I love this alternative seaside town away from the UK tourist traps – it has clean golden beaches and floating cafes

The Irish Sun

8 hours ago

Plus, find out about Haven's biggest holiday park, which is close to the town
COASTAL RETREAT I love this alternative seaside town away from the UK tourist traps – it has clean golden beaches and floating cafes
FORGET the usual tourist hotspots - one Devon seaside town is the ultimate hidden gem with a lengthy golden beach and a dramatic cliff face.
Where the River Exe meets the English Channel, you'll find Exmouth - a quaint town usually overshadowed by its busier neighbours such as Dawlish and Teignmouth.
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Exmouth in Devon can be found where the English Channel and the River Exe meet
Credit: Getty
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But as Devon's oldest seaside resort, Exmouth is home to a charming town with Victorian and Georgian buildings, multiple mouthwatering fish and chips spots and fun for all the family.
As a child growing up close to the town, nothing beat a day trip to Exmouth Beach, with two miles of golden, soft sands wrapping around the coastline.
Exmouth Beach sits at the entrance to the UNESCO Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
It is also a key part of the South West Coastal Path, making it the ideal spot for a long stroll to soak up the sea breeze and local marine life, such as seals.
Children will love the beach as well - as a child, I was never bored when I visited as the beach boasts sand ideal for sandcastle making and thriving rockpools.
And it has been awarded a Blue Flag seven years in a row.
If you head further along the beach, you will reach The Engine Room, where you can grab a 'posh' fish finger sandwich for £11.50 and decadent ice cream sundaes from £6.50.
Next to the restaurant is The Thirsty Turtle playground that only opened a few months ago and has wooden climbing frames and sandpits for kids.
Parents can grab a drink or food from The Thirsty Turtle Tavern or head to one of the other shacks onsite, serving fish and chips and pizza.
The English holiday resort that families say is a 'fancy Center Parcs'
Further to the east of the town is Exmouth Beach East and Rodney Point, a dramatic red and orange cliff face which is a scenic picnic spot.
The main beach is only a 10-minute walk from the train station and a short distance from the town centre too.
In the town, there is everything you'd expect to find on a usual British highstreet, but make sure to head to Wetherspoons' Powder Monkey.
The boozer was named after Nancy Perriam, a local woman who served as a 'powder monkey' - someone who carries the gunpowder from a ship's hold to the guns - in the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary Wars, so serves as a great historical spot as well as a pit stop.
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The town is home to some great historic spots including the Powder Monkey Wetherspoons pub
Credit: Wayne Perry - The Sun
One of the best places to eat in the town though, isn't actually on dry land.
The River Exe Cafe, which won a TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice Award in 2024, sits on a floating barge on the river.
Only open between April and September, visitors have to hop on a water taxi from Exmouth Marina to get to the cafe, where they can enjoy a range of seafood dishes including the catch of the day.
Tickets on the water taxi cost £8 per person, or £4 for children under 13 years old.
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The marina is also pretty with many multi-coloured building
Credit: Alamy
The marina itself is also worth exploring with colourful houses and small boats bobbing in the water - I always feel lucky if I spot some fish swimming about too.
On August 31, tourists can hop on a free vintage bus in the town as well.
The Devon General Remembered event will celebrate the history of Devon buses and feature rides on a number of heritage buses from between the 1950s and 1970s throughout the day.
If you want to continue exploring the local area, then head to A La Ronde, just outside of the town.
This National Trust property is a quirky 16-sided house, dating back to the 18th century.
It was built by two cousins who had returned from a tour of Europe, and at the time, was home to many objects they had collected from their travels.
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And just outside the town is A La Ronde - a 18th century house with thousands of shells inside
Credit: BBC
Inside, visitors can explore the cousins' collection of souvenirs and even a shell grotto - a gallery and staircase decorated with thousands of shells.
Visitors can explore the house and gardens from £11 per adult and £5.50 per child.
A popular family attraction called the World of Country Life is a 10-minute drive from the town and it has lots of different things to explore including a 'vintage' soft play, replica Victorian street with shops and farm animal feeding sessions.
Tickets cost £19.75 per adult and £16.20 per child.
There are plenty of places to stay in and around Exmouth as well, including Haven Devon Cliffs Holiday Park a 12-minute drive away, with three-night stays costing from £109.
Haven's biggest holiday park can be found near Exmouth
HAVEN'S Devon Cliffs is the biggest of its holiday resorts in the UK, with 1,641 caravans and lodges.
The park has a huge indoor water complex with slides, flumes, and tube slides.
There's also an indoor soft play for younger kids.
For those who don't mind the outdoors, activities include NERF camps, 4x4 off-roaders, and nature trails.
The park has many on-site food choices, including Burger King and Papa Johns.
You can find the cheapest caravan stays for just £49 for four nights, or go fancier with their lodges.
It's also one of the highest-rated holiday parks in the UK, with more than 4,000 reviews on TripAdvisor.
Devon is also home to a fairytale-esque beach town that isn't on the sea.
Plus, there is a pretty seafront campsite on the English Riviera with heated swimming pools that still has summer pitches from £12.