Devon's Best-Kept Secret (That Everyone Knows About)
The South Hams is one of those places that people who live there do not want you to know about, and people who visit cannot stop talking about. This wedge of South Devon — bounded by Dartmoor to the north, Plymouth to the west, and the Dart estuary and Torbay to the east — is a patchwork of rolling green hills, tidal estuaries, hidden coves, ancient market towns, and some of the finest food in the South West.
At its heart sit two towns that between them capture the character of the region. Kingsbridge, at the head of the estuary, is a working market town with a farmers' market, a museum dedicated to the man who brought porcelain to Britain, and a waterfront pub where you can watch the tide come and go while eating sourdough pizza. Salcombe, at the estuary's mouth, is the sailing capital of Devon — all pastel-painted houses, seafood restaurants, and yachts bobbing in the harbour.
Around them, the South Hams unfolds in all its variety: Modbury, the world's first plastic-bag-free town; Dartington, a great estate with medieval halls, a gin school, and a cinema in a converted barn; the South Devon stretch of the coast path, mile after mile of dramatic clifftop walking; and Burgh Island, an art deco hotel on its own tidal island where Agatha Christie wrote two of her novels.
This is not a place you can see in a single visit. But you can have a very good start.
Kingsbridge: The Estuary Town
Kingsbridge sits at the head of the Kingsbridge Estuary — technically a ria, a drowned river valley — and is a friendly, busy market town in the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The estuary is a haven for wildlife, especially birdlife, and it changes dramatically with the tide: at high water it is a broad, calm sheet of silver; at low tide it reveals mudflats alive with waders and the kind of quiet activity that rewards patience and a pair of binoculars.
The town itself is handsome rather than showy, with the kind of independent shops, delicatessens, and galleries that suggest a community with good taste and the income to support it. The Kingsbridge Farmers' Market, held on the first and third Saturdays of each month, is the place to sample the local produce — freshly baked goods, artisan cheeses, seasonal vegetables, and cured meats from farms just up the road. It runs on The Quay from nine until one, so it is a morning outing rather than an all-day one.
The Cookworthy Museum
Housed in a former grammar school, the Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum tells the story of the town and the wider South Hams through collections of photographs, farm implements, costumes, and local artefacts. It is named after William Cookworthy, born in Kingsbridge in 1705, who was the first person in Britain to discover how to make true porcelain — the kind of fine, translucent pottery that had previously only been imported from China.
The museum is small and charming, the sort of place where you wander in expecting to stay for twenty minutes and leave an hour later with a considerably better understanding of rural Devon life. The costume gallery and the collection of historical photographs are particularly good. The museum runs a season from late March to the end of October, and closes at lunchtime on Saturdays — worth checking before you build a day around it. It is at 108 Fore Street.
The Crabshell Inn
On Embankment Road, a short stroll from the town centre, the Crabshell Inn has a waterfront location that is hard to beat. South-facing, with views across the estuary, it is the kind of pub where you sit outside with a pint and watch the boats while pretending you do not have a care in the world. The menu specialises in seafood but has choices for all tastes, including their renowned sourdough pizzas. It is owned by St Austell Brewery and takes care to source local and seasonal ingredients.
If you enjoy eating beside the water, you might appreciate our guide to the best fish and seafood restaurants in Exeter and Devon, which covers the wider county.
Salcombe: The Sailing Town
A few miles south of Kingsbridge, at the mouth of the estuary, Salcombe is Devon's answer to the Cote d'Azur — minus the traffic, plus the cream teas. This small town climbs up a steep hillside from the harbour, its pastel-painted houses and narrow streets giving it a faintly Mediterranean feel that is enhanced by the palm trees that thrive in the Gulf Stream climate.
Salcombe is famous for three things: sailing, seafood, and scenery. The estuary is one of the finest natural harbours in the South West, and the town has been a centre for sailing and boating for generations. The Salcombe Yacht Club hosts regattas throughout the summer, and on a sunny weekend the estuary is alive with sails.
