Short answer: Exmouth has the best beach of any town this size in Devon — two miles of flat sand with a promenade behind it. Swimming is genuinely unsafe near the estuary mouth. Dogs are banned from the main beach May to September, but the Orcombe end stays open all year.
Two miles of flat sand with a long level promenade behind it, backed by a town rather than a village. For a family day with a buggy or a wheelchair it is the easiest beach in this guide by a distance — reviewers describe the promenade simply as flat with good access, which is exactly what you want.
This is the thing to know before you arrive. Where the Exe meets the sea at the western end, the currents run hard and swimming there is genuinely unsafe — there are signs and they are not decorative. Stick to the lifeguarded middle section and the day is straightforward.
Dogs are banned from the main stretch of beach from May to September, which is the peak of when you would want to be on it. The exception is the far eastern end near Orcombe Point, which allows dogs all year. Sandy Bay east of town has the same 1 May to 30 September ban.
Orcombe Point at the eastern end is the official western start of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, marked by the Geoneedle, and the red cliffs here are the oldest rocks on the whole stretch. The zigzag climb up from the beach onto the clifftop path gives views people compare to southern France.
The River Exe Café is moored out in the estuary and reached by its own water taxi — 360-degree views and seafood platters that live up to the setting. It is the most memorable meal available anywhere on this coast, and it needs booking well ahead rather than on the day. Closed Mondays, and vegetarian options are the weak spot.
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