The South West has more seaside towns than anyone could realistically visit in a single summer. I’ve been lucky enough to spend a lifetime discovering these coastlines and even that hasn’t been long enough – I know there’s still so much more to uncover. But these are my recommendations of the best and most beautiful seaside towns in the South West – the ones I keep coming back to time and time again.
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The Meadow to the Sea criteria for the ‘best’ seaside escapes
Beautiful beach escapes
Lyme Regis, Dorset
If you’re already familiar with Meadow to the Sea, you’ll know how much I adore Lyme Regis – it will always be one of my top recommendations of places to visit in the South West. I’ve visited more times that I can count; as a child splashing about in the bay, as a teenager enjoying days out with friends, and now as a family, and it’s still the place I want to come back to time and time again.
So what makes Lyme Regis so special? It has everything there is to love in a seaside town – an amazingly good food scene with a wide variety of pubs and restaurants scattered along the seafront and up in to town, a thriving artisan quarter, independent shops, a beach that switches from fossil-strewn pebble to sand as you follow it round towards The Cobb, and beautiful coastal walks with some of the best views on this stretch of coast. Then there’s that slightly old-fashioned, lived-in feel underneath it all, which is really what makes it so incredibly charming.
But perhaps what I love the most about Lyme Regis is that it’s not just a nice place to visit in the summer months, it really holds its own all year round and some of my favourite visits have been on crisp, clear days in the depths of winter.
Lyme Regis highlights:
Woolacombe, Devon
Woolacombe is a village rather than a town, but don’t let that fool you – it’s a large, lively one, with a really good selection of pubs, restaurants and places to stay for some where it’s size.
The beach is the real highlight here with three miles of soft golden sand, and is consistently rated among the best in the UK for surfing, bodyboarding and swimming. As far as beach days go, Woolacombe is hard to beat.
Beyond the sand, the South West Coast Path gives you excellent walking routes from here too. If you head out to Morte Point there’s a good chance of spotting seals hauled out on the rocks, and if you’re really lucky dolphins can occasionally be spotted offshore.
What I love most about Woolacombe is how wonderful it is year-round – long, easy days on the beach in summer, blustery autumn walks along the coast path, and in spring, the dunes and clifftops come alive with flora and fauna.
Woolacombe highlights:
St Ives, Cornwall
St Ives might be an obvious choice as one of the best seaside towns in the UK, but with its beaches and turquoise waters it’s not hard to see why. On a good summer’s day, the white sand and clear water here could pass for somewhere in the Caribbean, and it’s one of Cornwall’s most treasured towns for exactly that reason.
It’s popular, and deservedly so – I love it here, but I’d steer clear of visiting in the height of summer, when it does get really crowded. May and September are always my first choices of times to visit, when the weather can still be warm and the narrow, cobble streets are far easier to wander.
If you can, arrive by train. The branch line from St Erth runs right along St Ives Bay and is one of the most beautiful short rail journeys in Britain.
One of the things I think sets St Ives apart is how creative it feels. It’s been drawing artists for over a century, largely thanks to its famous quality of light, a legacy that is everywhere, from the Tate St Ives down to the quirky independent galleries tucked along the back streets. Add in clean sea air, a good selection of beaches and a strong selection of places to eat, and it’s easy to see why St Ives is such a special place.
St Ives highlights
Dartmouth, Devon
Technically, Dartmouth is a harbour and estuary town, rather than a traditional beach town, but it has beautiful beaches close by, so I’m including it here under ‘Beautiful beach towns’.
Dartmouth is a genuinely picturesque town, set along the estuary with pastel buildings rising up from the banks and boats coming and going along the River Dart. It’s also a town steeped in history, with Tudor and Georgian buildings, Bayards Cove Fort, and Dartmouth Castle – one of the first purpose-built artillery forts in Britain, standing guard at the mouth of the estuary.
As well as meandering the narrow, hilly streets and browsing the town’s independent boutiques and art galleries, one of the best things about Dartmouth is the local beaches just a short walk or drive away. Blackpool Sands is a particularly beautiful Blue Flag beach, and there are numerous tiny coves too including Sugary Cove and Castle Cove, both reachable from the castle. Add in scenic boat trips and the Dartmouth Steam Railway, which runs along the water into neighbouring Kingswear, and Dartmouth earns its place among the South West’s most beautiful seaside towns.
Dartmouth highlights:
Salcombe, Devon
Salcombe has a reputation as one of the most picturesque, upscale coastal towns in South Devon, and it’s thoroughly deserved.
Built around the vibe of coastal living, the Kingsbridge Estuary is sheltered enough to have made Salcombe a real sailing and watersports hubs, with boats moored three-deep in the height of summer and rentals available for anyone who fancies getting out on it themselves.
The beaches are simply stunning. North Sands and South Sands both have that blue-green water and golden sand more often associated with somewhere further south, and a short passenger ferry crosses over to the quieter shores of East Portlemouth and Mill Bay, worth the trip for beaches that stay largely uncrowded even in peak season.
Back in town, the streets are colourful and full of independent boutiques and galleries – and no visit is complete without Salcombe Dairy ice cream in hand, wandering the harbourside. It’s also a food and drink paradise from harbourside pubs to the town’s own Salcombe Gin, distilled right on the estuary.
