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5 day itinerary

Heres a suggested itinerary for spending 5 days out and about from Beeson Farm:

Day 1: Arrival and Local Exploration

  • Arrive at Beeson farm and settle into your cottage.
  • Spend the afternoon exploring Kingsbridge. Visit the Quay, where you can enjoy a leisurely walk along the water and explore the shops and cafes.
  • Have dinner down at The Cricket Inn, Beesands (a 3 min drive from your cottage at Beeson Farm), sampling some of the best local seafood.

Day 2: Dartmouth and River Cruise

  • Head to Dartmouth for the day. Explore Dartmouth Castle and take a stroll along the waterfront before wandering around the town..
  • Enjoy a river cruise along the River Dart, which offers beautiful views of the surrounding countryside and coastline. We recommend going up river to Dittisham and back, you could even disembark for a visit to Greenway (National Trust).
  • In the evening, dine at one of Dartmouth’s restaurants overlooking the river.

Day 3: Coastal Walks and Salcombe

  • Spend the day hiking along the South West Coast Path, which offers stunning views of the coastline. Consider starting at Thurlestone and walking towards Hope Cove, or a circular walk from Gara Rock to East Portlemouth.
  • Depending on which of the above routes you chose to walk you could either drive to Salcombe or take the ferry from East Portlemouth to explore the town’s shops and art galleries.
  • Relax with dinner at a pub or restaurant in Salcombe, watching the boats come and go.

Day 4: Beach Day and Water Activities

  • Spend the day at one of the area’s beautiful beaches, such as Bantham Beach or Blackpool Sands. Relax on the beach, go for a swim, or try your hand at water sports like surfing or paddleboarding.
  • Alternatively, you could explore the nearby estuaries by kayak or paddleboard for a different perspective on the coastline. Equipment hire available from Kingsbridge or East Portlemouth.
  • Enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach, having bought supplies at Stokeley farmshop or one of the delis in Kingsbridge.

Day 5: Historic Sites 

  • Visit nearby historic sites such as Greenway House, the former holiday home of Agatha Christie, or the National Trust property Overbeck’s in Salcombe.
  • Alternatively, spend the day exploring the nearby towns and villages, such as Totnes or Modbury.

This itinerary should give you a good taste of what South Devon has to offer, from its beautiful coastline to its charming towns and villages, all while using Beeson Farm as a comfortable base for exploring! Whatever you choose to do, we hope you enjoy your holiday!

South Devon Beach Guide

South Devon is unique as it combines expanses of rolling green countryside, quaint villages, waterfront towns and picturesque beaches offering visitors a taste of the best the UK has to offer!

Taking your dog on holiday with you is one of the benefits of holidaying in the UK and relaxing on the beach is a perfect day out for all the family!   Here is our showcase of the best beaches in South Devon where your dog is welcome too…

Beesands: Our local mile long shingle beach with award winning pub and seafood cafe, watch the fishing boats come and go in the shelter of Start Bay, and its lighthouse. Everything you need for a day out! 2 mins drive from Beeson, 0.7 miles

Slapton Sands: A golden arch of shingle beach that stretches 3 miles along the coastline and is bordered by a National Nature Reserve. Pubs and eateries at Torcross plus good parking.  8 mins drive from Beeson, 3 miles

Mattiscombe: More challenging to access (walking only) but serene, unspoilt and with a good chance of seal spotting. 11 mins drive from Beeson 3.4 miles

Gara Rock beach: Seacombe sands is an unspoilt sandy cove nestled under the Gara Rock hotel, which is perfect for a lunch stop with the most spectacular views, 14 mins drive from Beeson, 5.8 miles

Mill Bay East Portlemouth: A privately owned beach open to the public with National Trust Car Park. Beautiful sandy beach with stream, woodland and clifftop walks opposite Salcombe. 14 mins drive from Beeson, 5.9 miles

 

Blackpool Sands: One of South DEvons most popular beaches, with cafe, watersports hire and sheltered swimming. Dog friendly throughout the winter. 18 mins from Beeson, 7.8 miles

South Milton: A National Trust sandy beach looking over the iconic Thurlestone Rock that all the family will love- even the dog! Food available at the beachhouse. 25 mins from Beeson 9.6 miles

Bantham: Golden sands, rolling dunes, surf school and a great selection of food from the gastrobus in the carpark. 30 mins from Beeson, 11.9 miles

North and South Sands Salcombe: Only a few minutes from Salcombe town centre, sandy beaches that are perfect for traditional family fun  and with places to eat. 25 mins drive from Beeson, 12.7 miles

Bigbury on Sea: A family friendly beach with surf school and vast expanses of golden sand. Walk over to Burgh Island at low tide for a drink at the Pilchard Inn (or use the sea tractor if the tide is in!) 41 mins from Beeson, 15 miles (dog restrictions apply)

 

Family fun in the winter

Thinking of booking a holiday but worried what to do if the weather isnt too good? Dont fear, South Devon has plenty to offer the whole family off season!

One of our favourite adventures is to Woodlands Family Theme Park,http://www.woodlandspark.com/ near Dartmouth. A short drive slidealong the beautiful coast road, Woodlands boasts one of the UKs largest indoor play areas and has enough variety to entertain all ages for a whole day. The are big family rides, an awesome indoor play centre (with slides, ball pools, mazes, climbing nets, rides and adventure play).

 Outside you will find a zoo-farm housing everything from Meerkats to cuddly rabbits, snakes to shire horses.

Kingsbridge and Dartmouth both have indoor swimming pools and cinmeerkatsemas and the towns offer everything from toy shops to art galleries, soft play to boutique and antique shopping.

The National Marine Aquarium at Plymouthhttp://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/ is just under an hour away and is the UKs biggest aquarium. Our children were equally as enthralled by the seahorses and lobsters as they were by the huge sharks!jellyfish

The Art Cafe in Kingsbridge http://theartcafekingsbridge.co.uk/ is always a popular choice for pottery painting- the perfect souvenir of your stay in South Devon!

artcafeIn your cottage you will find a comprehensive guide of whats on offer locally, as well as a selection of books, dvds and toys should you wish to stay in and relax! We even provide childrens wellies should you wish to get out and do some exploring along the beach – winter is the perfect time for beachcombing, you never know what treasure you might find!

So, book a stay this Winter- we would love to share all this and more with you!