Torquay

The palm-lined seafront of the "English Riviera" and Agatha Christie's hometown, a base for Dartmouth, Brixham and Exeter.

Torquay lies on the south coast of Devon in south-west England and, together with Paignton and Brixham, wraps around Tor Bay to form the seaside resort area known as the "English Riviera". The climate is mild, the seafront is lined with palm trees, and it has been a favourite British holiday spot since Victorian times. The whole bay belongs to the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, with Kents Cavern and Berry Head among its key geological and archaeological sites. Torquay is also the hometown of the "Queen of Crime" Agatha Christie: the Agatha Christie Mile along the seafront, the Potent Plants Garden at Torre Abbey and Greenway, her holiday home, are must-sees for fans.

A visit divides into three areas: Torquay itself (the harbour, Princess Gardens, Cockington village, Kents Cavern, the Babbacombe Cliff Railway and the bay's beaches); the south of Tor Bay and the Dart Valley (Paignton Zoo, the steam railway, Brixham harbour, Berry Head, Greenway, Dartmouth and Totnes, which can be linked on the "Round Robin" by train, boat and bus); and Exeter, about 40 minutes' drive north (cathedral, Underground Passages, Quayside), along with the castles and estates of the Exe Estuary.

The best time to visit is May–September; July and August, during the school holidays, are the busiest and most expensive. Spring and autumn are quieter, with gardens and coast paths still pleasant, while some sights have shorter hours or close in winter. Getting there: about 3–3.5 hours by train from London Paddington (usually changing at Newton Abbot), and Exeter Airport has domestic and European flights; local buses and summer ferries connect the three towns. Allow 2–4 days. The South West Coast Path runs the length of the area and can be walked in sections.

Top sights

• Kents Cavern – One of Britain's most important prehistoric caves. It yielded the oldest modern human fossils in northwestern Europe and inspired Agatha Ch…
• Cockington Village – A thatched-cottage village hidden in a valley outside Torquay, with a blacksmith's forge, horse-drawn carriages and a manor with a lake. It…
• Brixham Harbour & Golden Hind – A colorful fishing port town, one of the highest-value fishing harbors in England, with a full-size replica of Drake's Golden Hind moored i…
• Greenway – Agatha Christie's holiday home overlooking the River Dart. The house retains the author's books and collections, and its garden is the sett…
• Dartmouth – A historic port town on the hillside at the mouth of the River Dart. Tudor-style timber houses, the Royal Naval College and boats on the ri…
• Exeter Cathedral – Home to the longest continuous Gothic stone vault in the world, with hundreds of medieval statues on its west front. It is considered a mas…
• Torquay Harbour & Princess Gardens – The palm-lined heart of the 'English Riviera', where a marina, subtropical gardens and the Agatha Christie Mile link together.
• Torre Abbey – Torquay's oldest building, a manor museum converted from a 12th-century abbey, with a 'Poison Garden' honouring Agatha Christie.
• Babbacombe Cliff Railway & Oddicombe Beach – The Babbacombe Cliff Railway, opened in 1926, carries passengers from the Babbacombe heights down to Oddicombe Beach below the red sandston…
• Babbacombe Model Village – A miniature England opened in 1963, with over a thousand small buildings and figures full of humorous details. It is a classic family attra…
• Anstey's Cove – A small bay framed by limestone cliffs and woodland, with clear water. It is a secret swimming and snorkelling beach for Torquay locals.
• Meadfoot Beach – A quiet beach east of Torquay Harbour, facing rocky islets and backed by Victorian villas, good for swimming and paddleboarding.
• Torquay Museum – Devon's oldest museum, founded in 1874, with finds from Kent's Cavern and an Agatha Christie gallery.
• Paignton Zoo – One of Britain's largest zoos, covering 80 acres and home to around 2,000 animals arranged by habitat.
• Dartmouth Steam Railway – A steam train running along the coast from Paignton to Kingswear, with sea and Dart estuary views, then a ferry across to Dartmouth.
• Berry Head National Nature Reserve – A limestone headland at the southern end of Torbay, with a Napoleonic-era fort, England's shortest lighthouse and seabird breeding cliffs.
• Dartmouth Castle – A 14th-century coastal fort guarding the mouth of the River Dart, one of England's earliest purpose-built gun fortresses.
• Blackpool Sands – A crescent-shaped private beach framed by pine trees, with turquoise water and fine shingle; often ranked among the best beaches in Britain.
• Totnes & Totnes Castle – An ancient market town on the upper River Dart, known for alternative culture and independent shops, with a Norman castle overlooking the t…
• Exeter's Underground Passages – England's only medieval underground water passages open to the public, reached through narrow stone tunnels where you must stoop to pass.
• Exeter Quayside – A historic quayside on the River Exe, lined with a 17th-century customs house, antique shops and cafés, with canal cycling and boat trips o…
• Royal Albert Memorial Museum – Exeter's main museum, with free displays on Devon archaeology, world cultures, natural history and art.
• Powderham Castle – A medieval castle on the Exe estuary, home to the Earls of Devon's Courtenay family for over 600 years, with beautiful deer parkland and es…
• A La Ronde – A sixteen-sided cottage built in the late 18th century by two cousins, inspired by their travels in Europe, with a shell gallery and feathe…

Where to eat

• The Elephant – A Michelin one-star restaurant beside Torquay harbour. Chef Simon Hulstone has held the star for 20 consecutive years…
• Number 7 Fish Bistro – A long-established seafood bistro in a Regency-era terrace by the harbour. Its chalkboard menu lists the day's Brixham…
• Waddling Duck @ Hamiltons – A modern British bistro on the clifftop grass at Babbacombe, with sea views. Its duck breast and weekday set menus have…
• Orange Tree Torquay – An elegant restaurant within walking distance of the harbour, now run by Vittorio Melis, serving modern Italian and Med…
• Hanburys Fish and Chips – A well-known fish and chip shop in Babbacombe, founded in 1981, which has won the South West's Best Fish and Chip Shop…

Itineraries

• Devon & Cornwall Coastal Loop – Departing from Exeter, loop through Dartmoor, the South and North Cornwall coasts, and Land's End.