Paignton’s Sandy Stretches: Goodrington, Preston and Broadsands Explored

If Torquay is the dressed-up neighbour and Brixham is the working fisherman, Paignton is the family in shorts with a windbreak and a flask. The sand here is the proper bucket-and-spade variety, and the beaches stretch in an almost unbroken run from Preston in the north down past Goodrington and on to Broadsands in the south. For a family holiday this is, quite honestly, the most useful stretch of the English Riviera coast. Here’s the practical lowdown on Paignton beaches, ordered from north to south.

Preston Sands

Preston is the northern half of Paignton’s main seafront. It’s a long, gently shelving red-sand beach with a wide promenade running behind it, dotted with pastel beach huts that the council rents out by the day or week. The shallow gradient makes it good for very small children, and there are lifeguards in summer. Toilets, a small cafe and a children’s playground sit on the green at Marine Drive.

Parking is along Marine Drive and at Preston Green, both pay-and-display. Dogs are excluded from Preston Sands between 1 May and 30 September, but the promenade is fine year-round if they’re on the lead.

Paignton Sands and the Pier

South of Preston you reach Paignton Sands proper, the wide stretch in front of the pier. The pier itself dates from 1879 and still does the classic British seaside thing: amusements, doughnuts, a few rides at the end. The sand here is the broadest in Torbay at low tide, which is why you’ll see the families with three windbreaks and a barbecue staking claims by 9.30am in August.

The Geoplay Park at the harbour end is excellent for younger children, themed around the area’s geology, and free to use. Park at Paignton Harbour (TQ4 6BE) or Festival Theatre car park. Steam train fans should note that the Dartmouth Steam Railway departs from Queens Park station a five-minute walk inland and runs along the coast over Goodrington.

Goodrington Sands

Round the next headland (or through the underpass below the steam railway viaduct) and you arrive at Goodrington Sands, the busiest and most kid-magnetic of the Paignton beaches. There are two halves, divided by the harbour entrance: North Goodrington and South Goodrington. North is backed by the Splashdown waterpark and Quaywest amusements; South is quieter and backed by Young’s Park with its boating lake.

Dog rules at Goodrington are worth getting right. Dogs are allowed on the North end year-round but excluded from the South end between 1 May and 30 September. Promenade dogs must be on leads.

Parking is at two pay-and-display car parks: one next to the Inn on the Quay pub at the north end, the other near the crazy golf. Both fill up early in school holidays. Goodrington also has the Wave Cutter mini-train running along the promenade in season, and Reel Cinema and several cafes within a minute’s walk.

Broadsands

Three miles south of the town centre, Broadsands is the calmer, more locals-y option. It’s a wide curve of red sand with a row of cream beach huts at the back, low cliffs of grass either side and a green for picnics. The water is sheltered, which means it’s often the warmest beach in Torbay for a swim, and the famous Brunel viaduct (Dartmouth Steam Railway again) crosses the valley behind.

Dogs are banned on the beach itself from 1 May to 30 September, but there’s a dedicated on-lead exercise area on the green for the rest of the year. There’s one large pay-and-display car park a couple of minutes from the sand (TQ4 6HU), and a cafe and toilets at the back. It’s significantly quieter than Goodrington, particularly midweek.

Elberry Cove and the Walk South

Carry on south from Broadsands along the South West Coast Path and after about 15 minutes you reach Elberry Cove, a pebble beach with surprisingly clear water, occasionally used as a film location and a favourite of paddleboarders. There’s no parking at Elberry itself; you walk in from Broadsands or from Churston Cove. The remains of an 18th-century bath house sit at the back of the beach for a bit of historic flavour.

Beyond Elberry the path climbs to Churston Point, then drops to Fishcombe Cove and into Brixham, an hour’s walk in total if you fancy a proper coastal stretch.

Picking the Right Paignton Beach for Your Day

If you have very young kids: Preston for the shallow gradient and beach huts. If you want activities on tap: Goodrington for waterpark, mini-golf and cafes. If you want a quiet swim and a picnic: Broadsands. If you want to walk between two beaches: park at Broadsands and stroll the coast path to Elberry and back, about an hour with stops.

All four are within ten minutes’ drive of Paignton town centre, which makes a Paignton beach holiday genuinely flexible. For more on what to do when you’re not on the sand, see our guides to family attractions in Torbay and dog-friendly beaches across the bay.