Short answer: Exmouth has plenty of parking along the seafront but it is expensive. The eastern end near Orcombe Point is quieter and is also the section where dogs are allowed year-round. The Maer, behind the seafront, is free open ground with a play area.
Exmouth is unusual on this coast in that parking is rarely the problem — there is a lot of it along the two-mile seafront and a long flat promenade behind. The complaint is not availability, it is cost. Reviewers describe it consistently as pretty expensive, so budget for it rather than expecting a bargain.
The western end, near the estuary mouth and the marina, is the busiest and has the redeveloped harbour with the better eating. It is also where the currents run hard and swimming is unsafe, so if the beach is the point, do not park here by default.
The eastern end towards Orcombe Point is quieter, has the Geoneedle marking the start of the Jurassic Coast, and is the section where dogs are allowed all year rather than being banned from May to September. It is a two-mile walk between the two if you fancy it.
The Maer, the open sandy common behind the seafront, is a former golf links and never gets muddy — free to walk on all year with a fenced children's play area and seasonal toilets. If you have a dog and it is summer, this is where to head.
Sandy Bay, east of town, is a blue-flag beach cleaned daily — but access runs through the Devon Cliffs holiday park, which is not obvious from the map and frustrates day visitors. The bus that stops nearby is the simplest way in. There is also a dog ban from 1 May to 30 September.
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