10 Quiet Beaches in Devon: Remote, Beautiful Places to Escape the Crowds
Updated: Sep 2
Devon has plenty of famous beaches, but you don't always have to join the summer crowds to enjoy the county's extraordinary coastline.
Some of the best beaches in Devon are reached only after a walk, lie beneath cliffs or at the end of a narrow lane, and can feel remarkably remote once you've left the car behind.
I've picked out ten of my favourite quieter beaches and coves, stretching from the wild North Devon coast and Exmoor to the cliffs and sandy coves of South Devon. Some are easy enough to reach; others demand a bit of effort. That's often precisely why they're quieter.
1 - Sillery Sands, Lynmouth
Struggling around the base of the North Devon Foreland at sea-level is one of the West Country’s great coastal challenges. I did it once with the late Kester Webb who was an expert coastal climber renown along this littoral.
Looking at the place from the other side of the bay – from the comfortable window seat of one of Lynmouth’s pubs – there is only one word for such an adventure. Mad. But when you go along with the highly experienced Mr Webb – then all is safe and all is possible.
2. Soar Mill Cove, near Salcombe
Soar Mill Cove is one of those South Devon places that feels considerably more remote than it actually is.
The little sandy cove lies below the cliffs of the Bolt Head coastline and is reached on foot. The walk is part of the attraction: by the time you arrive, you've left the roads and most of the paraphernalia of the modern seaside behind.
The setting is magnificent, with high cliffs and open countryside surrounding a small sweep of sand. It is the sort of place where the journey is as important as the destination.
For those who don’t know the wonderful Soar Mill Cove Hotel in South Devon, it is located at the top of a small remote valley that drops down to one of the most picture perfect beaches you’ll find anywhere on this peninsula - which really is saying something because the West Country boasts some of the nicest beaches and coves in all of Northern Europe.
The rocky, magnificent, more-or-less empty coastline, which runs seven miles from the Salcombe estuary in the east to the village of Hope Cove in the west, is widely regarded as one of the finest stretches of littoral in the country. And there is only one building or establishment of any size along this lonely section of coast, and it is the Soar Mill Cove Hotel.
Why go: a beautiful sandy cove reached by a proper coastal walk.
3. Scabbacombe, near Brixham
Scabbacombe is one of those beaches that rewards people prepared to make the effort.
Hidden away on the South Devon coast between Brixham and Kingswear, it is reached by walking down from the surrounding countryside. The approach helps preserve the feeling that you've discovered somewhere rather than simply arrived at another Devon resort.
The beach is backed by steep countryside and cliffs, and the combination of clear water, rocks and surrounding greenery makes it particularly attractive.
The National Trust describes both Scabbacombe and nearby Man Sands as peaceful beaches that are worth the walk to reach.
At the car park we found the little path that descends a grassy valley to the coast at Scabbacombe Sands. One or two naked people were draped decorously around this remote beach, which is presumably a favourite place with naturists.
We had a quick swim before head south along the coast path around Scabbacombe Head to begin a two-and-a-half mile roller coaster of a walk that tok us all the way to Inner Froward Point.
Great walking it is too, if you don't mind the ups and downs, because the path offers a variety of views - both vast and sweeping, and intimate. One minute you are atop some windswept heath looking at the great vista of Start Bay, culminating far to the south at Start Point - the next you are down close to the tumbling waves, surrounded by cliffs and delighting in the unexpected sight of half-dozen violets peeping from a grassy nook in the rocks.
Why go: an unspoilt beach where the walk keeps the crowds away.
4. Ness Cove, Shaldon
Ness Cove is a rather different proposition because its great attraction is the way you get there.
For a start, if you haven’t got a boat you can only reach it by a genuine smugglers’ tunnel - which, to me, puts any beach well inside the romantic hush-hush zone.When you are a child there is a world of difference between, say, being introduced to a beach that lies under a resort’s promenade or beyond a car park, and a small exciting bit of littoral that you must enter the bowels of the earth in order to reach. As far as I can make out, no one really knows who had the lengthy tunnel dug through the soft red sandstone of Shaldon’s enigmatic Ness headland.
All the tourist literature I’ve seen claims it was burrowed by local smugglers, which seems reasonable as half the coves in these parts seem to have some kind of connection to the art of illegal importing.
The little beach below Shaldon's red cliffs is reached through the historic Smugglers Tunnel. Emerging from the tunnel with the beach and sea ahead gives the place an almost theatrical quality.
It is close to the civilisation of Shaldon and Teignmouth, yet the cliffs make it feel surprisingly secluded.
Why go: the tunnel, the red cliffs and the feeling of discovering a secret beach.
5. Lannacombe Beach
Lannacombe is a small, beautifully positioned cove on the South Devon coast, close to Start Point.
It has the combination that makes so many of Devon's less-known beaches special: a strip of sand, rocky edges, green countryside and no great resort development around it.
It is also part of a superb section of the South West Coast Path. The effort involved in getting here is one reason it can retain its peaceful character, although on a fine summer day you shouldn't expect to have the place entirely to yourself.
