Exmouth at Christmas: The Lights Switch On and What Stays Open

Short answer: Exmouth's dog ban lifts in winter, which turns two miles of flat sand and a level promenade into the easiest winter beach walk in Devon. The marina end has the better eating, and the Grove and the Point both stay open through the season.

2026 dates: switch-on and event dates are added here as organisers confirm them. Check locally before travelling — small-town events are announced late and move.

The dog ban lifts, and that is the headline

Exmouth bans dogs from its main beach between May and September. From October the whole two miles opens up, and with a flat, level promenade running behind the entire length it becomes the single easiest winter beach walk in Devon — genuinely straightforward with a buggy, a wheelchair or a dog.

The lights

Along the Esplanade and around the redeveloped marina, with the estuary behind them. The marina end is where the newer eating is and where it looks best. Exeter is twenty minutes away if you want the Cathedral Green market as well, which makes Exmouth a sensible base for a December weekend.

What stays open

The Point at the marina opens at 8.30 and does a fisherman's brunch worth ordering, handles gluten-free properly, and has a dog station with blankets and treats — the sort of thing that matters more in December than August.

The Grove on the Esplanade is the big seafront pub with window tables facing the prom, water bowls throughout and a dog hydration keg outside. The Beach Pub near the marina is independent and reliable. Bath House has the best position in town for a drink, though the food divides opinion.

The one to book

The River Exe Café, moored out in the estuary and reached by water taxi, is the most memorable meal on this coast — but check its winter operating dates before planning around it, as a floating restaurant reached by boat is inherently seasonal. Closed Mondays.

Winter walks

• The full two miles of promenade — flat, level and easy in any weather.
• Orcombe Point and the Geoneedle — a zigzag climb onto the clifftop path.
• The Maer — a former golf links, so it never gets muddy however wet the winter.
• A la Ronde's grounds — the sixteen-sided house is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Practical

Parking is still expensive and now much easier to find. The estuary currents at the western end are as dangerous in winter as in summer — the swimming warning does not lapse. And Exmouth has a mainline station, which makes it one of the easiest Devon towns to reach car-free for a December day out.