Portland, England

Portland is a town in Dorset, a county on the south coast of the West Country, in England. Portland is actually an island, even though it is linked to the mainland by Chesil Beach. The waters around the Isle of Portland have a long history, from prehistoric seafarers, Roman galleys, invading Vikings, Henry VIII's two castles and the passage of the Spanish Armada, shipwrecks and a base for the Royal Navy.

Today it is a thriving commercial port and a focus of marine leisure. Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour, widely recognised as the finest sail racing waters in the country, will host the Olympic Sailing events in 2012.

Many attractions and facilities are also available in the nearby town of Weymouth, only a short bus ride away. The area is rapidly improving after the closure of the Naval Base in 1995. The London 2012 Olympic sailing events will be staged in Portland Harbour.

Things to see and do

* Tour local castles
* Tout Quarry
* Portland Bill Lighthouse
* Stonehenge
* Cerne Abbas Giant

General information

Cruise Season – March to Nov
Currency – Pound Sterling (GDP)
Language – English
Land Area – 12.6 sq km
Population – 12,630
Electricity – British-style plug with two flat blades and one flat grounding blade
Time –GMT plus zero hours
International Country Telephone Code – +44

Port Location – The port of the Isle of Portland is located close to the towns of Fortuneswell and Weymouth.

Transport Links - The nearest train station is in Weymouth. Trains to Weymouth come direct from London Waterloo and Bristol. National Express operates a coach service to and from Weymouth's Seafront from where transport links are available to Portland.

A regular bus service is provided by both First and Sureline, within the area. Taxis are relatively inexpensive.