Babbacombe and Oddicombe: The Cliff Railway, the Beaches and the Views

Babbacombe sits on a 240-foot limestone cliff on the north side of Torquay, and the village proper feels like a separate place from the town below. The Downs are a long strip of clifftop grass with one of the best sea views in Devon, the Babbacombe Cliff Railway has been creaking up and down its track since 1926, and two very different beaches sit at the bottom of the cliff: pebbly, gentrified Babbacombe Beach and red-sand, family-friendly Oddicombe. For a single afternoon out, the combination is hard to beat.

Babbacombe Downs

Start at the Downs. There’s free on-street parking along Babbacombe Downs Road (timed, so check the signs) and a pay-and-display car park near the cliff railway top station. The Downs themselves are an open grass strip on the cliff edge with benches every twenty yards, the kind of place locals walk before breakfast and after dinner. Look east towards Lyme Bay and you’ll often see paragliders riding the updraft from the cliff face below.

Along the Downs you’ll find the Cary Arms terrace (technically below, at beach level), the Babbacombe Theatre (small, friendly, summer variety shows) and Hesketh Crescent’s Regency-era terrace. The model village (Babbacombe Model Village) is a 200-yard walk inland and worth an hour with younger kids; over 13,000 miniature buildings, gardens and characters across four acres.

Babbacombe Cliff Railway

The cliff railway is the headline act. Opened in 1926, it runs two counter-balanced carriages on a single funicular track between the Downs and Oddicombe Beach, 240 feet below. The journey takes under two minutes, the gradient is roughly one in three, and the carriages have been refurbished but look right.

Opening: broadly daily from late March through October, plus Wednesday-to-Sunday in early March, generally 10am to 5pm in main season (closing at 4pm in shoulder months). Check the operator’s website (babbacombecliffrailway.co.uk) before a special trip, as bad weather or maintenance can close it.

Tickets: bought at the top station. Adult, child and family return fares are very reasonable; expect to pay a few pounds each way. Dogs travel free. You can walk down the steep zig-zag path and ride up if you’d rather earn your descent, which is also a popular choice.

Oddicombe Beach

At the bottom of the railway you step out onto a level promenade above Oddicombe Beach. It’s a wide curve of coarse red sand, backed by limestone cliffs, with kayak and paddleboard hire in summer, a beach hut to rent, a cafe (the Three Degrees West) and a small play area on the promenade.

One thing to know: the northern end of Oddicombe has been fenced off since a major cliff fall in February 2010, and further smaller falls since. The active beach is the central and southern section, which is more than big enough for a day out, but ignore the warning signs at your peril.

The water at Oddicombe is famously clear, shelving steadily, and the limestone seabed means snorkelling can be properly rewarding. Lifeguards operate in main season. Dogs are excluded from 1 May to 30 September.

Babbacombe Beach

Walk south along the coast path from Oddicombe (about ten minutes) and you reach Babbacombe Beach, which is the more grown-up sibling. It’s a pebble bay, smaller and quieter, reached by car via the steep one-way Beach Road (TQ1 3LX, 18% gradient in places) or by foot from the Downs.

The Cary Arms sits at the back of the beach, a smart pub-with-rooms with a terrace that catches the morning sun. It’s a sensible lunch or dinner stop if you’ve booked; the kitchen leans into local fish and shellfish. The beach itself is pebble, with very clear water that has earned Blue Flag status more than once. Snorkelling is good. The beach huts above the shore line are mostly privately owned but a few rent weekly through the council.

Parking at Babbacombe Beach is severely limited (about a dozen spaces, often full from 9am in summer). Most visitors park at the Downs and walk down. Dogs are restricted from 1 May to 30 September.

The Best Views

For the best clifftop view, walk east along the Downs to the indicator plaque near the cliff railway top station. On a clear day you can see Portland Bill on the Dorset coast, 35 miles to the east. The cliffs in front of you are technically the highest sea cliffs in southern England, which is the kind of fact that earns you a free pint in a Brixham pub.

For the best beach-level view, take the coast path from Oddicombe up to Petit Tor Point. It’s a stiff 20-minute climb but the limestone outcrop at the top frames the whole bay, with Berry Head in the distance.

A Sensible Half-Day Plan

Park on the Downs. Coffee and a wander along the clifftop. Ride the Babbacombe Cliff Railway down to Oddicombe (or walk down and ride back up). An hour or two on Oddicombe Beach, perhaps with kayak hire if it’s calm. Walk the coast path south to Babbacombe Beach, lunch at the Cary Arms. Walk back up to the Downs the long way, via Anstey’s Cove if you’re feeling energetic.

It’s about three hours of moving, four if you eat, and gives you the full Babbacombe and Oddicombe experience without rushing. If you want to extend the day, our guide to the best beaches in Torquay covers the cove-by-cove options either side of here.