YHA Portland

YHA Portland is a stone youth hostel with camping and bell tents, set high on the Isle of Portland with wide views across Lyme Bay and Portland Harbour. Reached by the causeway beside Chesil Beach, the hostel sits at Castletown near Portland Castle, with Weymouth's sandy beach a short drive away and Tout Quarry's open-air sculpture park within walking distance. Campers pitch on a gently sloping raised lawn directly behind the main building and have 24 hour access to the hostel by door code, a ground-floor shower reserved for campers, the self-catering kitchen and a licensed dining room. This is camping with a hostel's comforts rather than a wild field, so it suits walkers, climbers and water-sports visitors more than anyone after a large touring pitch, and caravans are not accepted. Two ready-pitched bell tents sleep four or five on futon beds with bedding included, available between mid April and the end of September for anyone who would rather not carry a tent. Dogs stay free in your own tent and for a small nightly charge in the bell tents, though not in the hostel rooms. Reviewers highlight the standout harbour views, the sociable evening meals and the island location, while some mention the sloping ground. Camping units start from £10 a night, with beds from £15, quoted through YHA's booking system.