🏝️ Burgh Island — South Devon's Most Iconic Spot
Burgh Island is a small tidal island just off Bigbury-on-Sea, connected to the mainland by a sand causeway at low tide. At high tide it becomes a true island, and access is via the world-famous sea tractor — a high-wheeled vehicle with an elevated passenger platform that drives across the submerged sandbar. It's been doing this since 1930.
The island is dominated by the spectacular Burgh Island Hotel — a 1929 Art Deco building that has barely changed since its 1930s heyday. It was the favourite retreat of Agatha Christie, who wrote And Then There Were None and Evil Under the Sun here. Noël Coward, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and The Beatles all passed through. It remains one of England's most extraordinary hotels.
You don't need to stay at the hotel to visit. Non-guests can cross to the island, walk the cliff paths and drink in the Pilchard Inn — one of Devon's oldest pubs, dating to 1336, with low ceilings, flagstone floors and a smuggling history that would make most modern bars look very dull indeed.
⛵ Salcombe — South Devon's Sailing Capital
Salcombe sits at the seaward end of the Kingsbridge Estuary in some of South Devon's most beautiful scenery. The town tumbles down steep lanes to the harbour front where fishing boats, yachts and RIBs jostle for moorings. It's South Devon's most visited town and one of England's premier sailing destinations — and it's easy to see why.
🍽️ Where to Eat in Salcombe
Salcombe has an outstanding food scene for a small town. The Salcombe Gin Distillery at the harbour is a must (their Atlantic Dry and Mermaid Pink are made nearby). For fish and chips, there are several takeaways on Fore Street that are genuinely outstanding. The Winking Prawn café at North Sands does an excellent breakfast and is popular with families. For evening dining, the restaurants along Fore Street serve everything from local crab and lobster to wood-fired pizza — book ahead in summer as Salcombe gets very busy.
🏊 Swimming & Watersports
Salcombe has several excellent swimming spots: Town Beach (calm, sheltered, central), North Sands (sandy, family-friendly, lifeguarded in season) and South Sands (quieter, good snorkelling on the rocks). SUP and kayak hire is available from several operators based at North Sands and the town beach throughout the season. The estuary water at Salcombe is some of the clearest and warmest in Devon — regularly reaching 19°C in August.
⛴️ Ferries
Salcombe is connected by year-round passenger ferry to East Portlemouth (5 min crossing), which gives access to the eastern bank beaches and the coast path. A seasonal ferry also runs to South Sands from the town quay. The ferries are cash only — bring change. They're also the best way to see the estuary and town from the water.
🅿️ Parking
Parking in Salcombe is famously difficult. Whitestrand car park (below the town, pay and display) is the most central — arrive before 9am in July and August. The Batson overflow car park is a 15-minute walk from town. Many visitors park in Kingsbridge and take the Tally Ho bus or taxi. Alternatively, arrive by water — anchor in the estuary and dinghy or paddle in.
🏘️ Kingsbridge — The South Hams Market Town
Kingsbridge sits 7 miles north of Salcombe at the head of the Kingsbridge Estuary, and acts as the practical hub for the South Hams. It's where you do your supermarket shop, use the bank, visit the GP and catch the bus. But it's also a genuinely pleasant market town with a weekly farmers' market, excellent independent shops and a good selection of cafés and pubs.
The Quay at Kingsbridge is the starting point for the Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary Walk — a superb circuit of the entire estuary that few visitors discover. At high water, the estuary reaches right to the town quay; at low tide it's a vast expanse of mudflat rich in wading birds. The town's Cookworthy Museum covers South Hams history and is worth a visit on a rainy day. The Crabshell Inn, right on the quay, is one of the best pub-restaurants in the area — the crab sandwiches are outstanding.
📍 Distances from Kingsbridge
Bantham: 6 miles (15 min)
Bigbury-on-Sea: 9 miles (20 min)
Salcombe: 7 miles (20 min)
Hope Cove: 10 miles (25 min)
Plymouth: 22 miles (40 min)
Exeter: 37 miles (55 min)
Totnes: 12 miles (25 min)
🏄 Bantham — South Devon's Surf Village
Bantham is a hamlet of around 20 houses, a pub and a legendary beach. That's about it — and that's exactly the point. The National Trust owns most of the surrounding land, keeping the area free from development. The village sits above the River Avon, which opens into Bigbury Bay over a sandbar that produces the best surf in South Devon.
The Sloop Inn is the heartbeat of the village — a 14th-century pub popular with surfers, walkers, sailors and locals in equal measure. The food is solid pub grub, the ales are local and the atmosphere is entirely unpretentious. Boards outside, wetsuits drying on the hedgerows, dogs at every other table — proper South Hams pub culture at its finest.
