A weekend away in Babbacombe, Devon
I stayed at the Cary Arms & Spa
Is there a prettier spot in all of England than the south-west coast? Every time I visit its beautiful bays and gaze at the sparkling sea, I’m astounded by this part of the country. Of course, the UK is full of fantastic coastal regions – from the sweeping beaches of South Wales, to the dramatic coastline of Yorkshire and phenomenal beaches and islands of Scotland, but the south-west is popular, for good reason.
We head to Babbacombe for the weekend, to stay at the Cary Arms & Spa. Babbacombe is the beach below Torquay – famous as the birthplace of Agatha Christie – and the Cary Arms sits halfway down the very steep hillside. Think a Cornwall-eque tiny, windy road so perilous, you pray you don’t meet anyone driving up it. To be fair, if you lose your nerve, or clutch, the hotel will drive your car back up the hill and park it for you, plus taxi you up and down.
So, it’s probably good that we visit in the shoulder season, when there’s less traffic and we have the beach all to ourselves (not least because it started hailing whilst we were paddling). I’m in good company though, as Babbacombe also had a fan in Queen Victoria, who in 1846 described it as “a beautiful spot… red rocks and wooded hills like Italy, which reminds one of a ballad or play where fairies appear.”
Nowadays, the Cary Arms & Spa presides over a collection of self-catering cottages and luxury beach huts, as well as rooms inside the inn, all furnished to an exceptional standard. We stayed in the stunning three-bed Cove Cottage, high on the hill, with fabulous sweeping views of the bay from its many verandas and large garden to the front. It was beautifully-furnished inside, with chandeliers, leather armchairs, log fire and large kitchen with range.
In the summer, this inn is packed, with people enjoying its many outdoor seats arranged down the hill, including the numerous walkers tramping the South West Coast Path, which runs right past the hotel.
The South West Coast Path, or The Salt Path, is the famous 630-mile route from Minehead in Somerset to Poole Harbour in Dorset. As tempting as it is to relax, we decide we should walk a little bit of the route, so took a great tour with local guide Graham Kerr of English Riviera Walking Tours, who I would thoroughly recommend.
They do all kinds of tours, depending on your interest and agility, but we walked a route along the coast to Oddicombe Beach, up the hill to Torquay and back, listening to his entertaining stories of the region and its famous former residents, including Christie, Oscar Wilde, Basil Fawlty and John Babbacombe Lee, ‘The Man They Couldn’t Hang’. This coastline is a UNESCO Global Geopark, “one of Earth’s extraordinary places,” as Graham stresses, but it’s no wonder, as it really is outstanding.
Back at the Cary Arms, I visit the spa and hydrotherapy pool and enjoy a super-relaxing GAIA facial, before a lovely dinner, all whilst looking out at the glittering water. There’s a friendly seal who pops up by the sea wall, but he stays away this time. Sadly, our visit is a flying one and we have to head back to reality all too quickly. But it makes me determined to come back to the region very soon, to take in much more of this glorious coastline.
I was a guest of the Cary Arms & Spa
The Travel List
Where: Babbacombe is a region of Torquay, Devon.
How to get here: Torquay is around 200 miles from London, a 4.5 hour drive, or 3hr 40 mins by train.
Where to stay: The Cary Arms, rooms from £285 per night, caryarms.co.uk
What to do: Book a walking tour, with englishrivierawalkingtours.co.uk
For more information: englishriviera.co.uk