Holiday rentals in Charmouth

Just two miles east of the pretty harbour town of Lyme Regis, the coastal village of Charmouth is a gateway to the towering cliffs and pebble shores of the Jurassic Coast — a UNESCO World Heritage site that stretches nearly 100 miles. Like neighbouring Lyme Regis, Charmouth is famous for its fossils, and people come to scour the beach and search the rockpools at low tide to find their own ancient treasures.

The entire region is crisscrossed by a network of footpaths, from atmospheric woodland trails such as the one at Langdon Hill to the extensive South West Coast Path, where you can spot hill forts dating back to the Iron Age. The biggest draw for walkers is Golden Cap — the highest point on the south coast — which provides a panorama of the curved coastline below. In the village itself, steep streets wind down towards the sea, lined with thatched cottages, traditional pubs adorned with window boxes, and family-owned cafes serving up fish and chips to enjoy in the salty air.

As a coastal village in the mild southwest of England, Charmouth doesn’t experience extremes in temperature. Summers are warm without being scorching hot and winters are cool but rarely bitterly cold. Spring and early summer draw visitors to Hogchester Open Meadows — over 50 acres of wildflower meadows overlooking the town, including art installations and a labyrinth. July and August are characterised by clear skies and the area’s best sea swimming conditions, making them the most popular months to book one of the area’s holiday cottages. Late summer brings a culinary festival, which showcases local produce in Lyme Regis in early September, while winter visitors can expect rough seas and a higher chance of fossil-hunting success on local beaches. In November, a literary festival hosts speakers from famous historians to award-winning poets and local writers.

Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre

Perched on the headland overlooking the sea, the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre combines hands-on exhibits, extensive collections of fossils, and an ichthyosaur skeleton. You can join one of the centre’s frequent guided fossil-hunting walks and even get advice on your latest finds — there’s an on-site video microscope, and volunteers are on hand to talk you through your discoveries.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

Around half an hour’s drive east of town, this scenic spot is home to a unique microclimate where banana plants and eucalyptus flourish. The site combines famous displays of blush magnolias with a Victorian walled garden and the Wonderland Sculpture Trail, where you can hunt for bronze literary characters among the trees. There’s also a plant store where you can pick up many of the garden’s rare species.

Lyme Regis

One of the most popular seaside towns in the region, Lyme Regis sits just minutes away from Charmouth, around the bay. An array of pastel-hued tearooms and art galleries line the winding streets leading to the sea. The 13th-century stone Cobb harbour wall is a common spot for mackerel fishing, and the shoreline has been a destination for fossil hunters for centuries.