which I loved too!
West Bay is popular for holidaymakers and therefore there are plenty of amenities there, especially for children so if you are staying in or near Lyme Regis on holiday, a day trip to West Bay would definitely be a good idea.
Coastal Walks from West Bay are also great things to do near Lyme Regis!
20. Pop into Devon
Due to Lyme Regis being on the border of Dorset and Devon, when looking into places to visit around Lyme Regis, don’t limit yourself to Dorset only!
The beaches of Axmouth, Seaton, Beer and Branscombe are not too far West of Lyme Regis and are also good seaside towns and beaches to go to in Devon!
21. Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary
For what to do in the Lyme Regis area and talking of Devon, only 25 minutes drive away is Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary which is a great place to visit near Lyme Regis for families, although I also enjoyed it on my own.
Here you can walk around the paddocks and stables to see donkeys that have been rescued and looked after. It’s a very family-fun attraction near Lyme Regis and Dorset!
22. Blackbury Honey Farm
For more attractions near Lyme Regis, you can look into the different types of farms surrounding the area in Dorset and Devon. Blackbury Honey Farm is a family-run business with a tea room and wild gardens to walk around.
Whether you are a beekeeper, a gardener, or just interested in the natural world and country life, it has something for you!
23. Jurassic Fun Centre
Located over in West Bay is a waterpark called Jurassic Fun Centre. It’s located within a holiday park and outside of major school holidays and is open to the general public too. This is one of the best attractions near Lyme Regis for children!
24. Chideock Manor Gardens
There are a lot of Dorset attractions inland too, it’s not all about the coast and Chideock Manor Gardens is one of those places!
There are lots of beautiful gardens to visit all year round and Chideock Martyrs Church is on the same site which is another place to visit.
25. Durdle Door
Finally, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are easily the most popular and well-known places to visit in Dorset and although Lyme Regis isn’t really close to them, if you are on holiday and looking for things to do near Lyme Regis and places to visit around Lyme Regis, a 1-hour drive will take you to the famous Durdle Door Beach!
FAQ About Lyme Regis:
Is Lyme Regis worth visiting?
Yes! Lyme Regis is a really lovely place to visit in Dorset. The town centre has some lovely shops and museums and the coastline, beaches and harbour in Lyme Regis are lovely to visit all year round.
What is there to do in Lyme Regis today?
Check out the local events in Lyme Regis for markets and festivals. The beach in Lyme Regis, the shops and museums are always there for things to do in Lyme Regis today.
What shops are in Lyme Regis?
There are lots of lovely independent shops in Lyme Regis for clothes, books and souvenirs. Some of the best shops in Lyme Regis are: The Lyme Fossil Shop, Lyme Regis Antique & Craft Centre, Puddleduck Lyme Regis, The Old Forge Fossil Shop Ltd, Pug & Puffin, Jurassic Gems, and Seasalt Cornwall.
I hope this has helped you with all of the things to do in Lyme Regis and things to do near Lyme Regis in Dorset!
- For more posts to see you see Dorset, Devon and places nearby see:
- How To Visit Cheddar Gorge. Things To Do, Cheddar Gorge Walks & Parking!
- 10 Reasons to Book a Stargazing Cabin in Devon at Royal Oak Farm!
- 15 Hidden Gems in Cornwall To Visit To Escape The Crowd!
- Best Things To Do in Padstow & Things To Do Near Padstow!
- 15 UK Staycation Ideas For This Year! Visit The Best Of The UK!
- 18 Perfect Road Trips From London & Short Trips From London By Car!
- A Devon Road Trip Guide & Devon Road Trip Itinerary To Plan Your Trip!