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Salcombe, the Estuary & East Portlemouth

Salcombe - 5 mins by foot ferry from East Portlemouth or 22 miles / 30 mins by car from East Prawle
East Portlemouth - 2.5 miles / 10 mins by car

Salcombe is a picturesque harbour town beside a vast inlet, Salcombe Estuary. The estuary provides many beautiful, safe sandy coves and a natural sheltered harbour for a variety of boats. Salcombe is easily reached via the foot ferry at East Portlemouth which is just a 10 minute drive from the cottage. On the East Portlemouth side of the harbour you'll find a small outdoor café, public toilets and some beautiful, sheltered, sandy beaches. From Salcombe quay you can get ferries to South Sands and North Sands (where there are refreshments, toilets and a variety of water sports available) or Kingsbridge which is a lovely scenic trip. There's also a coastal boat trip. The Overbecks Museum has an exotic coastal garden, and spectacular views. The Maritime and Local History Museum has a fascinating collection illustrating historic ship building and ship wrecks. Salcombe town has a variety of interesting shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs, some of which have terraces overlooking the estuary. Motor boats are available for hire and provide a great way to explore the creeks in the estuary. Sailing boats can be hired with or without tuition. Scuba diving, mackerel or sea fishing trips, beach fishing, canoeing, surfing, tennis, and of course swimming are all available. See the Contacts and Links page for further information.

Kingsbridge

8 miles / 18 mins by car

Kingsbridge lies at the top of the Salcombe Estuary and is a bustling town that has the feel of a bygone era. The main street, Fore Street, slopes up the hill from the quay and is well served with a range of good shops, cafes restaurants and pubs. At the top is the oldest part of the town, including a medieval shambles, St Edmund's Church dating from the 13/15th century, a town hall with a 3 faced clock and a museum housed in an old grammar school. Kingsbridge has good food shops where you can by the best of local produce including fresh fish. There are two good delicatessans where you can buy good local cheeses and other such delights.The Red Earth Deli sells a range of excellent frozen gourmet meals for you to cook at home. Adjacent to the quay is Harbour House; an excellent art gallery with a good whole food vegetarian restaurant. Nearby is the quirky restaurant called Pig Finca which serves wonderful food in a flamboyantly decorated old building. There's a ferry service to and from Salcombe which meanders down the estuary past the numerous little creeks giving excellent views along the way.

22 miles / 30 mins by car

Dartmouth is a larger version of Salcombe and offers a similar range of facilities and activities. It doesn't have Salcombe's sandy beaches but it does have two car ferries that give access to the Kingswear and the eastern side of the river. There's a steam train that runs between Kingswear and Paignton which is a pretty journey and you can combine it with a visit to Paignton Zoo. A long esplanade gives good views and wonderful gardens are perfect for relaxing or picnics. No visit to Dartmouth is complete without a boat trip up the River Dart to Totnes. This is a wonderful, winding journey and birdwatchers will see much to interest them. Dartmouth was the leading trading port of Devon and has an interesting history. It has a castle, some very old, interesting buildings and quaint cobbled backstreets. The shopping is good and there are many art galleries and craft shops. The Flavel is a multi-pupose arts & entertainments venue located in the heart of Dartmouth, housing a cinema, theatre & live music venue. See Contacts and Links page for website which gives details of future events. Dartmouth boasts the famous New Angel restaurant run by Michelin starred Chef John Burton Race. It is booked months ahead but you can make reservations from their website. See Contacts and Links page.

Salcombe from an East Portlemouth beach

The Salcombe estuary is a haven for a variety of wildlife.

Kingsbridge Quay

Barnyard's Cove, Dartmouth

Totnes

20 miles / 45 mins by car

Totnes is an ancient river port and market town and one of Devon's top ten towns. The busy, narrow streets, dominated by castle and church tower, are quaint and full of historic interest, yet the town is lively and forward-looking and a full range of shopping and banking facilities can be found in and around the main streets. You can visit the castle and the museum where you will find excellent information about the local history. The shops are friendly and individual. Totnes is well known for locally made, healthily prepared food and drink, whole foods, fine arts, antiques, second hand and antiquarian books, handmade shoes, ceramics, unusual boutiques, handmade furniture, musical instruments, crystals and complimentary therapies. The range of cafes, pubs, restaurants, wine bars and takeaways suits every taste and pocket. The Friday and Saturday markets are well worth visiting. From Totnes you can take an excellent boat trip down the River Dart to Dartmouth enjoy the stunning views of the river and its wildlife.

