Short answer: Budleigh's beach, the River Otter estuary walk and the west-facing sunset are all free. Creedy's Corner does a well-priced cream tea. Bicton Park is the one paid attraction, and it is the budget's biggest single spend.
Budleigh Salterton Beach is a long crescent of large smooth pebbles under red sandstone cliffs, and free. The River Otter at the eastern end has an estuary and wetland nature reserve excellent for birds, with a flat path upriver towards Otterton. Free.
Budleigh Beach, the western sweep, faces west and is the best sunset spot in town. That is free too, and it is the best thing in Budleigh on a clear evening.
Creedy's Corner on the High Street does a cream tea with a big fruit scone, a generous pot of tea and proper portions of cream and jam, at a price reviewers describe as reasonable. Jazz on, dog friendly.
Sixty-odd acres of gardens north of town — an Italian garden, a Victorian fernery, an adventure playground and duck feeding. It is the budget's single biggest spend and worth it on a good day; on a £50 budget it is the day's one paid thing.
The single biggest saving on any Devon day out is lunch. A picnic on a free beach or in a free park turns a £50 day into a £25 one, and the money you keep pays for the one thing actually worth paying for.
See the full Budleigh Salterton guide, filtered by who's with you.
Plan your day near Budleigh Salterton →