Ducklings Den

Your first port of call should certainly be Hope Cove – the village is a mile away and has two lovely beaches (with lifeguards in summer) along with pubs and places to eat. It’s a good place to pick up the coast path too, for a walk up to South Milton Sands or all the way round to Salcombe. Salcombe (10 minutes’ drive) is worth a visit in its own right too – it’s home to the National Trust’s Overbeck’s Garden and gin tours at the Salcombe Distilling Company, as well as a couple of beaches that are great for watersports and boat hire. There are more lovely beaches at places like Bantham (15 minutes), Blackpool Sands (half an hour) and Bigbury-on-Sea (25 minutes), where you can take a ride on the sea tractor out to Burgh Island. If you fancy a change of scenery though, take a day out in Plymouth (45 minutes), meet the animals at Dartmoor Zoo (40 minutes) or head out for a hike in the Dartmoor National Park (half an hour).