Help me decide where to holiday in Devon

[Rainydaysandmondays2]

Please help me decide where to go. I’m looking to spend 5-7 days later on in the year (hopefully during summer) in Devon. Would really love an old school type Enid Blyton-esque holiday. Will be and a friend and my dog. Looking for somewhere with lots of old world charm, good food and lovely beaches.

Am completely confusing myself between Torquay, Salcombe, Woolacombe, Paignton.

Any hints or tips or advice???

[LadyofMisrule]

I second Morthoe. Also Lynton/Lynmouth, Woody Bay, Combe Martin.

[ancientgran]

The Paignton-Exmouth train line is your friend to beat the traffic, it’s very scenic and you could enjoy a different seaside town every day for a week. Very true, I haven't been on it since before the first lockdown but it is a lovely journey. If you get off at Paignton you can get on the steam train and carry on to Kingswear and then cross the river to Dartmouth.

[Persipan]

Seconding that Topsham has nice places to eat. Also, a particularly nice bit of cost path to walk is the bit between Paignton and Brixham. It has lots of variety, and you can get the ferry across to/from Torquay so you can easily get back to where you started.

[TrevorWithTheWeather]

Brixham is beautiful and there are plenty of air b&bs around there. SIL lives there and we enjoy visiting every year!

[swampytiggaa]

Westward Ho! beach last week. Bloody stunning whatever time of year 💕

[APurpleSquirrel]

This is Putsborough Beach taken from the car park in May half term last year, late afternoon looking towards Woolacombe - beautiful beach.

[Tinty]

Beer has a lovely beach, it is all stones but doggies are allowed on it. The swimming is lovely it is deep as it drops down in shelves. You will be only 6 feet out, up to your neck swimming next to a happy doggo 🐶

[Rainydaysandmondays2]

Oh thank you everyone. So I’ve narrowed it down to 3 nights in beer and now I’m just looking for another 4-7 nights further along. I have to say I love the sound of salcombe and the beaches and coves. But finding it tricky to find anywhere suitable to stay. Is torcross any good? Would it be easy to get from there to salcombe? Also looking at kingsbridge too

[Happyhippy99]

Hope Cove. Most beautiful place in the world.
You’ll love it & return every year.

[orangenasturtium]

If you like the idea of the beaches around Torquay and Paignton (and don't like Brixham), you could avoid the tacky town centres and the touristy beaches and have your Enid Blyton fantasy if you stayed in either of these places:

Babbacombe is a slightly more "genteel" suburb on the outskirts of Torquay, and the Cary Arms Hotel and Spa is right on the beach. The beach is reached by a funicular railway and the hotel is perched halfway down the cliffs.
www.caryarms.co.uk/

Cockington is a picture postcard village of thatched cottages and a manor house in a valley that is technically in Torquay but distanced by gardens, lakes, water meadows and woodlands . It's walking distance to the beach. It gets quite busy in the summer though.

cockingtoncottages.co.uk/

[Persipan]

Babbacombe also has an awesome model village. I was going to say 'if you like that sort of thing, but really who doesn't like model villages?

[costco]

North over south Devon. Salcombe gas a beautiful clifftop walk , but apart from that the town itself is just ram packed and has tiny beaches. It would be a great place if you wanted to do some sailing but is a nightmare by car. North Devon much better, woolacombe and the surrounding area. Avoid Barnstaple!!

[user1471538283]

We went to Brixham and it was fabulous! It is quite small, beautiful and gorgeous food! We rented a cottage in the centre. There is a bus to the little ferry to go over to Dartmouth.

[ivykaty44]

places I can swim

don't swim at Bude or Instow/Appeldore due to tide currents is my advice

Abbotsham is a pleasant village and used to be a good pub up in the village, instal is a good beach to walk or sit and couple or 3 decent places to eat, Appledore is a pretty town and great for crabbing - there is a row boat to Appledore

[Gratefulrunner]

Blackpool sands is good for a swim, nice and sheltered.
Also bigbury bay at Burgh island
Download the magic seaweed app for tide times and conditions

[TheLostDiadem]

If you’re swimming at Bigbury/ Bantham please be aware of the rip tides and listen to lifeguards. It’s terrifying how many people that swim there have absolutely no idea.

