The hub of pretty Paignton is the seafront esplanade, and the town boasts some fine stretches of gently shelving sandy beach, ideal for children and families. A time-honoured seaside resort, you’ll find all the traditional attractions at Paignton, with ice cream kiosks, marinas, bars and gardens. The sea is central to the life of the town and all manner of sea-going craft can be hired by the hour or the day, from canoes, kayaks and paddlers to motorboats and yachts.

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On a cottage holiday, Dawlish and Newton Abbot are well worth a visit.

Dawlish

Dawlish is a popular Devon holiday town, located between Teignmouth and Exeter and across the estuary from Exmouth. It has three beaches, and gives easy access to neighbouring Dawlish Warren, with its two miles of sand providing safe family bathing along the Exe Estuary. The town is worth exploring with its mixture of Regency period buildings and modern shopping centre. Aside from the beaches, the Lawn is the focal point of the town; an attractive public green space filled with mature trees and exotic plants and much used by locals and holidaymakers alike. Dawlish Water runs through the centre of the Lawn and is home to the famous Dawlish black swans and a variety of other birdlike. On summer evenings, this watercourse is illuminated making it a lovely place to take an evening stroll before heading off for dinner at one of the town’s restaurants or continuing on to the seafront.

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On a cottage holiday, Dartmouth and Salcombe are well worth a visit.

Dartmouth

A well-established yachting centre on the South Devon coast, Dartmouth is an attractive, colourful town with some interesting historic buildings and a lovely harbour area. The old market centre holds markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays and is otherwise a pleasing mix of high street stores and independent retailers selling local crafts and regional produce, and there are many excellent brasseries, pubs and restaurants catering for locals and the town’s many visitors, with some of these housed in buildings dating centuries back, in narrow, cobbled streets. Explore the narrow streets of Foss Hill, Browns Street and the Butterwalk, more than 300 years old. Dartmouth has a castle too, which is now under the protection of English Heritage and is a well-known visitor attraction.
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So named with reference to the salt panning which was once the mainstay of the economy of this small Devon village, Budleigh Salterton today enjoys a tranquil existence in its lovely coastal position among picturesque rolling countryside in the heart of Devon’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The bay is a half moon sweep of large, smooth pebbles that gives way to a sandy stretch of beach just a short walk beyond the village at nearby Littleham Cove, and forms part of the region’s ancient Jurassic Coast, with its wonderful red rocks. The waters are clear and children will love exploring the rocks making a natural playground at Ottermouth, to the east of the village. (more…)