The beach car park is managed by the National Trust (pay and display). It fills fast on good surf days and summer weekends. Arrive before 9am or after 4pm. There's a seasonal café/van at the beach car park edge. No other facilities at the beach — pack everything you need.
For live surf conditions, tides and the Worth the Drive verdict for Bantham, see the surf forecast page.
🌊 Bigbury-on-Sea — Beach, Surf & Burgh Island
Bigbury-on-Sea is a small clifftop village with a large sandy beach, a surf school, a beach café, a few holiday apartments and the most spectacular view in South Devon — Burgh Island rising from the sea with the Art Deco hotel glittering on top. It's more accessible and less crowded than Bantham, with gentler waves better suited to beginners and families.
The beach faces west into Bigbury Bay and picks up most of the same swell as Bantham, but without the rivermouth sandbar it tends to be more forgiving — longer, more crumbling waves that are excellent for learning. Lifeguards are on duty from May to September. The car park is right above the beach — convenient but expensive in summer. The Bantham Surfing Academy and Discovery Surf School both operate from this area and offer lessons for all ages and abilities.
🚗 Getting to South Hams
🚗 By Car
South Hams is accessed from the A38 Devon Expressway (M5 extension from Exeter). Exit at Wrangaton Cross for Kingsbridge/Salcombe or Ivybridge for Bigbury/Bantham. Sat nav is reliable but be aware the South Hams lanes are extremely narrow — many are single-track with passing places. Caravans and large motorhomes will have difficulties on the lanes to Bantham.
From London: approx 3.5–4 hours via M3/A303/A38 (avoid A303 on summer Fridays afternoon — the traffic is biblical). Consider the M5 via Bristol as an alternative in peak season.
🚂 By Train
The nearest mainline station is Totnes (GWR, London Paddington direct in ~2.5 hours). From Totnes, buses and taxis connect to Kingsbridge (30–40 min). There is no train station in the South Hams itself. Plymouth station is 45 minutes west and has direct connections to London (GWR and CrossCountry).
🚌 Local Bus
Tally Ho Coaches operates local bus services within the South Hams. The 164 service runs between Kingsbridge and Plymouth via Bigbury. Services are infrequent and reduce significantly outside summer — check current timetables before relying on buses. Taxis from Kingsbridge are reliable and reasonably priced for short distances.
✈️ By Air
Exeter Airport is 40 miles north (55 min drive) with connections from London City, Manchester, Edinburgh and various European destinations. Plymouth City Airport re-opened in 2023 with some scheduled services. Bristol Airport is 100 miles north (1h45min drive) with the widest selection of routes.
✅ Things to Do in South Hams
🏄 Surfing
Bantham and Bigbury-on-Sea. Best September–April on SW swell. Surf schools at Bigbury. Live conditions →
⛵ Sailing
Salcombe Estuary and Kingsbridge. RYA courses via Island Cruising Club. Visitor moorings from Salcombe Harbour Authority. Conditions →
🏄♀️ SUP
Salcombe Estuary (best for flatwater), Bantham (estuary + surf), Bigbury Bay (touring). Hire available Salcombe. Forecast →
🚶 Walking
South West Coast Path from Bantham to Salcombe via Hope Cove and Bolt Head. One of England's finest stretches. Walk guide →
🎣 Fishing
Bass at Bantham, mullet in the estuaries, mackerel May–Sept. Charter boats from Salcombe. Fishing guide →
🏊 Swimming
Bantham, Salcombe North Sands, Hope Cove, Bigbury. Sea temperatures 17–19°C July–Sept. Lifeguards at main beaches.
🏝️ Burgh Island
Tidal island with Art Deco hotel, ancient pub, and sea tractor. Walk across at low tide. Read more →
🦀 Kayaking
Kingsbridge Estuary creek exploration, sea kayaking from Salcombe. Hire available in Salcombe season.
🌿 Wildlife
Grey seals at Salcombe bar, dolphins in Bigbury Bay, basking sharks offshore May–Sept, herons and egrets in estuaries year-round.
📅 When to Visit South Hams
Sept–Oct ⭐ Locals' favourite
Swell arrives, crowds gone, sea still warm (17°C+), golden light, cheaper accommodation, dramatic autumn skies. Best surfing season starts. The best time to visit.
May–June Best shoulder season
Wildflowers, quiet beaches, good walking, decent surf still possible. Water cool (13–15°C) but warming. Best for sailing and coastal walks.
July–Aug Peak season
Warmest water (18–19°C), longest days, but very busy. Book everything months ahead. Surf is usually poor (too little swell). Best for swimming and families.
Nov–Feb Winter
Best surf of the year. Empty beaches. Wild weather. Cold water (9–11°C, need 5/4mm wetsuit). The coast path is stunning in winter storms. Pubs are locals-only — magic.