Portland earned its name through 500 years of hosting the British Royal Navy… and that was in its days as a purely natural harbor. It took another 50 years of construction in the latter half of the 19th century but Portland became a massive man-made harbor — one of the world’s biggest. There’s a lot to see on dry land, though, with places like Minterne House and Gardens, home to famous families like the Churchills; Sherborne Castle, built by Sir Walter Raleigh himself; and not too far away there’s actually Stonehenge, built by… well, we’re not exactly sure, but it was over... Read More

Portland earned its name through 500 years of hosting the British Royal Navy… and that was in its days as a purely natural harbor. It took another 50 years of construction in the latter half of the 19th century but Portland became a massive man-made harbor — one of the world’s biggest. There’s a lot to see on dry land, though, with places like Minterne House and Gardens, home to famous families like the Churchills; Sherborne Castle, built by Sir Walter Raleigh himself; and not too far away there’s actually Stonehenge, built by… well, we’re not exactly sure, but it was over 5,000 years ago! Today it’s one of the most iconic spots in the world, but just one of the can’t-miss sights near this unassuming island off England’s southern coast. Read Less