Short answer: The breakwater is half a mile of flat, level walkway out into the bay, free and benched the whole way. Berry Head is a free nature reserve giving you the length of Tor Bay.
Half a mile of flat, level walkway built in the 1840s to take the weather, benched along its length. Free, easy going for anyone with mobility difficulties, and it puts you out over the water looking back at the town.
In a rough sea it is not the place to be. Check conditions — this is an exposed structure and the waves come over it.
A free nature reserve on the headland behind Napoleonic fort walls, with Torquay, Paignton and the whole of Tor Bay laid out. Its own car park.
Fishcombe Cove, a short coastal walk from the harbour through the Battery Gardens.
Fishcombe Cove and Shoalstone are the sheltered options here. St Mary's Bay is long and secluded with clear water, and seals sometimes swim in it — but it is over a hundred steps down, which is a serious consideration on a cold morning.
New Year's Day swims on this coast are organised by lifeboat crews, surf clubs and pubs rather than councils, and most are announced in the last fortnight of December on local Facebook pages. Check there rather than expecting a listing.
If you are getting in: the sea is colder on 1 January than at any point in the summer, cold water shock is the real risk rather than the temperature itself, and it is worth going in with people rather than alone. Walk in, do not dive, and get warm clothes on quickly afterwards.
Almost everywhere opens later than usual on New Year's Day, and some places do not open at all. Ring in the morning rather than assuming.
The fleet lands through the winter, which means the harbour has activity on 1 January that the resort towns simply do not.
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