Set on the South Devon coastline, Dawlish is a really pretty seaside town. There’s loads to do in this area for a weekend, enjoying all the best local sights and places to eat. Here’s the best itinerary for a weekend in Dawlish.
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When is the best time of year to visit Dawlish in South Devon?
To make the most of the best itinerary for a weekend in Dawlish, I’d recommend visiting just before or just after the summer. It can get very busy in this area in the school summer holidays, so it’s best to visit outside of the school’s holidays if you can. I visited in September and it felt like the perfect time of year. The weather was still warm enough to enjoy sitting by the sea, but it wasn’t packed with loads of school children.
I’d recommend getting this great guide to Devon when planning your trip (affiliate). It gives some great inspiration for the area.
Friday evening – exploring Dawlish
When you arrive in Dawlish on a Friday evening after a long drive, make sure you take some time to explore the town. The town of Dawlish is set right next to the railway line, with the sea just adjacent. You can enjoy watching the trains speed past, as well as enjoying the sea views.
Dawlish town is really pretty. The river running through the centre is lit up by colourful lanterns in the evening.
Dawlish is also the home of the Black Swan, and you can see some along the river. For dinner after a long drive, I’d recommend heading to Frank’s Frying. This fish and chip shop is my favourite in the town, with huge portions of delicious food. It’s the perfect evening to start the best itinerary for a weekend in Dawlish.
Saturday morning – Dawlish to Teignmouth
Start your Saturday morning with a walk along the coast path from Dawlish to Teignmouth. The whole walk takes about 1 hour 30 at a leisurely pace with plenty of photo stops. There’s a steep climb up the red cliff to start with, but the views are really spectacular. I loved watching the trains go past. The red rocks were really surprising as well, like something you might find in Australia not in Devon.
The walk from Dawlish to Teignmouth is well marked, with a few sections on a pavement next to the road and some other sections through vegetation and by the sea.
My favourite part of the walk was the section along the sea wall when you’re nearly at Teignmouth. The views were great, and the trains just made it extra fun.
Teignmouth is a beautiful town for a wander. There are plenty of shops to browse, and loads of options for lunch. I’d recommend the bakery, The Wee Shoppe Bakery, in the centre of the town. There’s a huge selection of delicious cakes, perfect after a long walk. There are plenty of benches along the seafront at Teignmouth, so you can sit here for your lunch. Take some time to relax, look at the view, and watch all the people and their dogs walking along. There’s also the pier in Teignmouth as well with fun arcade machines.
After lunch, walk along the sea front a bit more to get to a beautiful beach with beach huts. There are also beautiful views across to some yachts and other boats that are moored in the water.
I really loved this part of Teignmouth, it was so much more pretty than I was expecting.
After exploring Teignmouth, you can either walk back to Dawlish or take the train. I decided to take the train to save some energy and enjoy the views from the train. Its only £3.20 for a ticket from Teignmouth to Dawlish, and you can check the latest train times and prices here.
Saturday afternoon – Dawlish Warren
After having a rest back in Dawlish, I’d recommend heading over to Dawlish Warren for a late afternoon walk. The walk from Dawlish to Dawlish Warren takes about 45 minutes if you leave time for photo stops for the red cliffs and trains.
My favourite part of the walk was when you reached Langstone Rock. The red colours were just beautiful, and such an amazing contrast with the blue sea.
Dawlish Warren has a small area of shops, cafes, toilets and amusement arcade. However, my favourite part was the nature reserve just past the attractions. There’s beautiful soft golden sand here, which contrasts with the redder sand further up the coast.
Keep an eye out for wildlife as you walk across the sand dunes. I was lucky to see a kestrel hovering above the sand dunes.
The nature reserve at Dawlish Warren is the perfect place for a late afternoon walk at the end of your Saturday in Dawlish. There’s a train station at Dawlish Warren as well, so you can always get the train back to Dawlish if you’re tired. It only takes about 5 minutes on the train.
Sunday morning – Babbacombe Model Village
For day two of the best itinerary for a weekend in Dawlish, head over to Babbacombe. Babbacombe is on the outskirts of Torquay, about a 20 minute drive from Dawlish. Start your day exploring the Babbacombe Model village. It’s £13.90 for an adult ticket, and you can check out the opening times here.
Plan to spend about 1.5 hours wandering around the model village. There’s huge amounts of amazing detail, so it’s worth taking your time to look at the displays in detail. Some of my favourite parts included Stonehenge, the Royal Crescent, Superhero Mansion, and the streets of London.
It’s a really great place to spend the morning. The model village is outside, so dress appropriately for the weather. There’s also a cafe for lunch with some lovely outdoor seating if the weather is good enough. If the weather is particularly bad on the day you visit, you could consider visiting the nearby Bygones Museum for an indoor option. I didn’t have time to visit both, but I’d love to come back to visit the Bygones Museum.
Sunday afternoon – exploring the beaches and views of Babbacombe
After lunch, I’d recommend taking some time to enjoy the beautiful coastal walks and views. Start off by walking along Babbacombe Downs Road.
The views across to the sea and down to the beaches are just beautiful. There are plenty of benches along the path if you want to stop to take in the views.
Just before you get to Babbacombe Theatre, there’s a signpost to some steps that take you down to Babbacombe Beach. It’s a steep downhill walk through the trees, and can be uneven and slippery in places, but it’s a fairly easy way to walk down the steep cliff to get to the beach.
Babbacombe Beach is really pretty. After enjoying the beach, you can walk along the coast path a bit to enjoy more views. Find the sign to the coast path just up the road past the Cary Arms hotel, and continue to follow the signs uphill. It’s a steep walk up, but the views at the top are worth it. At the top of Walls Hill it’s fairly flat, so you can enjoy the views out to Long Quarry Point.
The coast path continues if you want to go further, but I decided to head back down to Babbacombe Beach. From there, you can follow the walkway next to the sea to Oddicombe Beach. This is another pretty beach with lovely red/orange sand, and great views across to the red cliffs. I just loved the view of the red cliffs in this area. It felt so different to the colours of rest of the UK coastline.
From Oddacombe Beach, you can walk up the steep path back up to the top. Or alternatively, a much nicer option is to take the Babbacombe Cliff Railway. It’s only £2.10 for a trip up, and they’re very regular so you don’t need to wait long. The views going up were great, and it’s a lot easier than walking up!
Back at the top, I enjoyed sitting on one of the benches and just enjoying the view. It really is a beautiful part of the UK coastline and I’d love to visit again soon. I felt like I saw a lot in a weekend, but there are many more places I’d love to explore in this area.
Enjoy the perfect itinerary for a weekend in Dawlish! Remember to check out this great guide to things to do in Devon (affiliate) to help you plan your trip. If you’d like to spend some more time in Devon, why not head to North Devon for some beautiful beaches. Or check out these other great places for a UK holiday.
This is a comprehensive weekend guide to Dawlish! Devon has been on my list of regions to visit when I am next in the UK. Have saved it for later.
Devon is a beautiful part of the UK, I hope you’re able to visit soon!