A secluded beach with golden sand, rocky outcrops, and clear waters, making it ideal for a peaceful getaway. Surrounded by scenic farmland, this small, unspoiled cove offers a charming escape with minimal crowds. Lannacombe is perfect for families, swimmers, and those seeking a relaxing day by the sea, with beautiful coastal walks nearby to explore the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Its uncommercialised atmosphere adds to its appeal as a hidden gem along the coast.
Why go: beautiful sand, clear water and a wonderfully rural setting.
6. Speke's Mill Mouth, Hartland
This is the wild one.
Speke's Mill Mouth, on the Hartland coast, is a dramatic place where cliffs, rocks, sea and waterfall come together. The waterfall dropping towards the beach is one of the great sights of this rugged stretch of the Devon coastline.
This isn't somewhere I'd recommend if what you're after is an easy family beach with facilities close at hand. It is much more about the landscape — and the walk required to experience it.
The surrounding Hartland coastline is among the most spectacular in Devon, and the South West Coast Path provides the means of exploring it.
This beach near Hartland is a wild, rugged cove surrounded by steep cliffs and a stunning waterfall that cascades onto the beach. With a mix of sand, pebbles, and rock pools, this beach offers a dramatic coastal landscape perfect for adventurous visitors. The scenic walking trails along the South West Coast Path provide breathtaking views of the Atlantic waves crashing against the cliffs.
Why go: wild scenery and one of Devon's most dramatic coastal waterfalls.
7. Man Sands, near Brixham
Man Sands is another South Devon beach that makes you work a little for your reward.
The beach lies below rolling green countryside and is reached on foot, helping to keep it considerably quieter than the big beaches around Torbay.
There is a mixture of sand, shingle and rocks, while the surrounding landscape gives it that wonderful feeling of being somewhere well away from the English Riviera — despite actually being fairly close to Brixham. Certainly if you walk down to lonely Mans Sands you will feel far from life's modern merry-go-round – despite the fact that you will have probably seen the massive urban conurbation of Torbay from the tops of the hills which loom behind this secret seaside.
You could describe the deep valley which plays host to Man Sands as one of the most fascinating places in the region and it is certainly attracting the attentions of scientists and geographers. Why? Because it is a place where the trust is overseeing what scientists call “managed retreat”.
Where farmers had for decades drained the low fields at the sea end of the valley as best they could for agricultural purposes, there is now a rapidly changing wetland area.
Some years ago the trust decided to allow Mother Nature to have her wicked way – partly because the charity began the question the wisdom of constantly bolstering up the beach to keep seawater out of the fields.
Why go: a peaceful beach within easy reach of Brixham but with a much wilder character.
8. Heddon's Mouth, Exmoor
Heddon's Mouth is one of my favourite places on the North Devon coast — and it is the walk down the valley that makes the experience.
The River Heddon cuts through an extraordinary wooded valley before reaching the sea, with enormous cliffs rising on either side. Eventually the trees give way to the open coast and the pebbly beach at the mouth of the river.
The National Trust describes the beach as a hidden gem reached by roughly a mile's walk through Heddon Valley.
And there is another reason to make the journey: Hunters Inn sits at the bottom of the valley, making this one of those rare remote coastal walks where you can reward yourself afterwards.
Why go: one of the great combinations of Devon walking, wild coastline and good food and drink.
9. Salcombe Regis Mouth
Just east of Sidmouth, Salcombe Regis Mouth is a quieter corner of the East Devon coast.
The beach sits beneath steep cliffs and feels a world away from the bustle of Sidmouth. There is little in the way of conventional seaside infrastructure here, which is part of its attraction.
The red cliffs and surrounding countryside give this section of coast a distinctive East Devon character, and walkers can combine a visit with exploration of the South West Coast Path.
Why go: red cliffs, solitude and a taste of the wilder East Devon coast.
10. Weston Mouth
And finally, one of my favourite lonely stretches of the Devon coast: Weston Mouth, east of Branscombe.
This is not a beach for anyone looking for an easy stroll from a car park. The approach involves a proper climb and descent on the coast path — and if you return along the beach, the shingle makes the going surprisingly hard.
But that effort is exactly why Weston Mouth retains its sense of isolation.
I've written about the walk from Branscombe to Weston Mouth separately, and it is one of the best ways to experience this extraordinary section of the East Devon coast. The basic route takes you west from Branscombe Mouth along the coast path before returning along the beach if the tide permits.
Why go: solitude, dramatic cliffs and one of Devon's best coastal walks.
Devon's quieter beaches are worth the effort
The best thing about these beaches is that none of them really feels like a conventional seaside resort. Some require a long walk. Some demand a steep descent. Others are hidden behind cliffs or reached through a tunnel. That is precisely the point. If you're prepared to leave the easy-access beaches behind, Devon still has plenty of places where you can sit beside the sea and feel as though you've escaped the crowds. And for me, that's often when Devon is at its best.
The last one is Salcombe Regis Mouth, just east of Sidmouth. A serene, less-frequented beach where steep, wooded cliffs meet the English Channel. With striking red sandstone, shingle, and scenic walking trails nearby, it's a perfect spot for a quiet, natural escape.