[Rainydaysandmondays2]

Oh thank you for that advice! I got caught in a rip tide once abroad and it was terrifying!


Can I ask what might be a stupid question - will it be warm enough to swim in the sea mid June?

[Rainydaysandmondays2]

So many great ideas on this thread! I may never go abroad again. I think I will try and holiday as much as I can in England and particularly in this area since so many of my childhood stories seem to be set there, silly as that may seem.

[BeastOfBODMAS]

@Rainydaysandmondays2

Oh thank you for that advice! I got caught in a rip tide once abroad and it was terrifying!

Can I ask what might be a stupid question - will it be warm enough to swim in the sea mid June?

I have swam in the sea in June but wouldn’t describe it as warm, nor bitterly cold.

Maybe invest in a wetsuit, especially if you are planning to holiday much more in the UK. You will get the wear out of it!

[Gratefulrunner]

You can hire wetsuits from the surf shops at Blackpool sands, bantham and bigbury

Sea temps - well I swim year round so I’m not reliable as to how cold it is ... my DC have swum in the sea in June without wetsuits if that helps

[DobbyTheHouseElk]

Fowey is Cornwall. I’m not sure I understand Enid Blyton. But Dartmouth is lovely, no seaside there, but not far. Salcombe land of second homes is vair posh. Ice creams will set you back. It’s a ££ place. Beautiful though.

North Devon is better for surf.

Devon is great, but it takes ages to drive anywhere in the summer. Lots of coves, but they are off the beaten track so facilities. Depends what you like. I like off the beaten track to get away from buckets and ice creams.

Torquay and Paignton are a bit tacky but have charm. I wouldn’t stay, but maybe visit for the day. The zoo at Paignton is good.

[VenusClapTrap]

@Rainydaysandmondays2

So many great ideas on this thread! I may never go abroad again. I think I will try and holiday as much as I can in England and particularly in this area since so many of my childhood stories seem to be set there, silly as that may seem.

Not silly. I’ve booked a holiday in Cornwall as a direct result of watching Poldark galloping along the cliffs...

[Paramaribo0]

I live in Torquay and I'm very picky about holiday destinations! Cockington and Babbacombe are beautiful all year round, we have so many glorious beaches some busy and some quieter. Oddicombe is lovely and a trip down to it on the cliff railway is so very Enid Blyton. We frequently head down to North Sands beach in Salcombe, it takes around 45 mins to get there. You will be lucky to find accommodation in Salcombe for this summer. It has been booked up already but it's easily accessible from other parts of South Devon.
We have felt very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the world over the last year, being able to go to the beach or have a walk along a pretty coastal path has been fantastic. Don't be to hasty to discount Torquay from your list!

[Wishihadanalgorithm]

Love north Devon and as there’s have said, Woolacombe and Mortehoe are lovely. Staunton Sands and Croyde beaches are fab too and IIRC all are dog friendly in parts.

Incidentally, the best fish and chips I ever had were in Brixham when I was pregnant. I remember them so well as I couldn’t eat very much due to the baby taking up all the space where those fish and chips were supposed to go.

[Fa1rhaven]

So because Salcmbe (Boden by the sea) gets rammed North Devon is better🤔

1)South has an awful more to offer than just Salcombe(it’s massive)

2) Woolacombe etc is nothing like some of the lovely places you find in South Devon. It’s just a massive dirty beach by a town. We couldn’t wait to leave last time we went.

I live in the South. If it was me I’d base myself near Dartmoor as it’s true Enid Blyton and has some gorgeous walks, villages, towns, lidos and wild swimming. My favourite beaches are Blackpool Sands( it’s pebbly but has a lovely cafe and is lovely to swim in, you can hire kayaks and in the summer it has a pontoon), Beesands with its lovely walk to a gorgeous hidden beach( Mattiscombe)and Starte Point lighthouse. It has a lovely fish cafe on the beach. We go to Sunny Cove and Mill Bay opposite the town in Salcombe. There is a stunning walk that side but you need to get there early and the yachting crowd can be annoying. NT South Milton Sands is lovely. For an old fashioned seaside town with a pier Teignmouth is sweet.The donkey sanctuary has a gorgeous walk down to Western Mouth Beach. South Hams are gorgeous with the beautiful Dartington Hall to walk in and Totnes......