English Riviera Beaches

The English Riviera’s beaches have once again been recognised as amongst the best in the UK and England.

The English Riviera has been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag Awards for six of its beaches, with a further four beaches being awarded with the Seaside Award.

Breakwater, Broadsands, Meadfoot, Oddicombe, Preston and Abbey Sands all get to retain the internationally recognised Blue Flag.

These six have also been awarded the Seaside Award along with Anstey’s Cove, Goodrington, Maidencombe and Paignton.

Oddicombe Beach has now held a Blue Flag for 34 years, since the inception of the awards, which was in 1987.

Across England 76 beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag, more than Brazil, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Israel, Malta, Mexico or South Africa. An impressive 33 Blue Flag beaches are in the South West, proving that you don’t need to jet off this summer to visit some of the best beaches in the world.

The international Blue Flag and UK Seaside Awards are the quality marks for our beaches and mean those visiting them can be sure that they are clean, safe and meet the highest environmental standards, as well as the touch international bathing water quality standards.

Beaches in Torquay

Torre Abbey Sands
This delectable beach is part of the English Riviera and it lives up to its name with its stunning sands, views and sunshine.  This is the main beach for Torquay, being popular with holidaymakers from the surrounding hotels, day visitors and locals.  This is a favourite spot for young holiday makers, who also take the opportunity to use the grassy expanse of nearby Torre Abbey Meadows.

Corbyn Sands/Corbyn Head
Corbyn Sands is one of Torquay’s closest beaches, and lies just south of Torre Abbey Sands. It’s a sand and shingle beach with a peaceful and relaxed atmosphere, but still with the convenience of being close to the busy town of Torquay.  A beach cafe and beach huts can be found here.

Livermead Beach
Good access for water sports. Swimming not allowed in the water ski lane.  No sand at high tide.

Meadfoot Beach
A mile from Torquay harbour and in a stunning location at the bottom of a row of imposing cliffs. Grab a deckchair and enjoy the sound of the sea lapping against the shore, or wander along the promenade lined with a colourful row of beach chalets.  A popular beach café can be found here too.

Anstey's Cove
Not far from Torquay sits Anstey’s Cove Beach. Quiet, peaceful and incredibly beautiful, this small shingle beach is the place to come if you want to escape the crowds. You can rent a deckchair and relax, paddle in the glistening sea, and perhaps enjoy a snack or lunch in the delightful beach cafe.

Oddicombe Beach (Babbacombe)
This is a great beach for all ages! paddling for the young and a variety of watersports for the older and braver!  Accessible via a steep road or you could take the amazing Babbabacombe Cliff Railway. Oddicombe has beach huts to rent, a well stocked beach shop and a super newly refurbished café.

Beaches in Paignton

Hollicombe Beach
Positioned between Torquay and Paignton. With its distinctive red sand backed by tall cliffs it’s a sunbather’s paradise, and there’s a slipway to the beach giving easy access for people of all abilities. If you’ve forgotten any of those must-have beach accessories.

Preston Sands
A short walk from Paignton is Preston Sands, a great family beach. On this safe, clean beach you can sunbathe, swim or make castles in the sand, or why not grab a fishing net and explore the rock pools at low tide? This is also a great place to go for a swim, as Preston Sands has a Sea side Award. Along the back of the beach there’s a promenade lined with colourful beach huts.

Paignton Sands
Paignton Beach offers the ultimate family day out at the seaside. With a sandy beach, safe swimming and a whole host of activities to enjoy, this promises to be a fun day out for all the family. There’s lots to do; you can hire a pedalo, take a fishing trip from the nearby harbour or simply sit back and relax in a deckchair.
In the middle of the beach sits the famous Paignton Pier, so if you’ve had enough sunbathing or you’ve built enough sandcastles, why not head here see what all the fuss is about? You’ll find kiosks, cafés and an abundance of amusement arcades to keep kids of all ages happy.

Goodrington Sands
Close to Paignton is the long, sandy stretch of Goodrington Sands. With a Seaside Award, safe swimming conditions and loads of great activities, this family friendly beach promises to keep the kids happy whatever the weather.
So what can you do at Goodrington Sands? The first thing that springs to mind is watersports! This a great place to swim, and there are a number of different hire options available, with pedalos, paddle boats and even windsurfing for beginners.
If you’re planning to explore the rock pools at low tide, don’t forget to visit the Seashore Centre first. Here you can learn more about the English Riviera’s sea-life and Geopark through interactive displays.

Broadsands Beach
In between Paignton and Brixham is Broadsands on the English Riviera, South Devon’s beautiful bay. With a long sandy beach the whole family can enjoy, you can make sandcastles for a couple of hours and then paddle in the calm sea. There’s also a large area of parkland directly behind the beach, so if you’ve brought a football with you, this is a great place to have a kick around.

Beaches in Brixham

Elberry Cove
Close to Paignton is Elberry Cove, a small inlet with a small pebble beach. Far from the bustle of the main beaches, so you can relax without being disturbed by noisy crowds or amusement arcades. This is the designated beach for water skiing, so no swimming in the ski lane.

The beach can only be accessed on foot, so if you have the car with you, park at Broadsands and take a stroll along the coastal path. The scenery at Elberry Cove is beautiful; it’s framed by wooded hillsides and the sea is crystal clear and safe to swim in. At one end of the beach you’ll find the remains of Lord Churston’s bathhouse, a romantic 18th century ruin.

Churston Cove
Boats are often moored just off the shore of this delightful pebbly beach, backed by woodland, giving it a real Mediterranean feel. There are no facilities, but nearby Fishcombe Cove, with its small café, is just a small stroll (or swim) away.

Fishcombe Cove
Fishcombe Cove is ideal if you want to escape the crowds. Situated along the coast from Brixham, this small shingle beach is a quiet, peaceful little cove protected on all sides by tall red cliffs. The sheltered cove makes this a safe place for swimming, but you may have a few spectators as boats and yachts often moor up here, and sometimes there’s even the odd seal!

Breakwater Beach
Close to the mouth of Brixham harbour is Breakwater Beach, one of the cleanest beaches on the English Riviera, South Devon’s beautiful bay. Not only is it a Blue Flag beach, but it has a Seaside Award and been recommended by the Good Beach Guide. There’s  disabled access with adjoining parking facilities, meaning everyone can enjoy it.
Breakwater Beach is a particular favourite for scuba diving. There are a number of dive schools throughout the area and with some of the warmest and calmest waters in the country, this is the place to learn to scuba and get your open water certificate. Expect to see rare seagrass beds, seahorses, fish and even the odd shipwreck.

Shoalstone Beach
Along the coast from the busy fishing harbour of Brixham is Shoalstone Beach. This isn’t just a shingle beach, but has a sea water swimming pool too, so still plenty of activities to keep everyone happy. Explore the rock pools at low tide or take a walk along the coast. Nearby is Berry Head National Nature Reserve with plenty of opportunities to spot rare and endangered species, explore Napoleonic forts and a fascinating Geopark visitors’ centre. If all that leaves you feeling exhausted, situated on the edge of the pool is a café with stunning views across the sea.

St Mary's 
St Mary’s Bay is a delightful secluded sandy beach with interesting rock formations and surrounding cliffs, just off the South West Coast Path. Enjoy panoramic views of the area from the coastal path overlooking the beach.
A short walk to Berry Head National Nature Reserve, where you can find toilets and refreshments at the Guardhouse Cafe.

Useful websites for further beach information: beaches@torbay.gov.uk