Towns & Villages

Kingsbridge (the nearest) and Totnes are the two local, waterside market towns. Both have a range of good shops, delis, cafes, restaurants and pubs, and are especially good for the best of local produce including fresh fish. There are also ferry services from Kingsbridge to Salcombe and from Totnes to Dartmouth.

The two local harbour towns are Salcombe and Dartmouth and each make a great day out. Salcombe is great for watersports. You can take boat trips or hire boats in Salcombe and from Dartmouth you can take a leisurely trip up the River Dart as far as Totnes, stopping off to visit Agatha Christie's House at Greenway on the way or catch the old steam train from Dartmouth to Paignton.

Villages nearby include South Pool, Frogmore, both at the top of pretty creeks, and Slapton, just inland from Slapton Ley and the coast. All three have good pubs and are tranquil spots for a quiet few hours.

For further information on these and other towns and villages in the area see Welcome South Devon'sTowns & Villages Directory

Local Beaches

Beaches by Foot

East Prawle has both rocky and sandy coves within walking distance. These local beaches are definitely off the beaten track and much quieter as they don’t appear in many of the local guides, maps or directories. You definitely benefit from some local knowledge here! The nearest beach – Horseley Cove is just a 15-minute walk and provides great rock pooling. A longer walk westwards gives access to the sandy beach of Maceley Cove and the stunning, pebbly Moor Sands with crystal clear water and great snorkeling. Heading east you reach pretty little Ivy Cove and a longer walk takes you to the popular sandy Lannacombe Bay, best reached by foot in busy periods as the car park is tiny.

Beaches by Car

Between East Prawle and the Salcombe estuary lies the stunning Seacombe Sands. It’s a long walk from Prawle so it’s best to drive and park on the cliff. Salcombe and East Portlemouth are on either side of the mouth of the Kingsbridge/Salcombe estuary and offer several amazing sandy beaches, some of which have toilets and cafes. East of Salcombe are, Hope Cove, Milton Sands, Thurlestone, Bantham, and Bigbury, all within a fairly short car ride. Bantham and Bigbury are popular with surfers and windsurfers (but in certain conditions have strong currents).

In a westerly direction, Great Mattiscombe Sands lies just west of Start Point and is a pretty, mostly sandy beach with a car park. Start Bay lies between Start Point and Dartmouth and contains Hallsands, Beesands, Slapton Sands and Blackpool Sands. The beaches in the bay are mostly pebbly but Blackpool Sands is finer shingle and course sand. All these beaches have car parks, toilets and refreshments within easy reach. There's a fresh fish shop and café on the beach at Beesands. You can see photos of some of these beaches in the Local Beaches gallery above.

For more information on all beaches that can be reached by car view the local beach directory and/or the interactive beach map.

Sports & Activities

Salcombe is one of the most famous and prettiest watersports centres for fishing, sailing, boat trips or boat hire and we can recommend two businesses owned and run by neighbours. For great sailing tuition and dingy hire contact John Whitlock at Salcombe Dingy Sailing and for fishing trips and charter speak to Chris Roberts at Salcombe Angling

Bantham and Bigbury are very popular with surfers and you can find board hire and tuition on these beaches. There's a lifeguard on Bantham beach. See Bantham Surfing Academy for a trustworthy business.

And while older children and adults enjoy their watersports the littl'uns will really enjoy a rock-pooling or crabbing session. The local beach is the best for rock-pooling and for crabbing all you need is a bucket and a line with baited hook - bacon fat seems the food of choice. Locations are a-plenty, Kingsbridge, Salcombe and Dartmouth all provide popular crabbing spots. Please treat the creatures carefully; don't let the water get too hot then put them back in the water when your children are finished.

There are many local establishments that provide hire equipment or tuition for a huge range of sports. For a comprehensive list see Welcome South Devon's Sports & Activities Directory

Golfers are very well provided for at the stunning golf club on the cliffs at Thurlestone. Just don’t hit your ball to hard or it'll end up in the sea. See Thurlstone Golf Club

Walking

East Prawle gives easy access to one of the prettiest stretches of the path. The scenery is stunning and this is without doubt some of the best walking in the country.

From East Prawle you can walk along the path, east to Start Point and beyond or west to the Salcombe Estuary. See the South West Coastal Path website and Welcome South Devon Walking directory for more information.

There's also the many and varied footpaths criss-crossing the Dartmoor National Park to discover.

We have several walking guides in the cottage for you to use during your stay and the local towns cater well for every sort of equipment a keen walker might need.

Birdwatching & Wildlife

The coast path is covered in wild flowers and gives access to some great spots for seal and bird watching. In addition to the resident Cirl bunting, kestrels, sparrow hawks, buzzards and peregrine, more birds join them as they pass through. Early on clear mornings is a good time to see larks, meadow and tree pipits, chaffinches, goldfinches, siskins and linnets all flying to Europe for the winter. In October goldcrests and a few firecrests appear and lots of different warblers are seen. The beach provides a home for a wide variety of wading and sea birds including oyster catchers, curlew, heron and egrets.

Slapton Ley is a short drive away and is famous for being the largest natural lake in south-west England It's an important staging post for wintering and passage birds including Swallows. If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of Badgers, Otters, Dormice and Bats there too. There's a field centre and a walking trail around the Ley. They often have free events so check the Field Centre's diary on their website.

Further information about wildlife in this area can be found on the Torbay & South Devon RSPB Group website