Welcome to the English Riviera: 22 miles of coastline where palm-lined promenades meet a sea that shifts through every shade of blue and green. Rich in natural and cultural heritage, the bay is home to a UNESCO Global Geopark, a Palaeolithic cave with a history stretching back more than 400,000 years, and an abundance of rare flora and fauna. Also known as Torbay (or simply 'the bay'), at its heart are three distinctive towns: Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, each with its own character, yet closely connected.
For anyone weighing up a move, it is worth asking: could this be home?
A bay built for everyday life
Torquay brings a touch of Riviera glamour; Victorian villas, harbourside restaurants and the famous Princess Theatre. Paignton is softer and more family-orientated, with its long sandy beach, working harbour and the vintage charm of the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway. Brixham, meanwhile, remains a proper working fishing port; trawlers still land their catch each morning at the market, and the smell of the sea genuinely means something here.
Between them, the three towns offer a rare combination: the buzz of a coastal resort with the practicality of good schools, transport links and everyday amenities. It is a place where a Saturday might begin with a swim and end with fresh crab on a harbourside terrace.
Beaches, walks and days outdoors
Goodrington Sands, just south of Paignton, is a particular favourite; a wide sweep of golden sand backed by gently sloping lawns, perfect for families, paddleboarders and anyone who simply wants to watch the tide come in. A little further round the bay, Meadfoot and Oddicombe offer a quieter, more sheltered alternative, the latter reached by a charming cliff railway.
For those who like their days out on foot, the South West Coast Path threads along the clifftops, linking hidden coves, wildflower meadows and long views out over the Channel. Berry Head, near Brixham, is a highlight: a limestone headland and nature reserve where guillemots nest on the cliffs and, on a clear day, the view stretches as far as Start Point. Inland, Paignton's zoo and Brixham's Golden Hind replica add a little adventure for younger explorers, while Torquay's Kent’s Cavern and museum quarter round out a weekend well spent.
Where to eat and drink
Food here leans, unsurprisingly, towards the sea. Brixham's harbourside is lined with places to enjoy the day's catch, from relaxed fish and chip spots to more considered seafood restaurants overlooking the boats, such as Rockfish and Le Petite Maison. In Torquay, the marina area has become a genuine destination for dining, with a good spread of independent restaurants and wine bars, like Otto and The Elephant, alongside more established names. Paignton's harbour, smaller and more low-key, is perfect for an evening pint with a view; Harbour Lights and Cantina are perfect for this. The region’s inland pubs such as the Church House Inn in Marldon, offer the kind of proper Devon hospitality; log fires, local ales and Sunday roasts, that keeps people coming back time and again.
A calendar full of events
Life on the English Riviera has a rhythm to it, marked out by a calendar of events that draw crowds from across the country. The Torbay Airshow sends jets and aerobatic displays soaring above the bay, with the water itself providing a natural amphitheatre for spectators lining the seafront. In the depths of winter, Bay of Lights transforms Torquay's harbourside into a glittering trail of illuminated art, a warm and family-friendly reason to be out and about after dark. Foodies are well served too: Britain's Seafood Feast, held on Brixham's working harbour, celebrates the very catch that arrives daily on its trawlers, with cookery demonstrations, market stalls and fresh produce straight off the boats. And for something altogether more literary, the International Agatha Christie Festival honours Torquay's most famous daughter with talks, walking tours and murder-mystery events across the town where she was born and set much of her work.
For those drawn to the water itself, Roundham Mews in Goodrington is a rare proposition. This exclusive collection of just ten new homes; four coach houses and six sea-view townhouses, occupies a commanding clifftop position above Goodrington Beach, with the South West Coast Path and local amenities within easy walking distance. This particular four-bedroom townhouse has been designed with panoramic views across Torbay in mind, offering contemporary coastal living from sunrise to sunset, with stamp duty paid on completion.
A short drive inland, the village of Marldon offers a quieter, slower pace while remaining close to the coast. Brockhurst Park presents a beautifully refurbished four-bedroom detached home, its open-plan kitchen and family room flowing into a light-filled conservatory, with a decked garden backing onto open green space; an easy walk from the village's shops and pubs, and well placed for the Torbay ring road and onward links to Exeter and the M5.
Also in Marldon, Moorview Crescent offers a modern, light-filled family home with three bedrooms and a south-facing garden that catches the sun for much of the day. Blue Flag beaches are just over two miles away, making it an easy base for both weekday routine and weekend escapes to the coast.
Closer to the water once again, New Road, Brixham is a characterful four-bedroom period home just a short stroll from the town centre and waterfront. Two original reception rooms have been opened into one generous living space, its stone fireplace and sash windows retaining plenty of period charm, while the kitchen and dining area forms a practical hub for family life. Upstairs, bedrooms spread across two floors bring a pleasing sense of separation, and outside, a rare amount of parking for such a central spot sits alongside a sunny terrace and enclosed courtyard garden.
A place to put down roots
What makes the English Riviera so appealing is not any single beach or building, but the way it all fits together; sea, countryside and community within easy reach of one another. Whether it's a clifftop new build with Torbay laid out below, a period home minutes from Brixham's harbour, or a family house in the quiet of Marldon, there is a way of life here that is genuinely hard to leave behind once you've experienced it.
To find out more about any of these properties, get in touch with the Marchand Petit team today, and view all other South Devon property for sale here.