High tide on Weymouth's beautiful sandy beach Explore our Collection of Dorset Holiday Cottages

Find My Favourite Dorset Holiday Cottages

A delightful selection of Dorset holiday cottages for families and friends can be found in one of England's most beautiful counties. Dorset's appeal is that it offers holidaymakers a choice of self-catering holidays by the sea or inland in wonderfully-named, idyllic and sleepy villages such as Compton Abbas, Gussage All Saints and Lytchett Matravers. Whether for a weekend break in a secluded country cottage in Beaminster or a luxury holiday home in Sherborne.  Find Dorset coast cottages for leisurely summer holidays in quaint seaside cottages from Swanage to Lyme Regis; you will fall in love with the fresh air and slow way of life in Dorset.

Exterior of a double-fronted, wisteria-clad Abbotsbury holiday cottage
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Market House, an Abbotsbury holiday home, offers a tastefully updated, spacious retreat with charming original features. This family-friendly holiday let in Dorset accommodates up to six guests, featuring a wood-burning stove, contemporary decor, and a delightful courtyard. Centrally located, it provides easy access to Abbotsbury's quintessential high street and numerous attractions, including the Subtropical Gardens and the Jurassic Coast Path. Discover the charm of this family-friendly retreat – your ideal coastal escape in Dorset.

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A 3-storey holiday cottage in Swanage with twin bay windows.
Sleeps
14
Bedrooms
7

Enjoy the beauty of the Jurassic Coast with a stay at 20 Ulwell Road, a large Swanage holiday let in Swanage on the Dorset coast, along the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck. This three-storey pet-friendly cottage boasts seven bedrooms, an AGA cooker set in exposed brickwork, an annexe with an en-suite king-size bedroom, and a tiered garden.

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A large multi-windowed chalet bungalow in Charmouth with an extended plate-glass walled deck
Sleeps
6
Bedrooms
3

Charmouth holiday let, Pendower, just a short walk from Charmouth village, presents guests with stunning sea views. This seaside holiday home in Dorset boasts a flexible split-level design, perfect for families or couples. Enjoy the enclosed gardens, an ideal playground for kids and pets, while savouring coastal vistas. The open-plan living space, stylish kitchen, and three inviting bedrooms ensure a comfortable retreat. Book Pendower for a memorable stay near Charmouth's vibrant charm and explore the wonders of the Jurassic Coast. Discover more about this captivating property.

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Sleeps
12
Bedrooms
4

The Cider House and The Old Dairy combine to form one cottage on North End Farm in Chideock, Dorset. The pet-friendly 4-bedroom cottage sleeps 12 (including two sofa beds) and boasts a thatched roof, oak beams, wooden floors, and a log fire, as well as outdoor furnished spaces that capture the rural views.

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A lighthouse complex with a squat tower perches on a clifftop.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Rowena Cottage is uniquely positioned inside a converted lighthouse near Swanage and enjoys superb ocean views from Anvil Point. The pet-friendly cottage features ample grounds to soak up the views of the Dorset coastline and boasts luxury and a rare chance to get away in a spectacular location.

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A stone-built Dorset holiday cottage behind a row of mature shrubs overlooks an empty country lane.
Sleeps
4
Bedrooms
2

Apple Tree Cottage is an authentic brick-and-flint terraced cottage dating back to 1730 near Sturminster Newton in Dorset. The pet-friendly holiday cottage sleeps four and offers a mature garden with a summerhouse and patio and an interior blending tradition with style and a warming log fire.

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A large thatched cottage overlooks spacious, freshly-mown lawns.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
4

Magna Cottage is a 300-year-old cottage with a thatched roof, abundant character, a large mature garden, and many homely comforts. The pet-friendly holiday cottage in a secluded corner of Dorset near Shaftesbury boasts an inglenook fireplace, contemporary style and beautiful views.

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Modern, 3-storey Dorset eco-lodge overlooking a patio and large lawn.
Sleeps
8
Bedrooms
3

Harbour Lights is a spacious seaside cottage located in Dorset, situated between Bridport and West Bay. The cottage provides modern amenities and offers breathtaking views of both the countryside and the sea. It is pet-friendly and comes with a large furnished terrace, perfect for hosting gatherings. Inside, the cottage features elegant Corian work surfaces, as well as marble and wooden floors.

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A semi-detached, stone-built village cottage surrounded by a privet-hedged garden.
Sleeps
5
Bedrooms
3

Rose Cottage is a delightful Grade II-listed detached cottage in the charming village of Powerstock in Dorset. The stone-built rural cottage boasts mature gardens with sitting-out areas, an interior with exposed beams, tiled floors, an inglenook fireplace, a wood burner and modern comforts.

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The County offers endless opportunities for holidays, ranging from cheap weekend or mid-week breaks out of season to long, leisurely week or fortnight holidays in high summer. It's not just the tranquil charm of its quaint holiday cottages in Dorset that attracts visitors to the County - it's their location too. Dorset also offers its visitors a wide choice of lovely beaches. Find coastal cottages in Dorset from the seaside resort of Weymouth in the east along the South West Coast Path to the Regency town of Lyme Regis. There's a splendid choice of Dorset coast cottages, including Chideock, the long shingle banks of Chesil Beach (taking in the world-famous Swannery at Abbotsbury), Studland Bay, Burton Bradstock, peaceful Charmouth and picturesque Lulworth Cove. Just think of a day spent fishing in rock pools on a beach for minute sea creatures (Kimmeridge Bay is particularly recommended) and then turning to the cliffs on this famous Jurassic coastline. Here, winter rockfalls often reveal fossils (although you're no longer allowed to go digging for them). The

There's an equally appealing choice of attractions to enjoy away from Dorset's south coast beaches. Why not spend an afternoon viewing the Purbeck countryside from the windows of a heritage steam train on the Swanage Railway? Next, catch your train at Corfe and visit the magnificent ruins of Corfe Castle, high on the hill above the town. Then, head west to Bovington, where you'll find the (seriously) best and most entertaining tank museum or the nearby Monkey World, which is as educational as its primates are adorable.

In the far west of Dorset lie the attractive little coastal towns of Bridport, West Bay, with its fantastic fish restaurant and Lyme Regis.

Inland Dorset is as pretty as the names of its villages imply. How can you resist a holiday in a county with place names such as Fifehead Magdalen, Purse Caundle, Hazelbury Bryan, Piddletrenthide, Sixpenny Handley, Toller Fratrum and Tolpuddle (home of the Tolpuddle Martyrs)?

Many of its towns boast splendid vernacular architecture (usually accompanied by quaint tea rooms), as visitors to Blandford Forum or Gold Hill in Shaftesbury will readily testify. The latter is the location for a famous Hovis Bread advert in the '70s.

Other attractions worth visiting include the Model Town at Wimborne and the Great Dorset Steam Fair near Blandford Forum at the end of August. Unfortunately, the Steam Fair is so large you'll need more than one day to work around it. But, of course, this shouldn't be a problem if you stay in a Dorset holiday let!