COAST & BEACHES
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Outstanding Scenery
Dartmouth is located in the heart of South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The special qualities of South Devon AONB include its rugged coastline, sandy beaches, secretive estuaries, patchwork countryside and historic villages – to name but a few!
Here are some of our top tips for enjoying this special place…
Blackpool Sands
A stunning Blue Flag beach located just 10 minutes along the coast from Barrington House. This is an ideal family beach with life guards present during the summer season. There’s plenty of parking, lots of watersports and an award winning café!
Bantham
A huge sandy beach with clean (MCS award), lifeguard-monitored bathing. Bantham is one of the best surf spots on the south coast. There is a surf school, toilets and food and drink available from the Gastrobus!
Beesands
If you like your beach on the slightly more wild side then Beesands is for you. It’s a mile-long shingle beach backed by fields and a freshwater lake. There’s plenty of parking and a great pub.
North Sands
Conveniently close to the town of Salcombe, North Sands is a lovely little sandy beach with beautiful surroundings and a great beach café called The Winking Prawn.
Mill Bay
A very safe and very pretty sandy beach located near to East Portlemouth opposite the town of Salcombe. This beach is a favourite with children, as it’s great for rock pooling.
Mattiscombe
Keep this one under your hat as it’s a bit of a secret spot! Mattiscombe is half a mile from the stunning Start Point lighthouse. Getting to the beach involves a ten minute walk from the car park at the top of the hill but it’s worth the trip.
Further Information
For Even More Beaches
We have featured a tiny sample of the area’s stunning beaches. For more information on beaches visit the South Devon AONB website: