Short answer: Torquay stays busier in winter than anywhere on this coast because it has the most indoor attractions. Kents Cavern is underground and open year-round. The cliff railway runs daily. Cockington Country Park is free.
Torquay's advantage in December is the same as its advantage in the rain: more paid indoor attractions than anywhere else in Devon, and most of them run through the winter. If you are staying anywhere in south Devon and need a day that does not depend on weather, this is where to drive.
Worth singling out. No entrance fee at all, a thatched village, manor house, craft studios, lakes and woodland walks, plus two tea rooms and the Lutyens-designed Drum Inn. The craft workshops give you indoor stops between showers. For a free winter day out with children, nothing in Torbay beats it.
Burridge's on Victoria Parade bakes everything from scratch and does the best coffee and brunch in town — closed Fridays. The Lighthouse continental café bar is dog friendly with afternoon tea and reliable wifi. Meadfoot Beach Cafe is specifically noted for staying open in poor weather when other beach cafés give up.
For an evening, Ollie's on Torwood Street does steaks and the best cocktails in the bay, closed Mondays. Twenty1 has a rooftop garden bar and stays open past midnight at weekends.
Torre Abbey Sands drops its summer dog ban in winter, which makes it a proper dog beach for six months. Meadfoot and Babbacombe allow dogs year-round. Oddicombe does not, at any time of year — worth remembering even in December. Maidencombe is dramatic out of season when the sea is rough.
Parking is far easier than in summer, including at Meadfoot where the spaces go by nine in July. Kents Cavern's car park is small whatever the season.
Winter opening is exactly where online listings are least reliable. Ring before you drive — several places in this guide show as closed on Google and answer the phone perfectly happily.
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