Activities In Torquay and surrounding areas

Torquay has beaches, countryside, lakes and the town centre itself. Because of this, there are many activities available. Below are some of our ideas.

Cycling

The English Riviera boasts some of the best coastal views in the country, so a bike ride between the Torbay towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham is very appealing. Torbay Council have now provided a cycle lane on stretches of road to make for safe riding.

One of the big impediments to the casual cyclist in Torbay is the hilly nature of the resort. The beauty of the coastal road for these cyclists, is that the hills are few and far between.

There are at least four cycle shops in Torbay that hire out bikes if you don't have your own. Simply The Bike (tel: 01803 200024) charge £10 per day or £35 for 6 days. Colin Lewis (tel: 01803 553095) charge £8 per day or £40 for 7 days with helmets an extra £2 per day.

Serious or a fun cyclist, old or young, there's a route in Devon to suit you. So get going. On yer bike!

Scuba Diving

Torbay, as well as a popular family holiday resort, has, over recent years, become very popular with the diving community, both as a place to learn the sport, and for the more experienced diver, as a place to enjoy spectacular shallow , and more challenging wreck diving.

For those already qualified, and looking for some interesting shore dive sites in the area, probably one of the safest actually within Torbay, has to be Fairy cove. Brixham Breakwater and Babbacombe Beach are also good, safe dives for the newly qualified.

For the more experienced diver, the deeper waters offshore really need to be accessed from a boat. Shag Rock and Shoalstone reef are two very popular dives, with an abundance of sponges, soft corral and anemones.

If you are coming down and would like to buddy up with someone experienced for a dive, Geoff Sharp, the owner of Venture Sports in Paignton, is more than likely going to be able to help. He can be contacted on 01803 523023

Fishing

There is an abundance of fishing in Torbay and many different species can be caught using the right tackle at the right spot. Some of the favourite spots include Princess Pier, Hopes Nose, Babbacombe Pier and Thunder Hole.

Why not charter a boat to go out fishing on? There's wreck fishing, deep sea fishing, specimen hunting and even shark fishing!

To charter a boat, phone Kevin Tate on 01803 315125.

Walking

There is 130 miles or so of coast in South Devon. Plenty of opportunities for walking. Most parts face into the sun and sheltered from prevailing winds by the great shoulder of Dartmoor. The climate overall is benign and earns the region the title of The English Riviera. There are two walks in particular that we like: from Maidencombe to Torquay - which is a remote and peaceful, whilst the second, from Torquay to Brixham, is a more urban walk.