A guide to Summer in Salcombe 2026
Picture this: you reach the peak of the hill, and suddenly the estuary opens out below you, silver-blue and wide, and you instantly get why people fall for Salcombe (and keep coming back). In summer, that magic is dialled up to eleven: bunting flutters, ferries cross, and absolutely everything is within a 15-minute walk.
What's Coming Up
Salcombe Town Regatta
25 July – 1 August 2026
This is the week Salcombe exists for. Sailing and rowing races, raft races, the famous harbour swim, and that is before you get to the greasy pole contest, mud races, sandcastle competitions and the Thursday night firework display over the estuary. Friday brings the crabbers' race: fishing boats from Salcombe and neighbouring harbours doing a circuit of the estuary in full fancy dress, decked in fairy lights. The week ends with a torch-lit lantern procession through town.
Salcombe Gin SYC Regatta
2 – 7 August 2026
Immediately after Town Regatta, the Salcombe Yacht Club takes over for five days of competitive fleet racing. Even if you are not sailing, the Club Terrace has uninterrupted views of the start/finish line, a decent cocktail and a social programme that includes the legendary Pig Racing evenings.
Live Music at The Ferry Inn
Throughout the summer, The Ferry Inn, Salcombe's oldest pub, on the waterfront since 1739, hosts live music and events that make the terrace worth lingering on well past sunset. Check their Instagram for the current summer schedule.
Pig Racing
We know this sounds crazy, but Salcombe evenings in summer bring the mechanical pig racing, which is exactly the kind of thing that sounds odd and turns out to be an unmissable Salcombe institution. With multiple venues hosting the game throughout summer.
Devon Rum Co., Island Street
On Island Street, right on the waterfront, Devon Rum Co. is one of Salcombe's best reasons to leave the beach before dark. The Rum Bar pours award-winning artisan rums, blended in-house from Caribbean pot and column-distilled rums, Devon spring water and whole spices, alongside cocktails and live music nights through the summer. Their rum tasting experiences and cocktail masterclasses are well worth booking for a group; you come out considerably better educated and marginally less steady on your feet.
The Beaches
North Sands
Fifteen minutes on foot from town, flat all the way. Sheltered, family-friendly and one of the best dog beaches in Devon, with dogs welcome year-round. The rock pools at the base of Fort Charles (also known as Salcombe's castle) are particularly good. At low tide, the beach opens right up. The Winking Prawn is directly behind it.
South Sands
Catch the South Sands Ferry from Whitestrand. There is a sea-tractor ride from the boat onto the beach, and it is brilliant. The cove is sheltered and flat; there is a watersports centre for paddleboarding, kayaking and sailing hire, and the Harbour Beach Club is right there for a cocktail or a proper lunch. No dogs from May to September. The ferry runs from April to October.
East Portlemouth: Fisherman's Cove, Smalls & Mill Bay
Take the passenger ferry from the Ferry Inn steps. It is three minutes across the water, with views of Salcombe behind you. Turn left off the jetty for Fisherman's Cove: quiet, golden, uncrowded. Walk on past Smalls, where the racing dinghies live, and you reach Mill Bay, a wide, flat expanse of sand built for beach cricket, kite flying and doing very little. Dogs are welcome all year (find more dog-friendly beaches here)
Sunny Cove & Gara Rock
Sunny Cove sits near the estuary mouth, with access by boat or by a short walk through the woods from Mill Bay. Expect clear water, sea views and the kind of beach that occasionally passes for somewhere further south. Gara Rock beach, a ten-minute walk along the coast path, is southwest-facing and generous at low tide. There are no facilities at either. Bring everything you need.
Things to Do
On the Water
Salcombe is a sailing town. The Island Cruising Club offers sailing and powerboating for those without their own boat. Salcombe Watersports and North Sands Watersports hire out paddleboards, kayaks and kit. The harbour ferries, East Portlemouth, South Sands and Kingsbridge, are worth taking for the journey alone.
Walking
North Sands to South Sands is a quick classic. Continue to Bolt Head via Sharpitor for views that justify the climb. Cross to East Portlemouth and follow the coast path out to Gara Rock, with the Atlantic opening up ahead. Snapes Point is shorter but just as rewarding at dusk. The National Trust garden at Overbecks, on the cliffs above South Sands, is full of subtropical planting and excellent views. Find more walking routes here.
For Children
Crabbing from the quay, a line, a bucket, a bit of bacon rind, is a Salcombe rite of passage. During Regatta Week, the children's programme is extraordinary: parachuting teddies, the greasy pole, mud races and the crab-catching competition. The sea tractor at South Sands is non-negotiable.
Where to Eat & Drink
The Old Stable, East Portlemouth
Cross on the ferry and eat here. It is right at the ferry steps, with views back across the estuary to Salcombe that are frankly unreasonable. Run by Village Farm, the menu changes, but sausage rolls are to die for, the vegan flapjacks are sensational, and they serve homemade lemonade that actually tastes of lemons. Open daily 8 am–5 pm, with food served until 4 pm. There is a sauna and cold plunge on site. Come for coffee, stay for lunch, leave reluctantly.
The Ferry Inn
Salcombe's oldest pub, on the waterfront since 1739. Cask Marque ales, daily specials, live music through summer and a beer garden that becomes the best seat in town during Regatta Week. Book a table with an estuary view!
The Winking Prawn, North Sands
A seafood institution behind North Sands Beach. Relaxed, buzzing and entirely the right place after a morning in the water. Think fruits de mer, crab sandwiches and popcorn shrimp. Book ahead in high season.
Harbour Beach Club, South Sands
A cocktail on the terrace at the Harbour Beach Club, with the cove curving round below you and the hills behind, is what South Devon in summer is supposed to look like. It is good for a lazy lunch or a sundowner after a day on the beach.
Village Farm Café, East Portlemouth
A ferry and a twenty-five-minute uphill walk from Salcombe, and worth every step. It is part of a working farm with rare-breed pigs, Devon Red cattle and organic vegetables, all of which end up on the menu. Sourdough is baked on-site. Seasonal brunch and lunch change when the farm dictates. This is one of the best places to eat in the South Hams.
Devon Rum Co. Rum Bar, Island Street
Award-winning cocktails, live music and some of the best rum you will find on the south-west coast, made right here in Salcombe. The waterside bar on Island Street is a proper evening destination. If you are in a group, book a rum tasting or cocktail masterclass; the sessions in the Blending House are genuinely entertaining.
Wild Oats
Up the hill from the harbour and worth the climb for its açaí bowls, excellent smoothies, and serious coffee. Created by mother-and-daughter duo Julia and Charly, who produce a range of organic, gluten-free, and vegan granolas for both wholesale and retail, all based on a long-standing family recipe. It’s a very good way to start the day.
Good to Know
Getting in: use Shadycombe or Creek car park for longer stays. Aim to arrive before 9 am or after 6 pm in peak season. Or hop onto the Park and Ride.
Getting around: once you are here, you do not (necessarily) need the car. Everything is on foot or by ferry; some beaches are easier to access by car.
Tide times: most beaches change significantly with the tide. Download a local tide table before you go, or pick up a free tide timetable from one of our offices!
Salcombe in summer is extraordinary, and Salcombe as home is something else again. Whether you are looking for a harbour-view cottage, an estuary-side property with a mooring, or something tucked into the creeks above the town, we know this stretch of South Devon as well as anyone. Take a look at what properties we have in Salcombe here.