Discover Bigbury-on-Sea

Bigbury-on-Sea combines a distinctive island setting with walking routes, water sports and varied riverside scenery. For planning your trip, the main question is therefore which experiences should shape your stay: a short walk, activities on the water, nature watching or historical impressions around Burgh Island.

Burgh Island on foot and with views of nature

The Burgh Island walk is an easy 0.8-mile (1.3 km) route that starts and ends at the Marine Drive Car Park in Bigbury-on-Sea. This makes it possible to include a manageable distance in your day without having to plan a longer walking section. Those looking for a more extensive hike, however, will find several distinctive crossings on the section of the route from River Yealm to Bigbury-on-Sea: the River Yealm is crossed by ferry, the River Erme via a ford at low tide and the River Avon by ferry in turn.

The landscape around Burgh Island also offers specific opportunities for observation. Butterflies, moths, foxes, rabbits, badgers, hedgehogs, the lizard species known as the common lizard and a wide variety of birds can regularly be seen there. Bigbury-on-Sea beach lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can take these nature experiences into account alongside your preferred mix of short walks, longer hiking sections and quiet moments of observation.

Water, ferry and active days

Bigbury-on-Sea offers opportunities for windsurfing and kitesurfing. The beach also has shallow water for paddling. During the main season, Discovery Surf School offers kayak and paddleboard hire from a beach trailer on the Causeway side of Bigbury. For families or travel groups with different interests, this creates a clear choice between active hours on the water and a more relaxed stay at the beach, without everyone having to follow the same daily schedule.

The riverside landscape is also part of the local character: the estuary of the River Avon, also known as the Aune, lies at Bantham and Bigbury-on-Sea. In summer, a seasonal passenger ferry operates between Bantham and Bigbury-on-Sea (Cockleridge). This connection may play a role in your travel planning if you are considering including both places. The ferry service is seasonal and should therefore be considered separately from the landscape and local features described as being available year-round.

Historical impressions and local dining

Burgh Island is a listed Grade II building. The Burgh Island Hotel is an Art Deco landmark on its own tidal island. Both aspects give a stay a historical and architectural quality, without requiring the trip to focus exclusively on sports or walks. For a break locally, The Pilchard Inn in Bigbury-on-Sea serves fresh seasonal food and drinks.

Bigbury Golf Club adds a sporting option away from the water to the possible daily itineraries. Its course has 18 holes and measures 6,011 yards in total from the white tees. When looking for accommodation, you can therefore first decide whether you would like to focus on the beach and water sports, walking experiences, nature watching, golf or historical impressions. Bigbury-on-Sea can thus be viewed as a destination with several different daily rhythms.

Compare other destinations

For further searches, you can also visit the location pages for Stokeinteignhead, Shaugh Prior, Newton Saint Petrock, Exbourne, Appledore, Parracombe, Berrynarbor and Two Bridges.

For the higher-level travel overview: Devon.