Bantham Beach

You can’t have a seaside holiday without a good beach, but you need to be sure that they’re safe, relaxing and clean – especially if you’re taking toddlers with you. South Devon’s got great beaches that are perfect for proper bucket and spade holidays, and many of them are award winners for cleanliness and safety. Bantham beach is one of the best in the area and ticks all right the boxes if you want a typical English seaside holiday.

Beautiful and Safe

This crackingly good beach is part of a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s also won awards from the Marine Conservation Society and the coveted Blue Flag, so you know it’s clean. You can see Bigbury Bay and Burgh Island from the beach - a couple of interesting locations that are well worth a visit. You can get to Burgh Island by taking a ride on the famous ‘sea-tractor’, which the kids will love. Bantham is shallow and sandy so it’s great for families with kids who want to do a little swimming or paddling, and to keep anxious parents’ minds at rest there are lifeguards on duty from May to September. At low tide, you’ll find loads of shallow pools that warm up quickly in the sun and are perfect for crab hunting.

Surfing Trips

But there’s more to Bantham beach than just sun, sand and ice cream. It’s also one of the best surfing beaches in South Devon. The beach has got mellow waves for beginners (known in surf-speak as ‘ankle slappers’), while the mouth of the River Avon fires out enough rips and breaks to test even the most radical hot-doggers.

Once you’ve had enough of the waves there’s a pub nearby serving great beer and home-cooked meals. If you want to stay near the beach there are plenty of great B&Bs in the local village. The beach is well served with its own facilities, including a beach shop where you can buy all those little essentials. While dogs are not allowed on the beach between May and September they are allowed on the Estuary all year round, which you can get to at low tide.