Short answer: Salcombe is an estuary town, not a surf one — the water is sheltered and warm and the beaches are small and tidal. Take the passenger ferry to the East Portlemouth beaches rather than driving round. Bring coins for parking, and expect the prices to be higher than anywhere else on this coast.
This single fact explains almost everything about Salcombe. The water is sheltered, calm and comparatively warm, which is why the place is full of paddleboards and small boats rather than surfboards. The beaches are small and heavily tide-dependent. If you have come for waves, you want the north coast.
The best beaches here are on the far side of the water at East Portlemouth. Driving round to Mill Bay or Sunny Cove means about forty-five minutes of single-track lanes with tight passing places, and then a National Trust car park that fills by about eleven in season.
The passenger ferry from town takes a few minutes, costs a couple of pounds each way, and drops you on the sand. Park once in Salcombe, walk on, and the whole day gets easier. Almost every review of Mill Bay says the same thing.
The most repeated practical complaint about Salcombe is the parking payment. The North Sands machine does not take cards, the app needs a phone signal, and the signal down there is unreliable. People turn up with cards and no change and get stuck. Coins solve it.
Salcombe is the most polished town on this coast and it charges accordingly. Reviews mention a fairy cake at £4.50 and a plate of pasta at £25. That is not a reason to avoid it — but do not wander into the first place with a view and expect seaside prices.
The lane down is very narrow and the car park opposite fills before three. There is free parking further up the hill, but it is a steep climb back at the end of the day. The sea tractor and ferry link into town is usually the better return.
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