Swanage, United Kingdom

Purbeck's largest town, SWANAGE, is a traditional seaside resort with a pleasant sandy beach and an ornate town hall. The town's station is the southern terminus of the Swanage Steam Railway (April– Oct daily; Nov, Dec & mid-Feb to March Sat & Sun; £7.50 all day; Tel:01929/425800, Web: www.swanagerailway.co.uk ), which runs for six miles to Norden, just north of Corfe Castle. On foot, you can walk north out of Swanage, past the Foreland promontory to the broad sweep of Studland Bay. Its most northerly stretch, Shell Bay, is a magnificent beach of icing-sugar sand backed by a remarkable heathland ecosystem that's home to all six British species of reptile – adders are quite common, so be careful. In town, bikes can be rented from Bikeabout, 71 High St (Tel:01929/425050).