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9 Best Beaches In Devon
Devon has two coasts and they do not behave the same way, which matters more than any ordering of a list. The north faces the open Atlantic: Woolacombe Sands, Saunton Sands and Westward Ho! Beach are long, exposed and windy, and the surf that makes them a draw for confident older children is exactly what makes them a worry with a toddler. The south is the sheltered side, and Thurlestone Sands, Blackpool Sands, Slapton Sands and Torcross Beach and Dawlish Warren Beach are bays and coves rather than horizons. One county, two quite different days by the sea.
Top beaches in Devon
Showing 1–9 of 9
BeachesThurlestone Sands
BeachesWoolacombe Sands
BeachesDawlish Warren Beach
BeachesSlapton Sands and Torcross Beach
BeachesBlackpool Sands
BeachesWestward Ho! Beach
BeachesSaunton Sands
BeachesTunnels Beaches
BeachesBigbury on Sea Beach
Sand type is the other split worth knowing. Blackpool Sands is shingle despite its name, which changes everything about paddling, sandcastles and bare feet. Dawlish Warren Beach and the northern giants are proper sand. Tunnels Beaches is the odd one on the list, a beach reached through cut passages, and our records give it an indoor flag which is best read as a quirk of the data rather than a promise of shelter. Choose for the child's age first and the view second.
Beaches in Devon: FAQs
Is Blackpool Sands anywhere near Blackpool?
No, and the name catches people out every year. Blackpool Sands is a south Devon beach and has nothing to do with the Lancashire resort. If you are searching for it or setting a satnav, make sure you have the Devon one, One sits in Devon and one in Lancashire, and it is not a mistake anybody recovers from on the morning of a day out.
Which coast for small children?
The south, most of the time. Sheltered bays give you calmer water, a shorter walk from car to sand and less wind to fight, all of which matter enormously before the age of about six. The north coast beaches are magnificent and worth the trip, but they are big, open and busy with surf, and a small child on a huge beach in a stiff wind rarely lasts as long as the parents hoped.
What does the surf mean for an older child?
It is the reason to go north. Long Atlantic-facing sands are where boards, bodyboards and proper waves live, and a nine-year-old who has outgrown a bucket will get far more out of that than from a calm cove. Conditions change constantly and our records carry nothing about safety cover, so check the beach's own information and the flags on the day rather than relying on a list.
Nine beaches for a county this size?
Nine is what our records hold, not what Devon has, and it is worth being straight about that. The list leans towards the well-known names on both coasts and towards the ones with parking and facilities attached. Treat it as a starting shortlist for the two coasts rather than a complete survey, and expect the local knowledge of anyone you are staying with to add to it.