Overview

Babbacombe is a small, seaside town in the district of Torquay, It's a charming area and quieter than central Torquay. It has a small shopping area and Babbacombe Downs has delightful sea views. This is a general review of the area.

Transport & Parking

The nearest railway station is Torquay. There are buses that stop nearby. There is a car park by its shopping area.

Access

Babbacombe is mainly flat and consists of 2 distinctive areas. There is a small town centre with a couple of streets with shops, pubs and cafes. This is also where Bygones is, an attraction which has a memorabilia from the Victorian period to the 1950s, including a re-created Victorian street on the ground floor. It's upper floor are only accessible by stairs and I have done a separate review for Bygones. A 5 minute level walk from the shopping area brings your to Babbacombe Downs, with picturesque sea views. On the Downs is a lawned area, with a tarmaced, slightly sloping path which runs along the cliffs. There are benches and there's a small shelter with seating. There are a couple of restaurants (I've written a separate review for Angels, a cafe), hotels/ guest houses and pubs that overlook, but are set back from the Downs, so this area is quiet and relaxing. At the Downs is the upper station for the Babbacombe Cliff Railway, which is step free and takes you down to Oddicombe Beach, see my separate review for more details. Otherwise it's a steep path down to the beach. There is also a Model Village, which I had planned to visit but when I saw it, it is on a steep hill, and although there is a hand rail, I would have struggled to get around with my crutch, so regrettably I had to give it a miss, but it looked charming and well worth visiting if you don't have mobility difficulties. Also in the summer months on some of the evenings they open late and you can see it illuminated. The website has a very helpful accessibility page. When I visited I was allowed to look in and see if it was suitable for my needs before I purchased a ticket. Also on the Downs is Babbacombe Theatre, however I did not visit here during my trip. Overall there's enough accessible things to do in the area to spend a pleasant, few hours here.

Toilets

There are public accessible toilets in the car park by the shops and at Oddicombe Beach.

Staff

People in the venues I visited where very friendly and helpful.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

This was my first visit to Babbacombe, although I visit Torquay regularly for their Agatha Christie Festival. The area totally charmed me and I will certainly return next time I come to Devon.

Photos