Discover Torbay

Torbay offers a wide range of starting points for planning your trip: caves, historic sites and collections, gardens, theatres, and paths through coastal and geopark landscapes. First, consider which of these themes you want to shape your stay. This will help you choose places and activities that suit your interests, then compare the details of each hotel offer with your plans.

Caves, history and art

Kents Cavern is a protected ancient monument and a site of special scientific interest. Visitors can choose between self-guided cave entry and expert-led tours. You can decide whether to explore the site independently or join a guided tour.

Torre Abbey is a protected monument dating from 1196, set within 18 acres of gardens and parkland. Its art collection includes more than 600 works, ranging from the 18th century to the present day. The gardens also include heated glasshouses with tropical and desert plants. This brings a historic monument, art and gardens together in one place, combining several interests in a single visit.

Museums and local history

Brixham Heritage Museum preserves more than 10,000 objects, including fishing nets, boats and maritime models. Its collections cover everything from the geology and Neolithic past of Brixham to the town's importance to British fishing, its role in the Napoleonic Wars and the periods that followed. The varied themes show how natural history, fishing and maritime history sit side by side in the collection.

The collections at Torquay Museum trace their origins to the Torquay Natural History Society, founded in 1844. The museum is a family-friendly, interactive visitor attraction and presents 400 million years of Torbay's history. If you are interested in a broad timespan, you will find a different perspective here from that of the more maritime-focused collection at Brixham Heritage Museum.

The visitor centre at Babbacombe Cliff Railway also explores the history of a specific place: photographs, information panels and artefacts tell the story of the railway; admission is free. Built in 1926, the railway carried holidaymakers to and from Oddicombe Beach for more than 90 years. This historic use is separate from the question of whether the railway is operating today.

Coastal paths, landscapes and nature

The section of the South West Coast Path from Brixham to Babbacombe is 13.2 miles (21.2 km) long. The John Musgrave Heritage Trail runs for 35 miles through parts of Torbay and is accessible by public transport; check route information before planning. A 22-mile coastal path also runs along the entire English Riviera through striking geopark landscape. These different figures give you a practical guide to the length and character of the paths without combining them into a single route.

Greenway can be reached from Broadsands or Churston Station by a 3½-mile walk along country roads. Berry Head is both a National Nature Reserve and an Iron Age hillfort. The visitor centre offers live camera footage of the birds that live there. Berry Head therefore brings together two distinct themes: the area's landscape and nature, and its archaeological significance.

More activities and local insights

Paignton Zoo is a globally significant wildlife conservation park set in extensive botanical gardens with large lakes. Cockington Court is a visitor attraction and innovation centre that promotes art, culture and local talent. The Babbacombe Theatre presents original productions, guest performances and family-friendly entertainment. Torbay Kayak Tours are offered using sit-on-top kayaks.

Brixham Fish Market also offers an insight into local fishing: more than 40 species of fish are landed there, including sole, monkfish and turbot. Market tours explain how fish are sorted and graded in the market hall, and end with a seafood breakfast at Rockfish. Dates are listed seasonally for 2026; check whether a date is available for your trip before planning.

Whether you are planning to focus on museums, coastal paths, gardens or maritime themes, compare the details of the specific hotel offer with what you would like to do during your stay.

Discover more destinations: Paignton, Churston Ferrers, Brixham, Dorset, Bracknell Forest, North Somerset, Somerset, Wiltshire.

For the broader travel overview: South West England.