If you are not in or on the water around Portland then you will probably be exploring the island. There are miles of foot paths on the island, the all routes provide breath taking views of jagged cliffs and rugged shores along with the beauty of the many rare flowers and insects. There are even Glow worms to be seen on July evenings. Below are some of the attractions which I recommend that you visit.

• Tout Quarry Sculpture Park - Situated at the top of the island just west of the Portland Heights Hotel and Dowsett Motors, the Sculpture Park is a maze of old quarry tracks with sculptures at every turn. The works are created by local and visiting stone masons, some are obvious and some not so, I am still finding new ones after seven years. The best one of all is a life size Iguana basking on a rock on the west side of the park, see if you can find it. 

   

• Portland Bill - With three lighthouses and the best cream teas in England the Bill is a must, but don't just do the tourist thing and just see the lighthouse and Pulpit Rock. Take a walk to the east past the huts to see the caves in the cliffs, they are huge caverns once used for smuggling on dark nights. There is a hole in the floor above one of the caves with an iron grille over it, try standing on the grille when there is an easterly gale blowing, as long as you don't mind getting wet.

• Church Ope Cove - Situated between Easton and Southwell, Church Ope was the landing place for Viking marauders on many occasions. Rufus Castle must have been a menacing sight in its hey day, standing high above the cove. Half way down the steps the path splits off to the right, this path goes to St Andrew's church. A 13th century church which is now in ruin but well worth visiting. See if you can find the pirates grave.

• Chesil Beach - The beach is 18 miles long and looks different everyday. The pebbles are graded by the sea, with the larger ones at the Portland end and the finer ones at the West Bay end. It is said that if a Portland fisherman was washed ashore in the dark he would know exactly where he was by the size of the pebbles. Chesil provides the best shore fishing in the country with huge shoals of Mackerel in the summer. White bait are regularly seen leaping to their deaths on the shore to escape the hungry Mackerel. If you can't catch fish here, maybe you should give up fishing.