Best Sunset Spots in Salcombe

Short answer: Salcombe's estuary faces south, so the sun sets up the water rather than out to sea — which is lovely, and different to what people expect. For a proper western horizon, drive out to Hope Cove or Bolberry Down.

The estuary faces south

This catches people out. Salcombe looks out south down a drowned river valley, not west into open ocean. The sun does not set in front of you the way it does at Woolacombe — it goes down over the western shore and up the estuary, which produces something quieter and arguably prettier: light on still water rather than a fireball on the horizon.

The Ferry Inn beer garden

The best evening spot in the town itself. It looks unassuming from the street and then you go down the steps to a beer garden hanging over the water. Reviewers describe the view from the front as fairly unassuming and the view from the garden as absolutely breathtaking, and note the waterside tables get snapped up quickly.

Go for a pint and the light on the estuary, and eat elsewhere — the food is average and priced for the position.

South Sands and the western shore

South Sands looks across the estuary mouth and catches the last of the light on the far shore. The Ward Room in town has window tables directly over the water, which is the indoor version of the same view.

Out west for a proper sunset

If you want the sun going down over open sea, drive or walk out west. Bolberry Down has clifftop paths with an open western horizon, free National Trust parking for blue badge holders, and a wheelchair-accessible main path. From there the routes run down to Soar Mill Cove.

Hope Cove, fifteen minutes west, faces the right way and has The Cove bar and restaurant looking over it across two floors with sea views. It is the best combination of a western horizon and somewhere to sit within reach of Salcombe.

Timing

Arrive half an hour before sunset and stay twenty minutes after it. The afterglow is usually better than the sunset itself, and almost everyone leaves the moment the sun touches the horizon — so the best light and the emptiest viewpoint arrive at the same time.

Practical

• Take a torch. Devon coast paths are unlit and the walk back is in the dark.
• Stay back from cliff edges. The ground gives way, and you cannot see where it starts.
• Check when the car park closes — several on this coast lock their gates.
• It gets cold fast once the sun goes, even in July. Take a layer.

One local note

Reviewers describe the estuary filling with paddleboarders on summer evenings, packed enough that one compares it to a gondola traffic jam. That is either part of the charm or a reason to go out to Bolberry instead.