As locals who live on the coast of Devon and Cornwall, we’re constantly discovering new ways to experience the beauty of this special slice of the world. The fresh sea air and stunning landscape seem to be the perfect catalysts for total relaxation as well as fun-fuelled exhilaration, and with a coastline that’s strewn with beaches and bays, its a real playground for all.

Here we share our top 5 favourite things to do on the coast no matter if you’re a landlubber or a water baby…

Try Coasteering

An exhilarating way to get up close with nature, coasteering is one of the UK’s most popular adventure activities and it’s easy to see why.

Miles of rugged coastline and long sandy beaches mean plenty to explore, including sea caves, arches and hidden gullies and of course a range of cliff jumps, from small steps up to huge leaps.

There are numerous reputable coasteering companies in Devon and Cornwall offering family-friendly excursions for a variety of ages and abilities so there’s really no reason not to give this fantastic sport a try.

Discover a new path

The South West Coast Path is England’s longest waymarked footpath running for 630 miles from Minehead on the edge of Exmoor to the shores of Poole Harbour.

Relished by many millions of visitors throughout the year the path offers unrivalled opportunity to witness the sites and scenery of a truly magnificent landscape as it threads its way around the coastline through Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty National parks and seaside towns and villages.

If you’d like to try a new route but are not sure where to start simply head over to the South West Coast Path’s website where you’ll be spoiled for choice and inspiration.

Take the plunge

Swim in the sea for a year? You might be thinking ‘sure, why not?’ but is it really as easy as it sounds? Swimming in the sea in the middle of winter, in the rain and maybe even in the dark without a wetsuit on – now that’s a challenge, so the question then is, why do it?

The 365 Sea Swim Challenge aims to raise funds for local causes by simply swimming in the sea every day of the year. Founded by friends Chris Thomas and Rob Hunt, the challenge began as a personal goal to swim in the sea every day for one year without wetsuits, which is exactly what they did.

Once completed they found that the benefits of cold-water swimming both physical and emotional were remarkable, and having managed at the same time to raise and donate over £10,000 to local conservation groups and project the initiative has since seen a tremendous amount of support and success with many more now taking the plunge.

Each 365 challenger has their own personal goals and ambitions either raising awareness for a charity or cause or to win their own personal battles or recover from past experiences, so if you’d like to find out more head over to the Swim 365 Challenge website here

Get Involved

In March of 2021, Surfers Against Sewage launched their Million Mile Beach Clean initiative; the most ambitious and impactful community clean the UK had ever seen, involving 100,000 volunteers each committing to clean 10 miles of coastline, rivers, streets and mountains throughout the year.

To date that million mile mark has been well surpassed and we’re pleased to say that it has now become an annual initiative.

Not only is a beach clean great for the environment but its also a brilliant way to reconnected with the ocean and your natural surroundings, and with the campaign still going strong there’s still plenty of time to get involved. For more information head over to the Surfers Against Sewage website where you’ll be able to register your very own ‘mini clean’.

Take up surfing

Few sports are more synonymous with coastal life than surfing, and with Devon and Cornwall boasting some of the best surf beaches in the UK there really is no better place for taking to the waves.

A wholesome and addictive way to connect with nature, the sport continues to grow in popularity meaning that there are numerous surf schools with bases set up on the area’s most popular beaches so that every member of the family both young and old will be able to learn its basic techniques.

If you’d like to give surfing a try why not check out the Surfing England website where you’ll be able to find a surfing school near you.

You have to sea this

@luxurycoastal
ocean 1, newquay

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