East Devon has rail links to London, via a four-hour train ride from the nearest railway station at Exmouth, while the nearest airport is in Exeter 10 miles away. There are no large hotels in the town, but visitors can find accommodation in small family-run hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. Camping and caravan parks, such as the award-winning Ladram Bay, offer a fresh air experience. Dining options in the town are modest, but no visitor should leave without sampling the sumptuous Devon cream tea, a local specialty.
Looming red cliffs in Red Devonian Sandstone bookend the town on either side, linked by an esplanade that runs the length of the cliff base at the back of the beach. The town beach stretches for 2.5 miles from Littleham Cove to Otterhead. The entire beach is covered in flat pebbles, which are great for skimming off the waves, but of no interest to those hoping to build sandcastles. Bathing, however, is safe, and the conditions clean. Beach-side cafes provide refreshments and snacks, and families can rent the quaint beach huts by the day.
The beach is a popular spot with windsurfers, surfers, sea kayakers and snorkelers, and is part of the South West Clean Sweep scheme that aims to improve water quality. While there is no lifeguard on duty, the currents only are hazardous around the mouth of the River Otter. There are toilets and facilities for the physically challenged by Lime Kiln car park in the town center. Dogs are banned from the beach during the summer months, and bins must be used at all other times. The far west of the beach beyond the Steamer Steps is clothing optional, and is marked by two signs announcing the area. Privacy is guaranteed thanks to the sheer red cliffs behind the beach.
The beach’s unique pebbles originally came from the cliffs, and formed the “Budleigh Salterton Pebble Bed” before erosion set them loose. The pebbles were deposited by an ancient river in the Triassic period, having started the journey in the area now known as Brittany in France. Budleigh Salterton’s pink pebbles are found nowhere else in the UK, and heavy fines can be levied on anyone who tries to remove them. The South West Coast path runs the entire length of the Jurassic Coast, but one of the best ways to see the cliffs is to take a boat tour starting in Exmouth.
