Short answer: Salcombe in August is rammed; on Boxing Day the second homes are dark and Fore Street is walkable. The Fortescue Inn is the local's choice and the most reliable out of season.
The estuary path and the beaches, all free. If you have only ever seen Salcombe in summer and found it too much, this is the visit to make — you will park first time and have the waterfront to yourself.
Out of town along the water. Flat for a good stretch, with the estuary beside you and the hills opposite. The best easy walk here.
North Sands is closest by road. South Sands is sheltered. Mill Bay, on the East Portlemouth side, is the best of the three — golden sand and properly quiet in winter.
Bolberry Down, a short drive away, has a wheelchair-accessible main clifftop path and is free with a blue badge. Rare on this coast.
Ring before you set off. Boxing Day hours are decided late, change year to year, and are the single thing most likely to be wrong online. A two-minute call beats a wasted drive.
A number of the better restaurants cut back to Wednesday-to-Saturday in winter. The Fortescue is the safest bet on the day itself.
The North Sands machine takes coins and the signal is poor. Parking is far easier than in summer, but the payment problem does not go away.
If you want to eat out, book now rather than in December. The places that do serve on Boxing Day fill weeks ahead, and the ones that do not take bookings have queues instead.
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