Out and About in the Surrounding Area

Situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and perched high above the sea overlooking Start Bay, Stoke Fleming has all the charms of a Devon village. It has two excellent pubs, a restaurant which also does takeaway fish and chips in the season, a Post Office Stores, a garage and mini-mart, a hotel (open to non-residents) and a fine 13th century church, all within walking distance of Coral Cottage

For a day on the beach our favourite choice is the nearby award winning Blackpool Sands which is situated in a spectacular crescent shaped bay and offers full facilities including toilets, beach showers, parking, safe sandpits, water sports with kayak and wetsuit hire and the Venus Café. Here you can enjoy anything from a full English Breakfast or a traditional Italian Panini sitting in the sunshine with the sound of the waves resounding around you to a moonlit evening meal in the season. Plus a full range of beach goods to help the family truly enjoy your day on the beach and in the water - buckets and spades, inflatables, suncream, beach games, hats, beach clothing, wet suits, boogie boards and kayaks.

Looking for a dramatic coastal walk? It’s quite a hike from Kingswear to the magical NT house and gardens of Coleton Fishacre, but well worth the effort! A more gentle meander takes you along the Dart Valley Trail to Greenway, the one-time home of Agatha Christie. Stoke Fleming is situated on the South West Coastal Path which offers a variety of tough cliff walking to gentle hills and lanes with an abundance of birdlife, wildlife and fantastic views – don’t forget your camera!

Imagine steeply wooded hills dropping down to meet a running river where sailboats and brightly coloured trawlers bob at anchor. Car and passenger ferries bustle back and forth; seawards you glimpse a cliff top church in the shadow of a protective castle and upstream the majestic Britannia Royal Naval College stands guard over the pretty town. On the opposite bank a steam train puffs its way alongside the sparkling river and all over reigns an atmosphere of quintessentially English eccentricity and elegance – Welcome to Dartmouth!

You can re-live the unique seafaring history of this port town by exploring the streets with such intriguing names as Jawbones, Flagon Steps, Damnation Alley, Kings Quay and Old Rope Walk. Dartmouth is truly a magical place – a mad hotch potch of architectural styles and shops that are quirky, unique and charming. Local produce is proudly presented by a host of top quality restaurants and cafes to suit every budget.

To enjoy Dartmouth fully, every visitor just has to take to the water at some time and there are plenty of boats for everyone. Try to make time to take the passenger ferry out to Dartmouth Castle or up river to Dittisham, Greenway or the historic town of Totnes. In the summer months, you may make friends with the grey seals on the way! For fun, fishing, birdwatching or simply sightseeing, why not hire a boat from the Embankment or a sailing dinghy from Dittisham. If you prefer not to take the helm you can embark on an organised river or coastal trip and if you’re lucky, you might see dolphins and basking sharks. For the more adventurous traveller, why not explore the creeks and river banks in a canoe.