Holbeton Beaches
If you’re looking for a beach which is totally unspoilt and untouched by tourism, a beach which is perfect for a romantic picnic, sublime for wild swimming and excellent for watersports. A beach of childhood dreams and safe for children… look no further, we have some hidden gems up our sleeves. Holbeton beaches are all the above with plenty of parking and a charming Italian style cafe/restaurant (open all day) and loos. Admittedly they involve a short walk but they are pushchair friendly, and who doesn’t like to improve their step count? Our Holbeton beaches have to be some of the best!
Mothecombe Beach (Meadowsfoot)
Mothecombe beach is idyllic. The beach of childhood dreams. If you’re looking to escape the rat race and chill out on the sands, Mothecombe delivers! Pretty much untouched and void of development since the 19th century, this sheltered cove at the mouth of the River Erme Estuary. Needless to say it’s perfect for children with gently shelving sands leading down to the water. If you’re looking for activities; take the paddleboard, kayak or bodyboard and get out on the water or plunge in for a spot of wild swimming. Kids will love scrambling over the rocks to the rockpools with a net and bucket or building sandcastles and waiting for the moat to fill up on the incoming tide.
Facilities
- Mothecombe car park in a designated field and is open daily, (last entry at 5pm and gates will be closed and locked at 7pm)
- charges: From April 1st – September 30th £6 per day (£3 after 3pm). Pay parking attendant on entry.
- schoolhouse cafe/ bistro
- public toilets at the schoolhouse
- book an early morning beach fitness session
Access : Park at the beach car park, turn left and cross into a field, follow the gravel path through the woods down to the beach. Suitable for prams.
Mothecombe is privately owned by the Flete Estate and is open daily to the public. Dogs are welcome from the 1st October to 30th April.
We love – an afternoon of paddle boarding and a picnic on the sands… this Rupert Bear beach is the best!
Photo credit: Visit Plymouth
Coastguards Beach
Just around the corner from Mothecombe Beach is Coastguards Beach, a vast expanse of sand which stretches for half a mile at low tide. Straddling the River Erme close to the mouth, this magnificent tidal beach is perfect for kids (and dogs) to let off steam and splash in the river shallows down to the sea. A great place for paddle boarding, kayaking and bodyboarding with easy access to a slipway. Explore the estuary at low tide with its hidden coves and rock pools. It’s also possible to cross the river onto Wonwell Beach at lopw tide (between the two slipways which is part of the South West Coastal Path route.)
Facilities
- Park at the Mothecombe car park in a designated field and is open daily, (last entry at 5pm and gates will be closed and locked at 7pm)
- charges: From April 1st – September 30th £6 per day (£3 after 3pm). Pay parking attendant on entry.
- School House cafe/ bistro for takeaway and eat ins
- public toilets at the schoolhouse
Access
Park at the beach car park, exit through the gate and turn left to walk down the lane which is narrow and quite steep. At the bottom of the hill you’ll reach the breach. There are a couple of bollards but allows good access for horse riding, wheelchairs, prams and water sports kit.
We love – this vast beach is easy to access with the kids, perfect for a big family picnic and a splash about in the shallows at low tide – amazing!
Wonwell Beach
Wonwell Beach
You can access Wonwell Beach at low tide from Coastguards Beach by crossing the River Erme between the two slipways. The beach is beautiful and mirrors Coastguards, look upstream and you’ll see an old lime kiln on the sands, (constructed between 1700-1850 and in use until the early 20th century). This is a great spot for birdwatching. Parking on this side of the river is very restricted, especially during weekends and holidays so we wouldn’t recommend driving to Wonwell. The South West Coastal Path crosses the river, this is a fabulous walk which, heading east, leads on to Beacon Point and the beautiful Ayrmer Cove, an otherwise relatively inaccessible beach accessed only by footpaths.
Facilities and access
- Recommend parking at the Mothecombe car park and crossing the river at low tide. Parking on the lane leading down to Wonwell is restricted and can often get congested.
- there are no facilities on the beach
We love – dog walking at low tide, this such a fabulous expanse of sand for the pooch to let off steam and get very wet and sandy!
Wembury Beach
This beautiful beach is owned by the National Trust and is very popular with families. It’s the perfect spot for rock pooling too. The Marine Conservation Centre offers educational rockpool rambles to help you identify the molluscs lurking within. Wembury is perfect for children with a gently shelving beach and generally good quality sea water.
Facilities
- park by the church just up from the beach
- beach side refreshment kiosk and café/restaurant
- toilets
- Wembury Beach is dog friendly between 1 October and 30 April
Access
- Wembury Beach PL9 0JG
- just a short walk from the carpark to the beach
We love – Relaxing with on the beach with a flask of tea and a book
Photo credit: Visit Plymouth