
Things to do in Hope Cove
The picturesque fishing village of Hope Cove lies in the shelter of Bolt Tail in Bigbury Bay. Hope Cove is an idyllic holiday retreat offering charming thatched cottages, pristine sandy beaches, and a peaceful atmosphere. Choose to sit back and watch the tide go out and come in with a locally brewed beer in hand, or get active and explore the coastline from the water.

Fancy a paddle and a picnic?
Hope Cove’s beaches are lapped by gin-clear waters, it’s even been named by the Marine Conservation Society as one of the recommended beaches in 2022 with the water quality designation as excellent. Mouthwell Sands in Outer Hope Cove is a beautiful sandy beach with RNLI lifeguards present during the summer months so it’s perfect for young children to paddle and build sandcastles.
Find your sea legs!
If you love watersports head to the beach at Inner Hope for easy access to the sands via the slipway alongside the old RNLI station. This popular playground is great for dinghy sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding and wild swimming.
Minibeasts and molluscs on a seashore safari… armed with just a bucket and spade, the kids will love uncovering a thriving habitat. Just take a peek beneath the swathes of seaweed around the rockpools and you’ll find scuttling crabs, limpets, shrimps and snails.


Hike along the coast path.
This is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a stroll or a hike along the South West Coast Path is a real treat. The track clings to the rugged coastline as it passes through Hope Cove so follow the trail in either direction and look out for pods of dolphins, seals and varied birdlife; this coastal landscape is home to herring and black-headed gulls, cormorants, ravens and gannets. South Milton is about a 20-minute walk and Salcombe, 8 miles in the other direction, is a little more strenuous, via Bolt Tail, Soar Mill Cove and Bolt Head.