The word ‘awesome’ is most definitely over-used but when it comes to visiting Salcombe there are certain things that can always be relied upon to be a jaw-droppingly joyful experience. Book your luxury Salcombe holiday home with us and enjoy five things that will rock your world while visiting Salcombe.
A drink with a view
This is one of those things that continues to be awesome no matter how many times you experience it. The Ferry Inn is a pub not dissimilar to any other, but it has one distinguishing feature that makes it a go-to destination on every visit to Salcombe – the view.
The beer garden at this pub hangs over the water, not only making it the best place to watch the fireworks during the summer’s town regatta but also somewhere to perch with a pint whenever the sun is shining. Just wrap up warm and try your level best to get a seat as close to the wall as possible. Failing that, just sit on the wall itself. If you can add scampi and chips into the equation then you will be one happy bunny.
Freshly baked croissants
I defy you to find a better start to the day than walking into Salcombe as the smell of freshly baked croissants wafts down Fore Street. Follow the scent and it will lead you to The Bake House (formerly The Upper Crust) where you can pick up a paper bag full of them straight out of the oven before the rest of the world has woken up.
The combination of sea air, seagull song and the distinct smell of butter following you home is the sort of thing that unparalleled joy is made from. Remember that this really is a case of the early bird catches the croissant – you’re going to have to get there in a timely fashion to avoid the queue or get the hot ones. Grab the morning paper on your way back and if you’re feeling particularly decadent then treat yourself to a croissant of the chocolate variety.
Sandy Salcombe Dairy ice cream
If you have been to Salcombe even once before then you will know that the Salcombe Dairy ice cream is not to be missed. Even for those who are not usually fans of ice cream, this will change your mind. This ice-cream is produced in Salcombe using milk that comes straight from the farm first thing each morning. The double cream used comes from the creamery in mid-Devon.
Favourite flavours vary from rum and raisin to honeycomb, mint chocolate chip, or a classic strawberry.
It has won lots of awards and Salcombe Dairy Ice-cream has earned some air miles. Not only is it on the menu at the Dorchester Hotel in London, but it also flies as far as New Zealand and Singapore on both countries national airlines!
You simply must try an ice-cream to understand the hype. You can find the factory along Island Street, and a Salcombe Dairy ice-cream parlour in the centre of town opposite the butchers.
To do this properly however you will have to eat it on the beach, which usually has the added effect of somehow meaning that you get a sprinkling of sand on your chosen ice cream. No, I don’t know how it happens either, but it is a factor that is unerringly reminiscent of childhood, so only adds to the charm of the experience.
Catching crustaceans
Crabbing is pretty much a rite of passage in Salcombe. It is one of the greatest summer spectacles to see families lined up along the quay with their lines and bait in hand and expectant buckets filled with water by their feet.
It must be a bit of a rollercoaster for those little crabs – what they go through for a piece of bacon! For us on dry land however, it is a game of suspense all the way up until the line has been brought over the wall with the day’s catch. It is constantly surprising when you walk past as a spectator and see buckets filled with the little (and sometimes not so little) creatures and the proud little boys and girls as they crouch by their bounty and leave mum and dad to hold the line.
Walking on air
There are so many beautiful walks in the area that you can do when visiting Salcombe that it seems a little callous to pick just one. Nonetheless, this remains a favourite. From South Sands, walk past Overbecks and along the coast all the way round to Hope Cove. It is a full afternoon’s worth of entertainment, and if you were to take a picnic then you could happily make a day of it.
The stretch takes you through fields and onto the beaches if you choose. There are some pretty steep inclines, which take you to what feels like the top of the world, and at the end of it you are entirely justified in ordering a hearty meal at the Hope and Anchor Inn. Just make sure that you arrive in time before they stop serving food!