Salcombe highlights:
Quaint harbour towns
Beer, Devon
Beer is really a village rather than a town, and there isn’t a great deal going on here, but that’s exactly why it’s on this list.
It’s a real working fishing village, tucked in to a sheltered bay between chalk cliffs on the stunning Jurassic Coast. If you time it right, it’s wonderful to watch the colourful fishing boats launching straight off the beach the old-fashioned way, nets and all.
What Beer lacks in size, it makes up for in traditional pubs, cosy cafes and seafood restaurants looking straight out to sea (much of it landed by the same boats you’ll have watched go out that morning).
I love Beer for a gentle wander among the fresh sea air, followed by a lazy afternoon in a beer garden, or a picnic up in Jubilee Gardens with the whole bay laid out below.
Beer highlights:
Padstow, Cornwall
Cornwall has no shortage of picture-perfect harbour towns, so it’s no surprise the next stretch of this list stays within the county. First up is Padstow.
Padstow is a classic Cornish harbour town – a beautiful working fishing port lined with pastel-coloured buildings, boutique shops and good pubs, all wrapped around a picturesque quay. It sits right on the Camel Estuary, so beyond the harbour itself there’s plenty to explore, and glorious beaches close by too.
It’s also become one of the South West’s premier foodie destinations, largely thanks to Rick Stein’s seafood restaurant, fish & chip shop and deli dotted around the town, alongside plenty of other fabulous places to eat.
Beyond the food, there are good walking paths out from the town and a lively atmosphere day to day, not just in peak season. For a quieter afternoon, I love catching the passenger ferry across to Rock. It’s a short crossing and the pace on that side of the estuary is much calmer if you’re looking to escape the Padstow crowds for a few hours.
Padstow highlights:
Mousehole, Cornwall
Moving down to Cornwall’s southern coast, Mousehole is about as compact and characterful as a fishing village gets. Many would say it’s Cornwall’s prettiest, and I might just agree. It’s more of a sleepy village than a town, especially out of season, with its original character still fully intact.
The village is a maze of narrow streets, home to galleries, gift shops and lovely places to eat, all folded around the harbour. At low tide, this harbour empties out in to a safe, sandy beach perfect for enjoying on warm summer days.
Out in the bay, keep an eye out for seals, which are regularly spotted, and Mousehole Rock Pool is the perfect spot for a wild sea swim if you fancy it. From various points around the village you also get the most wonderful clear views across to St Michael’s Mount.
One of the loveliest times to visit is over Christmas, when the village is strung with harbour lights, filling it with colour each year, from around the second weekend in December until early January.
Mousehole highlights:
Polperro, Cornwall
Polperro is one of my favourite places in Cornwall to visit – it’s a postcard-worthy, unspoilt fishing village with a rich history. For me, the biggest draw is that it’s car-free so you’re free to wander its winding streets in real peace – something that’s becoming increasingly rare.
The streets are lined with whitewashed cottages covered in flowers, all set around a lovely sheltered tidal harbour. There’s a small sandy beach too, along with a cave in the cliffs believed to have been used by smugglers centuries ago, and a man-made tidal pool sheltered enough to swim in without the ocean’s waves getting in the way.
For a walk, head up the coast path on either side of the harbour, where both directions offer lovely views back over the village.
With a good selection of places to eat, from traditional pubs to traditional bakeries it really is the most perfect village to visit. I always love to visit in May, when the days are getting warmer but the crowds haven’t arrived yet.
Polperro highlights:
Porthleven, Cornwall
Porthleven is a vibrant, characterful Cornish port town, and the most southerly fishing port in England. It’s especially good for food lovers, walkers, and those looking for a seaside escape that still feels authentic. Its also steadily building a reputation for both great art and great eating.
The harbourside is lined with pubs, restaurants and galleries and a craft market runs regularly between May and October. The old brewery and shipyard area has brought a real sense of community to the town, and that spirit shines through fully each year at the Porthleven Food Festival – an award-winning, community-led event that’s become one of the best reasons to time a visit around.
Much of the coastline here is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which makes Porthleven a great base for walking adventures.
I love Porthleven as a quieter alternative – it tends to have fewer crowds than some of the harbour towns on this list. It’s absolutely beautiful in summer, but just as beautiful in winter when the waves really crash against this wilder stretch of coastline.
Porthleven highlights:
As you can probably tell, there are far more beautiful seaside escapes in the South West than ten towns could ever cover. I found it really hard to narrow this list down, and on a different day, a different town might well have made the cut. A few that deserve a special mention:
Clovelly, Devon – I know, how is this not on the list? Its cobbled streets are some of the prettiest anywhere in Devon, but the beach itself is pebble and shingle rather than sand, and reaching it means the same steep climb back up that makes the village so special in the first place – so not quite the easy beach day that the other places promise.
Fowey, Cornwall – another really close contender, and one that could easily have swapped for any of the Cornish harbour towns above.
Port Isaac, Cornwall – also a really beautiful place to visit, and famous as the real-life setting for Doc Martin, but for me, Porthleven edges it.
