With over 130 miles of coastline, most of which either faces the sun or is sheltered from prevailing winds by the great shoulder of Dartmoor, South Devon has one of the finest coasts in England. Scattered along the coast are towering cliffs, broad sandy bays, craggy coves, rock stacks, sea arches, deep wooded estuaries, quaint villages, delightful resorts, all of which combine to make some of the most varied and beautiful coastal scenery in Britain. When you combine this with the mild climate of the English Riviera you have some superb walking.
With such a wealth of coastal walking to choose from, our only real difficulty is choosing exactly which sections to explore. Utilising the hotels location we can hop directly onto the coastal path and wander down to the harbor. From here there are regular ferry services across the bay to Paignton, Brixham and even around to Dartmouth and Teignmouth. What better way to start the day than with a relaxing cruise across Torbay. We can then have look around Brixham before wandering around the coastal path to Paignton and Torquay and if you’ve had enough you can hop on the ferry, or a bus, or even the steam train!
Another nice day is to wander out from the hotel towards Babbacombe and its beautiful secluded bays. There are 3 hidden bays along this section of coast each with their own café or country Inn and one even has a cliff railway so we can avoid the climb up the cliff. At Maidencombe there is a fantastic thatched pub which serves locally caught crab sandwiches in their lovely shady beer garden. At many point its then possible to curtail the walks and catch the bus back. But its nice to carry on along the coast through the RSPB Labrador Bay reserve (cirl buntings) and its possible to walk onto Shaldon or even on to Teignmouth.
A little further along the coast is the simply divine coastal walk between the picture postcard harbours of Dartmouth, Kingswear and Brixham. Here lie the superb promontories of Berry Head and Sharkham Point which provide super views panoramic views along the coast. The walking is varied and interesting with the path climbing over the cliffs above hidden sandy bays and through the wooded embankments revealing surprises around every corner.
Another of our real favourite walks begins at Slapton Ley. This section of coastline is not quite so rugged, but its definitely equal in beauty with delightful secluded bays, Mediterraneanesque blue waters and silver sand beaches. The stunning views encourage us onwards to the perfect finish, a ferry ride into Salcombe and its famous ice creams! There is also a delightful stretch of walking just east of Torquay which wanders along the gentle cliffs tops and then left down the Teign estuary, although this is only possible with the right tides.
So much to choose from!
Spice
