Dartmouth - Family Fun
The sea and Sand
The South Hams area of Devon features many of the cleanest beaches in the UK, in particular the award winning
Blackpool Sands around 10 mins drive from the Pottery, with a
great café, sheltered swimming and canoe hire. A little further is the 3 mile stretch of
Slapton sands - less crowded, but with excellent fish and chips at Torcross.
There are several unspoilt beaches which can be reached on foot along the
South West Coast Path which runs round the coast of Devon, passing Dartmouth Castle.
Other beaches which are worth a visit include
Man Sands (a remote sandy haven across the ferry near Brixham),
Hope Cove (popular for swimming, scuba diving and boating) or the vast sandy beaches at Bantham and
Bantham (very Popular with surfers, kite fliers, kite boarders, and anyone who likes
making sand castles). Remember to
check for low tide to ensure maximum sand area!
Away from the Beach
If the beaches, the boats and the sea are not enough, the
Woodlands leisure park, 5 miles outside Dartmouth is a great day out for families. Opposite Woodlands is
Dartmouth Golf and Country Club, where you can escape for a game, or just pamper yourself in the health spa. Day Spa packages are also available at
Dart Marina.
Out on the water,
River Link offer a variety of trips upriver, out to sea or along the coast to watch the wildlife. Kids can easily spend a whole morning making friends
and catching crabs along the quayside Crabbing, or for a greater variety of wildlife, try
Paignton zoo.
The highlight of the year is
Dartmouth Royal Regatta, each August bank holiday week, with tours of navy ships,
a fun fair, food stalls, air displays and fireworks.
Kingswear and Paignton to Dartmouth Railway
The views across the river from the quayside would not be the same, without the pretty village of
Kingswear with a marina of boats of all sizes, and the famous
Paignton to Dartmouth Railway. Apart from Paignton itself, you can get off at Goodrington Sands right next to
Quay West Waterpark to get wet and wild or stop and try the
Go-Karts if you get out at Churston.
The "round robin" ticket is very popular with our guests: Take the ferry to Kingswear, then the
train to Paignton, an open top bus to Totnes and then a boat back downriver to Dartmouth. For steam addicts, the
South Devon Steam Railway running from nearby Totnes up to Buckfastleigh on the edge of Dartmoor.
Rainy Days
Yes, it does rain in Dartmouth occasionally.... Fortunately, Dartmouth now has its own independent cinema: at the
Flavel Arts Centre, (there is also a larger
Apollo Multiplex in Torbay - just a short walk from the end of the steam train!)
Get creative at
China Blue in Totnes, where you can choose from a huge variety of ceramics to paint yourself. Their cafe serves excellent cream teas and the gift shop is
full of interest.
It is worth noting that
Woodlands leisure park still operates a limited number of indoor play areas even in winter, and for wildlife lovers, there is still a lot to do on a dull day at
Living Coasts in Torquay or further afield at the
Plymouth National Aquarium.
Here is our YouTube selection of activities around Dartmouth :
