The beaches are golden, the ice cream is plentiful and on a really good day you might be lucky enough to see dolphins dancing in the estuary. This is Salcombe, one of the UK’s prettiest coastal spots.
The relatively newly opened Harbour Beach Club is a stylish addition to the hotel scene with a prime position on South Sands beach and a programme of free activities to keep everyone entertained.
Here’s what to do, see and where to stay for an unforgettable break.
Stay
Stay in the beautiful Harbour Beach Club on South Sands, a chic 50 room boutique spa hotel, with an unrivalled position on the water’s edge of Salcombe’s tranquil estuary. The hotel has super-stylish and luxurious rooms, a spa to die for and a standout glass-fronted restaurant looking straight onto the beach. Their dover sole is the stuff of legends.
No request is too much trouble for the manager Jason, his father Mike or son Thomas, all of whom work in the hotel. The restaurant in their sister hotel Salcombe Harbour Hotel up the road is also excellent.
Rates at Harbour Beach Club & Hotel start from £175 per night for Sea View Family Room on a B&B basis; harbourhotels.co.uk
What to do
Paddle boarding is available from the stand on South Sands beach. Every half an hour a ferry departs from the beach to Salcombe’s White Strand Quay. From there you can get another ferry from outside The Ferry Inn to East Portlemouth where there are endless beautiful beaches and bays to explore. One possibility is the incredibly picturesque (if a bit hair raising in places with narrow paths on sharp cliff-edges) walk to the Gara Rock hotel and a pitstop at their fabulous foodvan Garavan for lunch.
A long swim at Mill Bay on the way back to the ferry is recommended. On a sunny day you could be in the Caribbean.
What to eat
Locals rave about the Crabshed, an unassuming restaurant on the water in Salcombe serving freshly caught crab and other seafood delicacies. Or why not grab a picnic from the Bake House on Fore Street famous for their pasties, freshly cut sandwiches, doughnuts and home-baked cakes.
Great pubs include the Crabshell at Kingsbridge (especially great for sunset), the Fortescue Inn, and the Hope and Anchor in Hope Cove.
