For a real sense of Portland's remote nature, head to its southern tip, Portland Bill, to climb the 41m-high, candy-striped lighthouse. It offers breathtaking views of rugged cliffs and the Race, a surging vortex of conflicting tides. The interactive displays in the former lighthousekeepers' cottages include Into the Dark, a recreation of sailing into stormy seas.
The lighthouse is also open on some summer Fridays and some weekends outside the main season – call for the latest times.