Holiday rentals in Brixham

The busy fishing town of Brixham sits on the South Devon Coast in the generally tranquil English Riviera. Its streets are lined with pastel-painted fishermen’s cottages and palm trees, and a seawater swimming pool beckons in the warmer months. Down at the harbour, you’ll find a floating museum inside a replica of a 16th-century ship, where you can learn about Brixham’s past as a rough-and-tumble hub for pirates and smugglers. For more local history and a great walk about the town, you can follow the local heritage trail, which stretches from St Marys Square to Berry Head.

In the centre of town, Middle and Fore Streets are excellent spots for a day of shopping, art gallery browsing, and cafe hopping. And as seafood is famous in Brixham, you may want to browse the daily catches at the morning fish market or order the local speciality — crab sandwiches — at most local pubs and restaurants along the Quay and the Strand.

This stretch of South Devon coastline earned its English Riviera nickname because of its pleasant climate, which makes this town a popular holiday destination all year. That said, it can be quite rainy during the winter, and plenty of wind comes across the sea — even during the summer — so layers are always a good idea. Summer months are warm and comfortable, with June to September the most ideal time to visit. Before the summer sunshine arrives, spring tends to maintain a cool but not unpleasant chill in the air. Come October, the summer warmth begins to wane, welcoming autumn in its cloudy and sometimes rainy glory.

The whole town is decked out in swashbuckling style at the end of April for the Brixham Pirate Festival, where you’ll find street theatre, special boat trips, musicians playing sea shanties, and plenty of people in costume. At the end of May, the town celebrates the first days of summer with BrixFest, three days of live music, fireworks, boat races, food stalls, and an arts and crafts market.

Brixham Harbour

The harbour is the centre of the action in Brixham, and it’s bustling year-round with ice cream shops, cocktail bars, historic pubs, seafood restaurants serving local crab and lobster, and gift shops. For a hands-on local history lesson, you can head to the Golden Hind Museum Ship or rent a boat for a fishing expedition in the bay. You can also catch a ferry for a day trip to Torquay or to explore the rest of the English Riviera.

Berry Head National Nature Reserve

Just east of Brixham, this 170-acre reserve boasts coastal walks with panoramic views, more than 600 species of bird, and protected waters where dolphins and whales often make an appearance. You can also see what’s left of a couple of restored Napoleonic War forts, visit the short (5-metre-tall) lighthouse, and stop for tea and a bite to eat at the cafe.

Breakwater Beach

About a 15-minute walk from the harbour, Breakwater Beach is known for its pristine beauty. It’s easy to see why, with its mixture of sand and shingle along the shore, clear and calm waters, and abundance of wildlife. Scuba divers can enjoy the seagrasses and shipwrecks year-round, and you’ll find many diving schools offering courses for beginners.