Escape to the country: 6 reasons to avoid Devon beaches in summer 

Devon beaches kind of overdo it with the whole sand thing

Devon beaches are famous for their swathes of golden sands. But so what? Paris is famous for dodgy customer service. That doesn't make it good. 

 If you gave us one or two grains, we'd be happy. But there's just so much of the stuff. If we wanted endless vistas of sun-kissed sand, we'd hail a camel and set off for the Sahara. At least then we wouldn't have to deal with the sea. (Don't get us started on the sea.) 
 
Now, at this point, beach apologists might pipe up and say things like, 'But sand gets nice and warm'. Or 'It feels lovely beneath your feet'. Or 'Kids can build castles with it'. 
 
Stand your ground. Sand is bad and you know it – even if you don't quite know why. 
 
'There are shingle beaches too', they cry. But what on earth is a 'shingle'? It sounds like something that requires surgical removal. No thanks – we'll stick to cold, damp soil, please. 
 

There are just too many of them
 

Sit down and get the smelling salts ready. We've got a frightening fact to share. 
 
Ready? By some estimates, there are as many as 130 Devon beaches. One-hundred-and-thirty! That means there are more beaches in Devon than pyramids in Egypt. Yikes. 
 
If you're a glutton for punishment, you could hop over the border to Cornwall. There, you'd find another 400 of those pesky, sandy things. Nope. Nunca. No way. 
 
Our advice: stay inland. Exploring our vast, varied coastline will only fill you with big ideas and happy memories. Who knows what might happen? With all those beautiful Devon beaches floating around in your brain, you might end up forgetting to buy milk or something. Too risky.

They won't stop going on about how good they are

 

Nobody likes a show-off. You know, like that person who won the long jump in primary school and won't let anybody forget it? Give us a break. 
 
Well, there's another good reason to avoid Devon beaches. They just keep winning awards. 
 
Take Torre Abbey Sands in Torquay. In 2022, this boastful beach snagged a Blue Flag Award for its cleanliness and water quality. And then, as if to rub sand in the wound, it went and won the Seaside Award from Keep Britain Tidy. 
 
Torre Abbey isn't alone in its hubris. Broadsands, Breakwater and Westward Ho! are double award-winners too. And at the time of writing, there are no less than 14 Blue Flag beaches in Devon. 
 
You can see where this is going. That means Devon is tied with Dorset for the most Blue Flag beaches in England. 
 
Yeah, we get it. You're great. Now, go wave your little blue flag around and leave us alone. 
 

There's loads of variety and you'd probably feel a bit overwhelmed, actually

 They say 'variety is the spice of life'. Sure – but too much spice will ruin a chicken korma. 
 
The same goes for Devon beaches. One type of beach might be OK. But our coast can't settle for second best – it simply has to be the beachiest, most diverse coast around. 
 
We've got family beaches, full of people having 'fun' and building 'sandcastles'. (What's the point? They wash away anyway.) 
 
Then there are the surfer beaches, where sporty folk – understandably, we might add – try to escape the beach and ride the waves instead. Nice try – but the sea is just as bad. 
 
The worst beaches of all, however, are the secluded, secret beaches. We don't know why they're the worst – but if they don't attract many visitors, there has to be something wrong, right? They probably smell or something. 
 
Best avoid them, just to be safe.

 

Even if you wanted to visit, they're completely impossible to get to 
 

By now, you should be thoroughly convinced that Devon beaches are a bad idea. 
 
But perhaps you're overwhelmed with morbid curiosity. Maybe, just maybe, there's a part of you that thinks, 'Devon beaches might not be so bad after all'. 
 
Well, sorry to be the bearer of bad news. The thing is, all our beaches are basically impossible to reach by any reasonable mode of transport. 
 
Don't believe us? Just take a look at Bovisand Beach near Plymouth. If you wanted to get there by car, you'd have to take a humungous two-mile detour out of the city. Who's got time for that? 
 
No car? Oh dear. That means catching the number 54 'beach bus' that departs every hour from the centre of Plymouth. Again – just too much effort, thanks. 
 
Some strange folk might even suggest you pull on your walking boots and take a 'pleasant, scenic hike' along the South West Coast Path. Need we say more? Didn't think so. 
 

How to enjoy Devon without seeing a single grain of sand

 
If, like us, you believe Devon beaches are bad and overrated, then you'll probably want to avoid seafront hotels like the plague. 
 
Good news. The Horn of Plenty is tailor-made for landlubbers like you. 
 
Our manor house hotel is perched on the Devon-Cornwall border, surrounded by the lush wilds of the Tamar Valley National Landscape. There are acres upon acres of countryside to explore – and not a grain of sand in sight. Hooray for that. 
 
Plus, with our luxurious rooms and top-tier service, you'll get a great night's sleep dreaming about all the times you didn't go to the seaside. 
 
But a word of warning. Whatever you do, don't hop in the car and take a short ride south. If you did, you'd come across some of the most gorgeous, soul-stirring Devon beaches around. 
 
No. Don't do that. Perish the thought – you might remember them forever.