Good beaches are worth travelling for, and with two separate coastlines we’re blessed with plenty of choice – some more well known than others. Here are some of our favourites.

Ladram Bay
Parking: Paid – 5-minute walk – EX9 7BX
Facilities: Toilets, beach café, restaurant, entertainment complex and boat hire
Dog-friendly? Banned all year round
Visually defined by its red cliffs and unique red stacks just off the coast, Ladram Bay offers a beautiful sand and pebble beach with plenty of facilities for a full day out with the family. The red rocks make for an atmospheric sunset, complemented by exotic nature and turquoise waters. It’s a great sheltered spot for an evening picnic while enjoying the view!

Westward Ho!
Parking: Free and Paid – 2-5 minute walk – EX39 1HN
Facilities: Toilets at the car park, cafés, equipment hire and family entertainment
Dog-friendly? North end only.
Throwback to the traditional Devon beachside holiday location, and the only place name in the British Isles to include an exclamation mark! Here you’ll find sand, pebbles and striking rock ridges framing Blue Flag certified waters for excellent sea swimming. 

Jacob’s Ladder, Sidmouth
Parking: Paid – 2-5 minute walk – EX10 8RZ
Facilities: Connaught gardens nearby with ice cream kiosk, café and toilets
Dog-friendly? Between October 31st and April 1st
Sneak away from the majority of beach goers who stick with the main beach along Sidmouth’s promenade and instead venture along the level raised path to the western end of this gorgeous stretch of coastline. This mostly pebble beach is nestled below Connaught Gardens, which provides secondary access via the steps that give this beach its name, and stretches far to the west to give a much less crowded beach area, especially in the summer! With plenty of rock pools at low tide, this area is great for inquisitive children too.

Ness Cove, Shaldon
Parking: Paid – 5 minute walk – TQ14 0HP
Facilities: Toilets at the car park, shops in the town nearby
Dog-friendly? All year round!
The most secluded beach on this list is accessed via an original smugglers tunnel that runs from the Shaldon car park. Completely enclosed by the surrounding cliffs, you wouldn’t realise you’re just around the headland from the main Shaldon and Teignmouth beaches, and its smuggling history makes it a highly interesting cove to explore. With many steps through the tunnel and onto the beach itself, it’s not suitable for pushchairs or those that don’t want the climb back to the car!

Budleigh Salterton Beach
Parking: Paid – 1 minute walk – EX9 6ES
Facilities: Toilets at the car park 
Dog-friendly? All year round at either end of the beach. Banned from the centre between 1st May and 30th September.
Budleigh’s pebble beach with iconic tree cliff backdrop is one of the most accessible beaches in Devon, with a relatively level path coming straight from the corner of the car park and running across the top of the beach at the back. It’s a beach suited more to locals and nature lovers rather than straight-up sunbathers. Explore the Lower Otter Valley Restoration project happening behind while you’re there!