Paignton, South Devon

Popular seaside town and holiday resort in the heart of The English Riviera. Torquay to the north and Brixham to the south
Some of South Devon's best visitor attractions in the area. Visit Paignton Zoo, take a trip of the Dartmouth Steam Railway or spend the day with the kids at Splashdown Quaywest
Super pier
Sandy beaches and top watersports
Great for boat trips in Tor Bay and beyond
Main photo: Paignton Pier photographed in early morning from the red sand of Paignton Beach

Paignton and Tor Bay

Torbay/Tor Bay. Located in the heart of The English Riviera, the setting is stunning. Tor Bay arcs from Hope's Nose in the north down to Berry Head in the south. Paignton is a great base from which to explore the bay.

Paignton beaches

As you might expect, Tor Bay is lined with magnificent beaches.

Paignton Beach is a big red sand beach running north of Paignton Harbour. Paignton Sands is the southern section of the beach. Preston Sands is the northern section of the beach. Paignton Pier juts out from the centre of Paignton Sands.

Fairy Cove (Beach) is a pretty, small beach situated by Paignton Harbour and Roundham Head.

Goodrington Sands (Beach). Exceptionally popular red sand family beach just south of Paignton. Wander down to the beach on the South West Coast Path via Roundham Head.

Broadsands Beach. Further south of Paignton, this is a popular watersports beach. There's a huge car park behind the beach if the walk is too far from Paignton.

Paignton Pier

Paignton Pier. Enjoy this Victorian pleasure pier at the heart of The English Riviera. It's one of a number of piers on the South Devon coast. Sadly, the pier at Plymouth was destroyed in the 1941 Blitz.

Paignton Harbour

Paignton Harbour. Pretty harbour at the southern end of Paignton Beach.

Paignton ferries and boat trips

Whilst you're exploring the harbour area, book a ferry or boat trip. See our Paignton Ferries and Boat Trips listing for more detail.

Paignton waterpark

Splashdown Quaywest sits behind Goodrington Sands (Beach) just south of Paignton. Great family day out.

Paignton and the Dartmouth Steam Railway

Dartmouth Steam Railway is one of South Devon's most popular visitor attractions. Take a trip to Kingswear and then hop on the foot passenger ferry to Dartmouth.

Paignton Zoo

Paignton Zoo. Brilliant zoo on the outskirts of Paignton.

Paignton South West Coast Path

The South West Coast Path running north and south of Paignton is flat and gentle. We'd recommend walking to either Brixham or Torquay on the South West Coast Path and then catching the ferry back to Paignton.

UNESCO Gobal Geopark

English Riviera Global Geopark. The English Riviera Geopark was the world's first urban Geopark. Discover this internationally important area.

Paignton country parks

Cockington Country Park. Cockington is known as one of Devon's prettiest villages. Located on the edge of Torquay, the country park is packed with things to do and places to eat and drink.

Torquay

See our Torquay listing for detailed information. Highlights include:

Torquay Ferries and Boat Trips

Brixham

See our Brixham listing for detailed information. Highlights include:

Golden Hind

Brixham Inner Harbour