A loop of Portland from Chesil Beach

Hiking trails & Routes

Weymouth And Portland

Portland

A loop of Portland from Chesil Beach

Hard

4.6

(194)

1,041

hikers

A loop of Portland from Chesil Beach

05:36

20.3km

330m

Hiking

This difficult 12.6-mile (20.3 km) hike loops around the Isle of Portland, offering a challenging experience with 1079 feet (329 metres) of elevation gain. You can expect to complete it in about 5 hours and 36 minutes. The trail features varied terrain, from long uphills on open quarry paths to…

Last updated: April 23, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Jurassic Coast

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

141 m

Chesil Beach

Highlight • Beach

The 18-mile (30 km) Chesil Beach is a dramatic shingle strip which connects Abbotsbury to Portland. Thanks to the shingle ridge, a large, brackish lagoon lies immediately behind, protected from …

Tip by

4.47 km

West Cliff, Jurassic Coast

Highlight • Natural Monument

A beautiful idyllic coastal path with wonderful views 🤩

Translated by Google •

Tip by

7.48 km

Old Higher Lighthouse

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Higher Lighthouse on the western edge of Portland. It was built in the 18th century and used until 1906. Today there are three holiday cottages on the site using …

Tip by

8.53 km

Portland Bill Lighthouse

Highlight • Monument

Portland Bill Lighthouse reopened in 2015 as a visitor centre. You can now climb to the top of the lighthouse and experience breathtaking views over the Dorset coastline. The former …

Tip by

13.1 km

The Cuttings Bouldering Field

Highlight • Natural

Maze-like boulder field that leads down to the sea. Lots of little paths, bouldering problems and bumblebees!

Tip by

20.3 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

14.2 km

3.26 km

1.66 km

843 m

315 m

Surfaces

12.2 km

3.60 km

2.23 km

1.62 km

493 m

167 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (130 m)

Lowest point (0 m)

Weather

Today

Tuesday 10 November

11°C

8°C

80 %

Additional weather tips

There’s a fairly high chance of rain. Consider packing a waterproof jacket.

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

June 28, 2025,Activity

Long straight uphill to start. East facing cliffs have some scrambling required.. easy terrain close to the lighthouse. Return along west facing cliffs much higher with portions closed off for safety. Interesting scuplture park with works by famous artists and a final steep decent over roughish terrain to get back to Chesil Beach

May 3, 2023,Tour

Fantastic tour around Portland Isle
Great partly challenging paths. A bit of physical condition and, above all, good sturdy shoes are required. Some paths are only 30-40cm wide, steeply descending to the right and left

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June 25, 2025,Meine schönste Küstenwanderung

Even though it was cloudy most of the day, unfortunately preventing me from taking any sunny seaside photos, I can still say that today's hike was the most beautiful coastal hike I've done so far. It never got boring, so I walked the entire section. Since I like the area so much, I'm not moving on until tomorrow.

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