Where to Eat in Salcombe
The seafood in Salcombe is exceptional, and the town holds its own oyster festival each September. Here are three places worth knowing about:
The Jetty at Salcombe Harbour Hotel is an all-day seafood restaurant and bar with panoramic views over the harbour. The seasonal menus use fish landed locally, and the setting — right on the waterfront, with the harbour spread out below — is outstanding.
Crab Shed Salcombe, on the fish quay at Gould Road, is a vibrant quayside restaurant specialising in hand-picked local crab meat, cooked and prepared on site. It is more casual than The Jetty, stylish but relaxed, and the crab is some of the best you will eat anywhere in Devon.
The Winking Prawn near North Sands beach is a popular, beachy-themed eatery with a diverse menu that includes seafood, barbecue options, and Devonshire cream teas. It is the kind of place where sand on your feet is perfectly acceptable.
Salcombe is very popular in summer, and parking can be challenging. If you are coming from Kingsbridge, consider leaving your car there and taking the ferry down the estuary — a lovely half-hour trip, and a far better first impression of the town than a car park. It runs April to October and its times shift with the tide, moving about an hour each day, so check the timetable before you plan lunch around it.
Beyond the Towns: South Hams Highlights
Modbury
A short drive west of Kingsbridge, Modbury is a heritage market town with a medieval market square surrounded by Georgian and Victorian buildings. It gained international attention in 2007 when it became the world's first plastic-bag-free town, and that spirit of independent thinking runs through the place. The town centre has independent boutiques, galleries, antique shops, a delicatessen, and a cluster of small businesses that give it a creative, self-sufficient feel.
Modbury is also a gateway to some excellent beaches. Bantham, Bigbury-on-Sea, and Thurlestone are all within a short drive, and the coast path connecting them offers some of the most beautiful walking in South Devon.
Dartington Estate
North of the South Hams, between Totnes and Buckfastleigh, Dartington Estate is a landscape that defies easy categorisation. At its heart is Dartington Hall, an ancient great hall surrounded by formal gardens, woodland walks, and a deer park. But Dartington is far more than a stately home.
The estate houses the Barn Cinema, a packed film programme in a restored medieval building; the Cider Press Centre, home to independent shops, craft galleries, and studios; and the White Hart restaurant, serving locally sourced food in the old dining hall. The Devon Gin School makes Elmhirst Gin exclusively for Dartington and offers bookable sessions where you can make your own bespoke bottle. The estate grounds are free to walk — check the current programme and opening arrangements on Dartington's own site before you set off.
Dartington represents something important about Devon's food and drink culture — the belief that producing, selling, and consuming good food should be part of the fabric of everyday life, not a luxury reserved for special occasions. As we explored in our guide to Devon's food, drink, and heritage, this philosophy runs deep in the county.
The South Devon Coast Path
The South West Coast Path passes through the South Hams for a long stretch of some of the most dramatic coastal walking in England. The coastline is characterised by secret coves, forested rivers, jagged cliffs, offshore islets, and tiny fishing villages with old stone quaysides. Highlights include:
Bolt Head — a wild, rocky headland south of Salcombe with sweeping views across the estuary and out to sea.
Prawle Point — the southernmost point of Devon, windswept and spectacular.
Start Bay — a long, gentle curve of shingle beach backed by the freshwater lagoon of Slapton Ley, a national nature reserve.
You do not need to be a serious walker to enjoy the coast path. Even a short stroll along the cliffs from any of the South Hams villages will give you views that make you feel grateful to live within reach of this landscape.
Burgh Island
Off the coast at Bigbury-on-Sea, Burgh Island is a tidal island accessible on foot at low tide and by sea tractor at high tide. The island is dominated by the Burgh Island Hotel, an art deco masterpiece restored to its thirties glamour. Agatha Christie stayed here and used the island as the setting for two of her novels: "And Then There Were None" and "Evil Under the Sun." Noel Coward, Edward VIII, and Winston Churchill were also guests.
