Anstey's Cove and the Hidden Coves

The Riviera's quiet corners — the swimming coves that most visitors drive straight past.

Torquay's big beaches have their place, but the most rewarding stretches of coastline here are the ones you earn on foot. Tucked between the headlands north of the harbour, a chain of small coves sits largely undiscovered by anyone who hasn't sought them out. Anstey's Cove is the pick of them.

The approach along the coastal path from Babbacombe Road drops through mixed woodland before the sea appears below — deep, preternaturally clear, shifting between jade and cobalt depending on the light. The cove itself is shingle and rock rather than sand, sheltered enough that the water stays calm on days when the open bay is choppy. A seasonal café operates from the beach hut above the waterline, which is all the infrastructure you'll find here, and that restraint is largely the point.

Redgate Beach lies a short scramble further along the cliff path, smaller still and frequently deserted. Named for the red Devonian sandstone that stains the cliffs above it, Redgate has no café, no facilities, and no easy road access — which means, on a warm weekday, you may have it almost entirely to yourself. The swimming is excellent off the rocks at the southern end.

Meadfoot, tucked into its own shallow bay on the other side of Hope's Nose, offers a gentler experience: a longer beach, calmer still, backed by a café and accessible by road for those who need it. It has been a favoured spot since the Victorian era, when Torquay's early tourists were pointed toward its sheltered aspect and clean water.

All three coves sit within easy reach of the South West Coast Path around Torbay's northern headlands — a walk that strings them together and makes for one of the most varied half-days on the whole peninsula. The path is well-marked; the drops to the water are steep in places, so solid shoes matter. Come in the shoulder season and you may find the coast looking exactly as it has for generations: red cliffs, clear water, and almost no one else about.

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