Suzy Bennett is an award-winning travel writer and photographer with a penchant for all-things-Devon. She owns Moorland View, a luxury self-catering cottage on Dartmoor.
Why go now?
Devon is at its most appealing around now, as tanned, happy locals make the most of an al fresco lifestyle of beach barbecues (weather permitting), pub gardens, village fêtes and sailing regattas.
Surfers head to the wild, windswept north coast, while lovers of Devon’s softer shores keep to the more protected south. One of the prettiest hubs on the south coast is Salcombe, a gentle-paced, pastel-housed boating town from where you can experience classic Devon: craggy coves and cream teas, surf breaks and strolls, picnics and pints.
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My recommendations are clustered in this area. Events to watch out for include the Dartmouth Sailing Regatta (August 30 to September 2), Sidmouth Folk Festival (August 3 to 10), the South Devon Crab Festival (July 30 to August 5) and, on the north coast, Woolacombe Sandcastle Competition (July 8).
For where to stay, read my Devon hotels recommendations
On arrival
7pm
Get straight into the action with a sunset beach barbecue, held every evening in season from 4pm at the Winking Prawn Café (1) (01548 842 326, winkingprawn.co.uk; £16.95) at North Sands, a five-minute drive or 20-minute walk from Salcombe. Then head into town for a pint of Devonshire ale at one of the pubs overlooking the harbour (2). The best pub in Salcombe is the Ferry Inn (01548 844 000), which is so close to the waterfront that local fishermen moor outside. It also has the best views in town.
Day one
9am
If you’re feeling bold enough – or have a wetsuit – start the day with a bracing dip in the sea at South Sands, just up the coast from Salcombe. Then enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the sunny terrace of South Sands Hotel (3) (01548 859 000; southsands.com; Continental breakfast, £11), a pebble’s skim from the sea.
10am
Lace on your hiking boots for a walk along one of the most spectacular stretches of Devon’s coastline. The eight-mile walk west on the South West Coastal Path from Salcombe to Hope Cove (4) traces jagged peaks, secluded sandy coves and holiday-brochure Devonshire countryside. If you’re travelling with others and have two cars, drop one at Hope Cove before you start the walk. Otherwise, book a taxi to bring you the 10-minute drive back to Salcombe to pick up your car and continue your day.
If you have extra time, take one of the tiny ferries that ply the estuary between Salcombe and East Portlemouth and wander up the coastal path to find your own private cove.
1pm
Refuel with lunch at The Beach House (5) (01548 561 144; beachhousedevon.com; sandwiches from £5.50), a gastro, clapboard beach café on South Milton Sands, where crispy squid, Salcombe crab cakes and fish-finger sandwiches are favourites.
2pm
Sign up for a surfing, or paddle-surfing, lesson at Bigbury-on-Sea (6) (01548 810 535; discoverysurf.com) – or spend a lazy afternoon watching them and doze in the dunes at Bantham, just across the River Avon.
4pm
Time for a Devon essential: a cream tea. In the summer, locals serve up home-made helpings from their gardens for charity, or you could head back to Salcombe and enjoy the backdrop of sub-tropical gardens and beautiful estuary views at the National Trust property Overbeck’s Museum and Garden (7) (01548 842 893; nationaltrust.org.uk/overbecks; £7.20, free for members).
7pm
Don black tie for sunset cocktails and a vintage-style dinner at Burgh Island Hotel (8)(01548 810 514; burghisland.com; £60 for a three-course meal).
Afterwards, head down to The Pilchard Inn, a weather-beaten smugglers’ pub on the same island, which serves up real ales with a hearty portion of piratical history. Book ahead: Burgh Island is cut off by tides twice a day so you’ll need to time your stay to coincide with the high-sided sea tractor that takes guests across parting tides.
Day two
10am
Head out of Salcombe for a pretty scenic coastal drive east along the A379 towards Dartmouth, taking in the impressive three-mile shingle stretch of Slapton Sands (9). More than 600 US servicemen were killed here when German E-boats attacked their D-Day rehearsals. A Sherman tank on the sand commemorates them. Leave time to stop off at Blackpool Sands (10) further up the coast, a privately run beach nestled below lushly wooded cliffs.
Obtain a tide table from a newsagent and time your visit to the beach accordingly: at high tide, beaches can be thin, crowded strips of sand. Swimmers are advised to be aware of rip tides and currents, and should only swim between the flags on life-guarded beaches.
11.30am
Take a leisurely amble around the affluent harbour, cobbled quays, antique shops and stepped alleyways of Dartmouth (11).
1pm
Time for another Devon must: fish and chips. The Rockfish Grill (01803 832 800; rockfishgrill.co.uk; fish and chips from £5.95) is a stylish, beach shack-style takeaway on Dartmouth harbour run by celebrity chef Mitch Tonks, and is widely regarded as serving the best fish and chips in the county.
