Beaches in East Devon

East Devon is the ideal family holiday destination, with its expansive, beautiful coastline, stunning countryside, and abundance of picturesque towns. If you’re looking for a seaside getaway, look no further! The East Devon coastline stretches for miles from Exmouth to Axmouth, containing a mixture of golden sand and pebbled beaches. Discover the history and the magic of East Devon by exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coastline which extends out of Devon to Dorset. Read on to find out about the beaches in East Devon. 

Exmouth Beach, Exmouth  

Exmouth Beach is made up of 2-miles of golden sand and plenty of rockpools for your little ones to explore. Exmouth is the gateway to the UNESCO Jurassic Coastline World Heritage Site with the cliffs teaming with geological finds. Exmouth Beach also sits on the South West Coast Path so there are lots of great walks around the area. Adjacent to the beach is the promenade, consisting of plenty of great pubs, cafes, and takeaways, as well as traditional seaside favourites like swing boats, a big wheel and crazy golf. 

Sandy Bay, Exmouth 

Around the corner from Exmouth Beach is Sandy Bay, a gorgeous Blue Flag Awarded beach surrounded by stunning red cliffs. It’s a lovely, sandy beach set in a secluded bay and can be accessed via walking along Exmouth Beach at low tide, or by taking the South West Coast Path towards Budleigh Salterton. It’s ideal for families, offering a great location to build sandcastles, splash about in the water and discover the creatures that live in the rockpools.  

Budleigh Salterton Beach, Budleigh Salterton 

Stretching from Littleham Cove to Otterhead where the River Otter meets the sea, Budleigh Salterton is a long, pebbled beach, extending 2.5 miles. Bathing is safe here as the waters are incredibly clean, and there’s plenty of facilities and amenities such as cafes, toilets, and beach huts, which can be rented from Budleigh’s Tourist Information Centre. Budleigh Salterton is a quintessential seaside town, containing lots of interesting and independent shops and businesses. 

Jacob’s Ladder Beach, Sidmouth 

Complete with calm, blue waters, striking red cliffs and lined with colourful beach houses, Jacob’s Ladder Beach is a great, family friendly beach in East Devon. The high cliffs that surround the beach offer shelter from the wind so it’s the perfect place to escape to on a warm, sunny day. It’s both a shingle and a sandy beach, and it gets its name from the historic wooden steps that lead down from Connaught Gardens.  

Sidmouth Town Beach, Sidmouth 

Next to Jacob’s Ladder Beach is Sidmouth Town Beach. It’s your typical, traditional seaside town beach, with a promenade to walk across and colourful, Regency beach-facing buildings. Perfect for families, Sidmouth Town Beach has rich red sand and lots of fascinating rockpools to explore when the tide is low. At the eastern end of the beach, there’s a slipway which gives boats access to the sea, and kayaks or canoes can be rented here also.  

Weston Mouth Beach, Weston 

Weston Mouth Beach is located between Sidmouth and Branscombe on the East Devon coastline. It’s sheltered and secluded, with access only by walking down a long track, or from the sea; as such it has become popular with naturists. If you’re looking to spend the day relaxing on the beach, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, this may be the perfect place to do so.  

Branscombe Beach, Branscombe 

Branscombe Beach is situated within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is a beautiful shingle beach, backed by cliffs and plenty of countryside. The beach is set below the village of Branscombe which is incredibly idyllic with chocolate box thatched houses that wander down the valley towards the sea. There are lots of great walks nearby, take the South West Coast Path towards Beer Head for unbeatable views of the East Devon coastline. 

Beer Beach, Beer 

Set in the beautiful, picturesque fishing village of Beer, Beer Beach is a gorgeous family friendly shingle beach surrounded by limestone cliffs. This beach was once a smuggler's haven, but these days specially designed boats are launched from the beach by skilled fishers and mackerel fishing trips are available. There are popular coastal walks from Beer, take the South West Coast Path to Seaton, or venture further along towards Dorset. 

Seaton Beach, Seaton 

Seaton Beach is a large, mile-long pebble beach which overlooks Lyme Bay and is surrounded by beautiful countryside. Alongside the beach is the esplanade, which consists of the town at one end, and the River Axe at the other. The area is popular with swimmers and water sports-lovers as the water is calm and gently slopes; if you don’t have your own equipment, don’t worry as there are kayaks or paddleboards available for hire here. If you’d like to explore and discover more of the Jurassic Coastline, Seaton would be the ideal place as it’s home to the Jurassic Coast Visitor Centre. 

Haven Cliffs Naturist Beach, Axmouth 

East Devon is home to not one, but two naturist beaches. Whilst it’s not as secluded as Weston Beach, it’s more easily accessible, and just as beautiful. It sits on the east side of Seaton, separated by the mouth of the River Axe. Like most of the beaches along the East Devon coast, the beach is made up on pebble and shingle, and at low tide extensive rock pools are exposed. Above the beach, the South West Coast Path stretches over the cliffs all the way to Lyme Regis in Dorset. 

We love to see you enjoying our wonderful beaches so if you visit any, make sure to share your photos with us by tagging @VisitSouthDevon or using #VisitSouthDevon on Instagram.