The 164 bus from Totnes may vibrate like an old spin-dryer, but from the A381, through grimy windows, it commands a majestic view of perhaps Britain’s smartest coastline.
Down below, creeks and sandy coves fan out from the estuary, where yachts tack in the breeze.
The 164 turns and descends the steep hill with a gear-crunching judder – and we make a slow-motion retreat into another world, where the clock seems to have stopped long ago.
Welcome to south Devon’s Salcombe Bay.
That doesn’t mean it’s not fashionable and well-to-do. It’s not for nothing that Salcombe is known as Chelsea-on-Sea. This is one of Britain’s most expensive resorts. Yet out of season, it’s quiet.
Perfect for cycling. At the ferry terminus, I pick up an electric hire bike and pootle around the warren of one-way lanes and footpaths that criss-cross this medley of pastel-coloured fishermen’s cottages and former sea-captains’ houses.
There are chocolate, fudge and gin shops among the pasty emporia and pubs. Close to Banger Boatbuilding & Shipwright & Services is a rum cocktail bar, where I enjoy slowly sipping an espresso rumtini.
The Salcombe brewery pub lies between Mitch Tonks’ latest iteration of the Rockfish seafood chain. Nearby is Will Bees, a bespoke maker of handbags and accessories for the well-heeled.
Devon’s Salcombe Bay is complete with a majestic coastline and pretty chocolate box streets
Salcombe’s Harbour and the surrounding region is known as a luxurious part of the UK
The Winking Prawn was used in the 2025 film The Roses
Salcombe feels like a good place for a tipple. I head west out of the village along the coastal road to my Airbnb near the hamlet of Malborough. Here, I’m just in time for a sundowner with owner Rachael, also a masseuse, reflexologist and ocean-going yachtswoman.
From Malborough, there are stunning views across the headland – and it’s not all that far from the beach.
I trundle down for supper at The Winking Prawn, where joint-owner Lucy Culkin is soon delivering a well-mixed G&T in the inviting setting of this wooden shack. Prawns, crab and monkfish are served by daughter Bella, all fresh from Brixham market.
The Winking Prawn was one of the Salcombe settings for the Hollywood dark comedy The Roses, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.
On another night, just over the hill at South Sands, I check into the swish Harbour Beach Club, where the cast and director stayed during the three weeks of filming.
Rooms come with a flagon of free Salcombe gin, which I test on the balcony overlooking Splatcove Point and Salcombe Castle ruins.
In between cycling followed by G&Ts, I enjoy visiting Overbeck’s Garden, a subtropical Edwardian treasure of flora and fauna with outstanding views of the estuary.
Take the bus to Salcombe in the off-season and pootle about on a bike – I can recommend it.
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Why heading to Salcombe, one of Britain’s most expensive seaside towns, in the shoulder season is an off-peak treat – and what to do there
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