South Devon's Best Beaches and Coastal Walks: How to Stay Safe in the Sun This Summer

South Devon gets more sunshine than almost anywhere in Britain. The stretch of coast between Plymouth and Dartmouth regularly records over 1,700 hours of sun a year, and the UV index along these beaches can reach 7 during peak summer, high enough to burn unprotected skin within 15 to 20 minutes. That combination of reliable sunshine and genuine UV strength makes South Devon one of the best parts of the country for outdoor summer holidays, and one of the worst places to forget your sun protection.
We run equatorsun, a UK-based brand specialising in UPF 50+ sun protection clothing and swimwear, and a good number of our customers are either based in Devon or holiday there every year. So we thought it would be useful to put together a guide to some of the best outdoor days out in South Devon, and explain how to actually enjoy them without coming home red, peeling, and miserable.
Bantham Beach and the Avon Estuary
If you only visit one beach this summer, make it Bantham. Sitting at the mouth of the River Avon in the South Hams, Bantham is a wide arc of golden sand that Lonely Planet once ranked among Europe's top ten beaches. The estuary end is shallow and warm, perfect for children to wade about safely. The open sea end picks up proper Atlantic swell, and Bantham Surfing Academy runs lessons for beginners right on the beach.
A few things to know before you go: parking is contactless only and costs £11 for a full day from July onwards, though the price drops through the afternoon. The car park holds over 1,000 cars but fills by mid-morning during school holidays, so arrive early. The Gastrobus at the edge of the car park does good coffee and bacon sandwiches, and the Sloop Inn in the village is a two-minute walk away. Dogs are not allowed on the main beach between May and September, but they can use the river beach year-round.
You will spend hours here in the full sun. The sand reflects UV back up at you, the sea does the same, and there is almost no natural shade on the beach itself. If you are spending a full day at Bantham with children, UPF 50+ swimwear is genuinely one of the easiest ways to keep them protected without constantly reapplying sun cream everywhere. Something any parent who has tried to get factor 50 onto a sandy, wriggling toddler will understand.
Blackpool Sands and the Start Bay Coastline
A ten-minute drive from Dartmouth, Blackpool Sands is a sheltered, Blue Flag-rated shingle beach with some of the clearest water in Devon. It sits inside a steep, wooded valley, which gives it a sheltered, almost Mediterranean feel on calm days. The beachfront café at the back of the beach is excellent, and there are kayaks and paddleboards for hire.
From Blackpool Sands you can walk sections of the South West Coast Path in either direction. Follow the coast path towards Strete and you get dramatic cliff-top views across Start Bay, with Slapton Sands, a wild shingle barrier beach with a freshwater lake behind it, stretching out below you. This is proper exposed coastal walking, with little shade even on overcast days, so a sun hat with UPF 50+ protection is worth having on any walk longer than half an hour between May and September.
Salcombe and East Portlemouth
Salcombe needs no introduction to anyone who has been before, but plenty of visitors miss the beaches on the opposite side of the estuary. The foot ferry from Salcombe runs regularly across to East Portlemouth, where you will find Fisherman's Cove, Small's Cove, and Mill Bay, three quiet, sandy beaches that rarely get truly crowded even at the height of August. The walking between them is short and flat enough for families with young children.
Spending a day on these west-facing coves gives you full sun exposure through the afternoon and into the evening. The trick is to stay aware of the time. Most sunburn happens between 11am and 3pm when UV is at its strongest.
The Coast Path from Thurlestone to Hope Cove
If Bantham is your morning beach, this is your afternoon walk. From the car park at South Milton Sands (National Trust, free for members), pick up the South West Coast Path heading south towards Hope Cove. The route runs about a mile along open cliff tops, passing Thurlestone Rock, a natural arch of distinctive red breccia that juts out of the sea and has been the landmark of this stretch of coast for centuries.
The walking is mostly gentle by coast path standards, with no serious scrambles. You pass through sheep fields and along grassy cliff edges with views out to Burgh Island and beyond. In late spring the cliff tops are thick with wildflowers and thrift.
What catches people off guard is the sun exposure. There is no tree cover along this entire stretch. On a hot July or August day you are walking in direct sunlight for a solid half hour or more, often with a warm sea breeze that makes you feel cooler than you actually are. That breeze does nothing to reduce UV. If anything, it stops you noticing how much sun you are getting until it is too late.
Hope Cove itself is worth the walk. Inner Hope is a tiny harbour village with a square of thatched cottages, a slipway, and the old lifeboat station tucked away from the wind. Outer Hope has a sandy beach at low tide and the Hope and Anchor pub right by the water. You can catch a local bus back to Kingsbridge, or walk the route in reverse if you have got the legs for it.
A Note on Sun Safety
According to Cancer Research UK, more than 86% of melanoma skin cancers in Britain are preventable. The British Association of Dermatologists recommends UPF-rated clothing as a first line of defence against UV, particularly for prolonged outdoor exposure and for children, whose skin is thinner and more vulnerable to UV damage than adult skin.
You do not need to wrap yourself head to toe or avoid the outdoors. But if you are spending full days on Devon's beaches or walking exposed stretches of the coast path, combining sun cream with proper UV protective clothing makes a real difference, especially with children.
South Devon is one of the most beautiful corners of England. Just come prepared.

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