To the West of Salcombe

Hope Cove, Thurlestone, Bantham, and Bigbury are all within a short car ride (Bigbury is the furthest away at 25 miles it will take about 30 mins by car). All beaches are easily accessible from good car parks and have refreshments and toilets nearby.

Bantham and Bigbury are on either side of the Avon River estuary and have wide sandy beaches. They are popular with surfers and windsurfers but in certain conditions have strong currents. Bigbury has a sea tractor which, at high tide, takes visitors safely across the channel to visit Burgh Island. Bantham is a good place for a walk around the headland and the village has a good pub; The Sloop Inn, which serves good food and welcomes children.

To the East of Start Point

From Kittiwake Cottage you can see Start Point Lighthouse flashing at night and the guided tour is very interesting. There are also some wonderful views of Start Bay from the headland.

Start Bay lies between Start Point and Dartmouth and contains Hallsands, Beesands, Torcross, Slapton Sands and Blackpool Sands. (Blackpool Sands is the furthest away at 18 miles it will take about 20 mins by car.) The beaches in the bay are mostly pebbly but Blackpool Sands is finer shingle. All these beaches have car parks, toilets and refreshments within easy reach.

There's a fresh fish shop on the beach at Beesands where you can buy whatever has been landed that morning.

At Torcross you can buy some delicious fish and chips from the shop on the sea front and enjoy them while you admire the view, sitting on the beach.

Slapton Sands is a 2.5 mile stretch of shingle and pebbles. Trapped behind the pebble ridge is Slapton Ley which is a haven for wildlife, particularly birds which congregate on this freshwater lake especially at autumn migration.

Slapton itself is a typically picturesque Devon village with an old pub - The Tower Inn renowned for its wonderful food and cosy atmosphere.

Dartmoor National Park

Buckfastleigh, on the southern edge of Dartmoor is 32miles / 40 mins by car and Mortonhampstead, towards the north of the moor is a further 18 miles / 30 mins.

Dartmoor is a rich habitat for wildlife and has a wealth of archaeological remains. The landscape is varied with windswept moors, wooded valleys and picturesque villages. Dartmoor is 368 square miles (953 sq. km.) in area and the public is able to roam freely on the unenclosed moors on both foot and horseback. There are also about 600 miles (966 km) of public rights of way.

The most popular places include Hay Tor, from where there are wonderful views, the ancient clapper bridges at Two Bridges, Dartmeet, Widdecombe and Buckland.

Follow the link to the Dartmoor National Park website on the contacts and links page for further information.

Plymouth

The city of Plymouth has one of the finest natural sites in Britain and is an extra-ordinary blend of vibrant modern city and historic seafaring port where you can find much to amuse and occupy the family. Plymouth boasts Britain's biggest aquarium where you can see sharks, seahorses, tropical fish, and Snorkel, the turtle with the big personality. You can visit world famous heritage sites like Plymouth Hoe and Mayflower steps or simply relax on the waterfront and enjoy the stunning views across the harbour.

Exeter

56 miles / 1hr 15 mins

Places of interest in Exeter include the Cathedral, the Quay House Visitor Centre, and Tucker's Hall, a medieval building with original roof timbers and Jacobean panelling. The Guildhall is the oldest municipal building in the country.

Exeter has all you'd expect of a modern city with a leisure Centre, Arts Centre and the usual range of shops cafes and restaurants.

The Eden Project

80 miles /1hr 50 mins

Although it's a long way to the Eden Project it's easily achievable as a day trip and it really is worth the effort. This internationally famous collection of amazingly constructed, dome-shaped greenhouses is home to a variety of plants from the various ecosystems of the world. The outside planting is equally spectacular and there are excellent visitor facilities. For more information see the link to the website on the Contacts and Links page.

View of Bigbury Bay and Burgh Island

Start Point Lighthouse - an interesting tour

Blackpool Sands

View of Burrator Resevoir

Buckland

Fishing boats

Exeter Cathedral

The domes of the famous Eden Project