You do not need to stay at the hotel to visit the island — the Pilchard Inn, an ancient pub on the island, is open to the public and serves food and drink. But the experience of crossing to the island, whether on foot across the sand or perched on the sea tractor as the waves roll beneath you, is an adventure in itself.
Burgh Island is accessible on foot for approximately two hours either side of low tide. The sea tractor runs when the causeway is submerged. Check tide times before visiting and allow plenty of time — getting stranded on a small island with an art deco hotel and a medieval pub is not the worst fate, but it may disrupt your plans.
Restaurants and Pubs Worth the Drive
The South Hams has an embarrassment of good places to eat and drink. Here are four that justify a detour:
The Millbrook Inn in South Pool sits at the end of a tranquil tidal creek on the Salcombe estuary and has a long-standing reputation as one of Devon's best gastropubs. They source the finest local ingredients from land and sea, including from their own farm, and prepare them simply and with love.
The Cricket Inn at Beesands, on Start Bay, is a haven for seafood lovers, with the freshest crab and mackerel sourced right from the pub's doorstep. They have a Josper oven that infuses dishes with a smoky flavour that is hard to resist.
The Journey's End in Ringmore is a medieval free house on the South Devon coast that manages to combine being a friendly village local with being a destination food pub. The building alone is worth the visit.
The Hope and Anchor in Hope Cove sits right on the waterfront, offering spectacular sea views alongside fresh seafood and local ales. On a summer evening, there are few better places in Devon to sit with a glass of something cold and watch the sun go down.
Day Trip vs Weekend: How to Plan
The Day Trip (from Exeter)
Kingsbridge is a little over an hour by car from Exeter on the A38 and A381, so set off early. A good day trip itinerary: drive to Kingsbridge and give the morning to the town — the farmers' market runs on the Quay on the first and third Saturdays, and both it and the Cookworthy Museum shut at one o'clock on a Saturday, so do those first and do not dawdle. Then drive to Salcombe for a seafood lunch. If you would rather take the ferry, check its timetable before you commit to a lunch booking: it runs April to October and its times move about an hour a day with the tide, so on some days it simply will not line up. Walk a stretch of the coast path from Salcombe towards Bolt Head in the afternoon, then wander the shops and have a cream tea before driving back via the A381 and A38.
By public transport, the journey is more involved. The most practical route is the train from Exeter to Totnes, then the Tally Ho! 164 bus from Totnes to Kingsbridge, which takes about half an hour. It runs roughly every two hours and thins out further on Sundays, so check the timetable both ways before committing — the last bus back is what decides how long you get in Salcombe.
The Weekend
If you can spare two days, the South Hams opens up considerably. Stay in Kingsbridge or Salcombe and use it as a base. Day one: explore both towns, eat well, walk the estuary. Day two: pick one direction. Either head north to Dartington for the morning — the Cider Press Centre, the gardens, lunch at the White Hart — or go west to Bigbury and Burgh Island, checking the tide times first so you know whether you are walking across or riding the sea tractor. Trying to do both means a lot of lane-driving for one day. If you enjoy walking, dedicate a half day instead to the coast path between Salcombe and Bolt Head — the views are unforgettable.
The South Hams is at its best in late spring (May and June) and early autumn (September). The weather is often warm enough for outdoor dining and swimming, the crowds are thinner than in July and August, and the landscape is at its most beautiful — wildflowers in spring, golden light in autumn.
The South Hams as a Social Destination
The South Hams is the kind of place that brings out the best in people. The combination of beautiful scenery, exceptional food, and a pace of life that actively discourages hurrying creates the conditions for proper connection. Whether you are walking the coast path with a close friend, sharing a seafood platter with colleagues at the Crabshell Inn, or exploring Dartington with family, the South Hams provides the setting; you provide the company.
And that, in the end, is what a good day out is about. Not ticking off attractions or collecting photographs, but being present with the people you care about in a place that makes being present easy. If you are looking for more ideas for group outings from Exeter, our guide to the best day trips from Exeter for groups and friends has plenty of options. But the South Hams is a very good place to start.