Beach breaks in Devon

Devon's coastlines are packed with variety, whether you love wide sandy beaches, quiet shingle coves, dramatic cliffs or sweeping sand dunes.

With two distinct coasts to explore, you’re spoiled for choice. Many of Devon’s beaches boast awards for clean, sheltered waters, excellent facilities and plenty of rock pools for the kids to explore.

Want a top tip for your visit? Head to a local café in South Devon to try a traditional Devonshire cream tea, just remember to spread the clotted cream first, then the jam!

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Bigbury-on-Sea Beach

Located in South Devon, this beach boasts outstanding natural beauty ideal for family trips to the coastline. Dotted with plenty of rock pools budding biologists can explore, alongside a wide and varied selection of water sports on offer for those who prefer a little adrenaline rush, Bigbury-on-Sea beach makes a fantastic day out for everyone and anyone.

Blackpool Sands Beach

Set in an unspoilt, sheltered bay, surrounded by clear blue water and magnificent greenery and pines. Blackpool Sands is the ideal family beach to relax, swim or sail.

Each year, this stunning beach welcomes ‘Tunes on the Sands’, their fantastic music festival, alongside a one-of-a-kind beach cinema. Visitors can also enjoy the Dartmouth Triathlon on the beach here annually.

Combesgate Beach

Located half a mile from Woolacombe Beach lies its sister beach, Combesgate Beach on the North Devon Heritage Coast. This particular beach is very popular among surfers with fantastic coastal views. Visitors will also find plenty of rockpools to explore, swarming with creatures of all kinds.

Croyde Bay Beach

This family-friendly beach on the North coast of Devon is famous for its spectacular world-class waves, making Croyde Bay ideal for keen surfers! The bay is set against a backdrop of sandy dunes with wide expanses of rock at both ends of the shore.

With dogs allowed from October to April, alongside a wide range of food outlets and shops just a slip away from the beach, Croyde Bay makes the perfect holiday destination for the whole family.

Dawlish Warren

Stretching one and a half miles long and with always something going on, either on the sands or nearby in Dawlish Warren, there’s plenty to see and do on these award-winning clean waters and sheltered sand dunes.

Exmouth

Exmouth and its cliffs are teeming with geological finds alongside surrounding settings that provide excellent short and long countryside walks. The promenade is two miles long and still has old favourites such as swing boats and crazy golf, making Exmouth a fantastic location for a beach holiday.

Gara Rock Beach

Gara Rock Beach or Seacombe Sands, is a much-loved ‘secret’ spot amongst Salcombe residents and visitors who love to visit secluded and unspoilt sections of the local coastline. This beach is dog-friendly all year round, making it a fantastic place to bring your four-legged friend on your next beach holiday.

Goodrington Beach

Goodrington Beach has everything your family needs for a traditional seaside holiday. Divided into two parts, the North Beach and the South Beach. Visitors with four-legged friends can take a stroll along the North Beach any time of the year. The waters in this area are shallow, so toddlers and young children can get wet without parents worrying. At low tide, you can also find lots of rock pools for little ones to explore.

Paignton

Paignton sits in the centre of the Torbay area, with much of the action situated around the seafront, which is still a popular family destination to this day. It boasts a mile-long sandy beach backed by a promenade complete with amusements, a small harbour and a traditional pier.

Saunton Sands

Saunton Sands is currently the only beach in North Devon to have an all-terrain wheelchair available, allowing everyone to have full enjoyment of the beach, which can also be used in the shallows of the sea. Walks to Crow Point are refreshing and provide some amazing views across the coastline. Saunton Sands’ claim to fame might interest music enthusiasts among you, being the filming place of Robbie Williams’ Angels video.

Teignmouth Beach

No need to worry about the crowds, even during the summer months. Teignmouth Beach stretches down from the mouth of the River Teign along the red cliffs which stretch toward Dawlish. The beach is overlooked by an impressive Victorian Pier where you’ll find an array of exciting activities to keep you busy if you’ve had enough relaxation on the beach. Teignmouth is also a dog-friendly beach all year round.

Torquay

Made famous by the legendary comedy series Fawlty Towers, Torquay is set at the very heart of the English Riviera on the South Devon Coast and is a widely known family favourite with plenty of attractions and things to do. Its beautiful sandy beaches and calm waters make Torbay an ideal beach getaway this year.

Westward Ho! Beach

Made up of a long sandy beach backed by a pebble ridge with Northam Burrows Country Park accessible at one end, Westward Ho! Beach offers the best of both sand, rock pools and nature. This beach is popular among tourists due to its fantastic equipment for bathing, surfing and angling available at local outlets.

With seaside shops, toilets and a range of restaurants and bars a walk away from the beach, there’s plenty to fill your day with on your next beach holiday.

Woolacombe Beach

Woolacombe boasts some of the best stretches of beach in the UK, and it’s easy to see why so many people keep returning to this slice of seaside paradise. Surfers and sunbathers can’t get enough of the wide, sweeping sands and clear-water waves.

While rock pools and clean white dunes will draw in the little ones for a full day of exploring. And the romantic-minded will want the gold-and-pink sunsets to go on forever. There’s even a lighthouse on nearby Lundy Island that you can visit by boat. And look out for Woolly Bear out and about on the beach…