Challaborough Bay beach is an enclosed Blue Flag sandy beach with some decent surf between tides, a stones throw away from Burgh Island of TV’s Poirot fame.

It’s a pretty spot with nice flat sand, a freshwater rivulet, and is ideal for walks in the gorgeous Devon countryside, and shallow paddling in the sea.

Challaborough Bay is home to a reasonably large holiday park, with the caravans leading up to the road bordering the beach. Parking is via the holiday park and is limited (£4.50 for the day). However, despite the proximity of the holiday park the beach is not too crowded.

It’s a pretty reliable place for surf, with a steeply shelving beach creating a fast wave at higher stages of the tide, although the swell dies back during the highest part of the cycle.

Challaborough Bay has been recommended to rightbeach as a quiet, relatively sheltered beach, ideal for families with young children.

Beach blurb

• Tide and weather »
• Lifeguards: 21st May – 18th September
• Water quality: Recommended »
• Dogs: No dogs May to September

See Challaborough Bay beach on a map …

Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:

• Parking is limited so get there early to ensure you avoid unnecessary stress.
• Chill out with an ice-cold drink at the Regatta Restaurant immediately overlooking the beach, or head over to Friar Tucks to grabs some fish and chips to take back to eat on the beach. Yummy.
• Time you trip. At high tide there’s not much beach left and the waves die down. At low tide however there’s rock pooling to keep the young ones occupied. Between tides – surf’s up!

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Area	Rating	Observation
Beach		A sandy beach with rocks exposed at low tide. Reasonably sheltered. Good for walks.
Crowded (1=deserted)		Quiet and not too crowded.
Surf		Better surfing between tides, with NO waves during high tide.
Sand		Yep – there’s sand.
Parking		£4.50 for the day in the holiday park car park but spaces are limited.
Toilets		In the car park, so not too far away.
Food		Ice creams and the usual fodder. Restaurant and fish and chips within staggering distance and groceries available via the holiday park shop.
Shopping		Via the holiday park shop.

Review by Tom v A