The town is acknowledged as the first ever tourist destination, after King George III spent 10 weeks there and popularised sea bathing. The seafront is entirely georgian architecture, and a white horse is carved into the chalk hills to the east of the town.
Weymouth and Portland were extremely important in World War II, as Portland harbour was home to a large naval base, and Weymouth was home to Nothe Fort, together an important part of the D-Day preparations and Bouncing bomb development.
Radipole lake, an RSPB Nature Reserve and mouth of the River Wey is an important habitat for birds and fish. The lake flows into the historical Weymouth harbour, where ferries to France and the Channel Islands dock.