Babbacombe Beach

Babbacombe Beach is a small shingle cove below steep, densely wooded cliffs in the Babbacombe area of Torquay, reached by a very steep and narrow single-track road through the trees or via a coast path walk from Walls Hill above. The cove is sheltered and quiet, popular with local anglers and sailors who use it as a mooring, and the Cary Arms hotel sits directly above the beach with a terrace that overlooks the water. The Three Degrees West cafe serves food and has a dog-friendly outdoor terrace, making it one of the more practical combinations of beach access and refreshments on this stretch of coast. At low tide the beach is rocky and good for crab hunting; at higher states of tide it narrows but remains accessible.

Dogs are welcome at Babbacombe Beach year round with no seasonal restrictions, putting it in a different category from neighbouring Oddicombe Beach which operates a summer ban. The parking is limited and the access road is genuinely steep and challenging for larger vehicles, so arriving early in season is advisable. Walls Hill car park above provides an alternative starting point if the beach car park is full, with a walk down through the woods. The coast path connects Babbacombe to Oddicombe in one direction and to Anstey's Cove in the other, giving options for extending the outing along the cliff.