Boats & FerriesA trip to the South Hams isn't complete without taking to the water at some point during your stay. If you don't have, or don't want to hire your own boat there are lots of trips available. The Castle Ferry is a fun & affordable boat ride and the perfect way to reach Dartmouth Castle. The Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company offers a variety of wonderful scenic cruises along the River Dart between Dartmouth and Totnes and also out to sea. Combine this with the wonderful Kingswear to Paignton Steam Train a great day out for all the family, young and old. The historic Lower Ferry Dartmouth is a good way of travelling between Dartmouth & Kingswear by car, where you can then drive on to visit towns such as Brixham, Paignton & Torquay. If you are planning to make a visit to Agatha Christie's Greenways then the Greenway Quay & Ferry Service is the best way to go. Or enjoy the perfect private river cruise on either The Banquet Boat or The Fizz Boat & enjoy an exquisite selection of food & fizz as you cruise the River Dart in style between Dartmouth and Totnes. (both can accommodate up to 12 guests)
For all available River & Boat activities and details of Boat Hire please click HERE Gyms & Personal TrainingIf you plan on keeping up your training regime whilst you are away (to keep all those calories from Fish & Chips and Devon Cream Teas at bay!) then look no further than Willpower Fitness. About a 15 minute drive from the centre of Dartmouth, Will Wood & his team offer both group and personal training sessions & can put you through your paces in a fun and relaxed environment whilst you are away.
Alternatively there is MKS Fitness Dartmouth, who have a wide range of cardio & strength machines, and they also offer classes including boxing, spinning & yoga, plus personal training. The Gym is open everyday 5am - 10pm. |
Eating & drinkingThere are so many fabulous pubs, restaurants & cafés to choose from in the area. In the village of Stoke Fleming itself Trattoria Spaggia is a small Italian restaurant serving delicious Pasta & Seafood. The fabulous village pub, The Green Dragon, is a local institution, popular with both locals and visitors alike for real ales & excellent pub grub, as well as Pizzas to eat in or takeaway. The village hotel Stoke Lodge, also serves good food and is open to non-residents. Just a 1-minute drive down the hill is Blackpool Sands who have a wonderful Cafe/Lounge/Restaurant as well as a takeaway.
If you are heading into Dartmouth to eat then Andria and The Seahorse both serve exceptional food. The Sail Loft Dartmouth Bar/Kitchen/Lounge is perfect for drinks, sliders & pizzas. YARN serves the most amazing burgers and a delicious brunch, and is open for drinks in the evening. If cocktails are your thing, then Bar 1620 Dartmouth serve the best cocktails in the SouthWest for sure, booking is essential. Our favourites include the Bayards Cove Inn, The Dartmouth Arms, Rockfish and Café Alf Fresco (aka Alf's!) is a MUST for breakfast or brunch. The Wheelhouse Restaurant is popular for Fish & Chips, & you can eat-in or takeaway, or stylish Browns Hotel & Restaurant for tapas and fine wine, or try the ever popular Royal Castle Hotel. If you want to go slightly further afield The Tower Inn in Slapton is fantastic and has a lovely garden overlooking the tower at the rear and The Cricket Inn at Beesands is located right on the beach overlooking Start Bay and has fabulous sea food, its the perfect pub to go to after a walk round Start Point and a trip to Start Point Lighthouse. |
Kids![]() We welcome children of all ages at and we have aimed to make WAVES our family friendly apartment as child-friendly as possible. We offer free use of high chairs, travel cots, changing mat, DVDs, toys, books, games, plastic plates, bowls, cups & cutlery. The Annexe & The Old Butchers are only suitable for babies or young children who can sleep in a travel cot or on a sofa.
Stoke Fleming has a wonderful park, great for children of all ages, and the fabulous Blackpool Sands beach is a 15 minute walk down the hill. As well as the many beaches and watersports available there is a wealth of things to do with children across the South Hams. Below is a list of just a few attractions nearby. Woodlands Family Theme Park Dartmouth Outdoor Heated Swimming Pool Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company National Marine Aquarium Dartmoor Zoo Pennywell Farm Paignton Zoo Plymouth Snowsports Centre Dartmoor Treasure Trail Splashdown Quaywest Water Park For a full list of Days out with the children please click HERE Events & Festivals 2025Devon County Show - 15th-17th May
Dart Music Festival - 16th-18th May English Riviera Air Show - 30th May - 1st June Bovey Tracey Craft Festival - 6th-8th June Dartmouth Pride - 28th June Tunes on the Sands (Blackpool Sands) - 11th-12th July Electric Bay Festival Torquay - 12th July Kingsbridge Fair Week - 19th-26th July Shakespeare Week - 29th-July - 2nd August Totnes & District Show - 27th July Torbay Steam Fair - 1st-3rd August Salcombe Regatta - 2nd-9th August Plymouth Fireworks Championships - 13th-14th August Dittisham (Ditsum) Regatta - 16th August Torbay Royal Regatta - 23rd-25th August Dartmouth Royal Regatta Sailing Week - 23rd-30th August Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta - 27th-30th August Kingsbridge Show - 6th September Devon Open Studios - 6th-21st September International Agatha Christie Festival - 13th-21st September Dartmouth Book Festival - 20th - 21st September Dartmouth Food Festival - 24th-26th October Candlelit Dartmouth - 28th - 30th November |
Beaches![]() Our properties in Stoke Fleming are located close to some of the most beautiful beaches in Devon if not the UK, below is a list of a few of them, all of which are well within a 45 minutes drive or indeed walk from our properties.
Blackpool Sands - approximately 15 minute walk Slapton Sands - approximately 10 minute drive Sugary Cove - approximately 10 minute drive Castle Cove - approximately 10 minute drive Beesands - approximately 20 minute drive East Portlemouth Beaches - approx 30 minute drive North & South Sands Salcombe - approx 40 min drive Bantham Beach - approximately 30 minute drive GolfDartmouth Golf and Country Club is approximately 4 miles inland, about a 10 minute drive. It is the South Hams only Championship Course. Designed by Jeremy Pern, it offers 2 exceptional golf courses, both created with sweeping fairways, ample all year round tees, and of course superb greens created from the dramatic surrounding landscape, all built to USGA Championship specification. The 7,200 yard, par 72 Championship Course, which has hosted the West Region PGA Championships on no less than 6 occasions, has been designed to challenge the most proficient golfer, with the strategic positioning of tees, meandering streams, 12 water features and undulating greens providing an excellent and enjoyable challenge to golfers of all abilities.
Thurlestone Golf Club is about a 35 minute drive away and is situated in an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’. Running along the stunning coastline of Bigbury Bay, the course is a mix of links and cliff-top terrain with the latter providing breath-taking views of the legendary Thurlestone Rock to the East and the beautiful Avon Estuary and Burgh Island to the West. It is an exhilarating course with majestic rocky seascapes above the coves where smugglers used to operate. It is ideal holiday golf - not too severe, with quite generous fairways but the wind, of course, can blow with a vengeance. Peter Allis once favourably compared the 18-hole course with the world-famous Pebble Beach in California. |