The South Hams

The South Hams is only a few miles away and is recognised as being a great place to visit on a day out.

Although the main administrative town is Totnes, there are other towns which are probably more popular for visitors, especially those on holiday. We can suggest some great days out from your Torquay base that will give you a flavour of both the hustle and bustle and tranquility experienced by this region.

The South Hams has the estuary towns of Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Salcombe, all well known as places to enjoy fine food and local shopping, not to mention their popularity with boat owners and fishermen.

There are some magnificient beaches such as Beesands and Slapton Sands, which stretches for miles to the rocks reaching around to Start Point.

If you want a great day out (without the car), take a trip to Paignton and catch the Steam Train to Kingswear and then the Ferry to Dartmouth. You could then take a ferry all the way back around Berry Head to Torquay Harbour. This can all be organised through a single ticket from Riverlink Cruises.

If you want to drive, you can extend your visit to other parts of the South Hams, such as Totnes, the crossing point of the River Dart by car. This ancient town is full of interesting shops and is haven for artists and “alternatives”.  From here you can drive further onto Dartmouth or Kingsbridge and then Salcombe or one of the smaller places such as Hope Cove which has some great places to stay. Around the headland from Dartmouth are the beaches mentioned earlier and are certainly recommended!  Then stop at Torcross, next to Slapton Ley for a pint and crab sandwiches and read the history of the area in WW11 and why there is a tank there!

Or you may wish to reach into Dartmoor, as some of this area is still in the South Hams, or you can drive down to Plymouth, one of the region’s larger cities, which is about 30 minutes away from Totnes.

Many people drive to Dartmouth via Kingswear and take the higher or lower ferry, park their car and then take a local ferry up the Dart to Totnes or more local villages such as Dittisham or across the river to Agatha Christie’s home.

To see a more of a description of the South Hams and its towns please visit our Dartmouth site.