Top Hidden Gems Day Trips from Torquay
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Hidden Gems Day Trips from Torquay include Long Quarry Point, Bradley Woods (Totnes), Staverton Weir, Sugary Cove, Haytor Rocks Dartmoor, Haytor Quarry, Spitchwick Common and Hound Tor.
Torquay sits at the heart of the English Riviera, but some of Devon's most rewarding corners lie a short hop beyond its palm-lined seafront. Right on the doorstep at Babbacombe, Long Quarry Point cuts a dramatic notch into the coast.
Head inland along the River Lemon towards Newton Abbot and you reach the meadows and medieval manor of Bradley Woods, while further up the Dart lie the swimming pools of Staverton Weir near Totnes. South towards Dartmouth, the tiny beach of Sugary Cove hides below wooded cliffs.
The real pull, though, is northwest onto Dartmoor, where a cluster of granite wonders awaits: the twin stacks of Haytor Rocks, the flooded pit of Haytor Quarry, the family river beach at Spitchwick Common, and the weathered piles of Hound Tor with its deserted medieval village. Together they make an easy set of outings, mixing coast, river and moor within an hour or so of home.
Whether you fancy a bracing clifftop walk or a lazy afternoon by the water, there is something here for every mood. Here are eight hidden gems for a day trip from Torquay.
Long Quarry Point
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Long Quarry Point Just a couple of miles from Torquay at Babbacombe, this headland was shaped by a large disused limestone quarry cut straight into the coast. Steep cliffs rise behind the quarry floor, dotted with rock pinnacles and old iron mooring posts, reminders of the days when stone was loaded onto boats and shipped away.
The rock is a well-studied Devonian limestone that holds the fossil remains of an ancient reef, and the point sits within a protected coast and a UNESCO geopark. A zig-zag path drops down from Walls Hill, and today it draws climbers and coasteering groups to its rugged ledges.
Bradley Woods (Totnes)
Photo: Derek Harper via Geograph.org.uk
Bradley Woods Despite the Totnes label, this National Trust property sits on the western edge of Newton Abbot, a short drive northwest of Torquay. Around a hundred acres of meadows, orchards and woodland fill the valley of the River Lemon, and the woodland itself, a protected site of small-leaved lime, is threaded with riverside and woodland paths open for walking, with dogs allowed on leads.
At its heart stands an early 15th-century medieval manor house, reckoned one of the most complete in Devon, which opens for guided tours on set days through the season. It makes a gentle, green half-day away from the coast.
Staverton Weir
Photo: Christine Johnstone via Geograph.org.uk
Staverton Weir A few miles up the River Dart from Totnes, this weir at the village of Staverton is a well-loved wild swimming spot within easy reach of Torquay. Swimmers head for the deeper, calmer pool above the weir rather than the weir face itself, on a quiet, wooded stretch of river with meadows lining the bank.
The old medieval Staverton Bridge stands close by, and the South Devon heritage steam railway runs alongside the Dart here, with a station in the village. There is parking near the bridge, and the water runs cold and clear, perfect on a warm afternoon.
Sugary Cove
Photo: Derek Harper via Geograph.org.uk
Sugary Cove South of Torquay near Dartmouth, this tiny, secluded beach of mixed sand and pebble lies below wooded cliffs, roughly a mile from the town and overlooked by Dartmouth Castle. Reaching it means a walk on foot from the castle car park down a steep path with steps, and there are no facilities once you arrive.
Time your visit carefully, because the beach all but vanishes at high tide. When the water allows, it makes a lovely quiet spot for a swim, well away from the crowds.
It is one for those happy to trade comfort for a proper sense of escape.
Haytor Rocks Dartmoor
Photo: Trevor Pearce-Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Haytor Rocks Northwest of Torquay on the eastern edge of Dartmoor near Bovey Tracey, Haytor is a great mass of granite and one of the moor's best-known tors. It rises in two rocky lumps split by a gap, standing high above the surrounding moorland at around 457 metres.
Back in the 1800s steps were cut into the rock to help visitors climb to the top, and the stumps of an old iron handrail can still be picked out. The open moor spreading around it offers wide views across Devon.
It is an easy drive out and a fine spot to stretch your legs.
Haytor Quarry
Photo: Gareth James via Geograph.org.uk
Haytor Quarry A short stroll from Haytor itself, this disused granite quarry sits in open moorland below the tor, an easy add-on to a Dartmoor day out from Torquay. Its main pit has flooded to form a pool below the worked rock faces, and around the water lie the remains of an old crane, its stone bases and iron parts left just where they stood.
The pool now draws dragonflies and other wildlife. Granite was cut here until the mid-1800s and hauled away on a tramway with rails made from granite itself.
It is a peaceful, atmospheric corner of the moor to explore.
Spitchwick Common
Photo: Derek Harper via Geograph.org.uk
Spitchwick Common Also known as Deeper Marsh, Spitchwick Common is a much-loved river beach and wild swimming spot on the River Dart, out on the edge of Dartmoor near Poundsgate and close to New Bridge. Grassy flats run down to a rocky river shore, with shallow water for paddling near the bank and a deeper pool tucked under a wooded cliff on the far side.
The peaty, tea-coloured moorland water is clean, and on a hot day it fills with families and picnickers. Parking sits nearby at New Bridge.
It counts among the best-loved bathing places along the whole of the Dart.
Hound Tor
Photo: David Smith via Geograph.org.uk
Hound Tor Rounding off the Dartmoor cluster, Hound Tor is a weathered granite tor near Manaton, its stacks of rock rising in dramatic piles above the moor. A short walk from a nearby car park leads up to it, and it is a firm favourite with walkers and climbers.
Just below sit the low stone foundations of a deserted medieval village, its ruined longhouses abandoned when the settlement emptied in the 1300s. The open moor all around opens up wide views across Devon.
It is a rewarding final stop, blending big scenery with a real sense of history on the edge of the moor.
FAQs
How far is Dartmoor from Torquay?
Dartmoor's eastern edge, where Haytor, Hound Tor and Spitchwick Common lie, is roughly 20 to 23 kilometres northwest of Torquay, an easy drive of well under an hour by car.
Which of these gems are good for wild swimming?
Staverton Weir near Totnes and Spitchwick Common on the River Dart are both popular swimming spots, while Sugary Cove near Dartmouth offers a sheltered sea dip when the tide is right.
Can you visit these places without a car?
Some are tricky without one, but the South Devon steam railway serves Staverton, and Bradley near Newton Abbot is walkable from town, making a few of these Torquay day trips possible by public transport.
Conclusion
From a quarried headland on Torquay's doorstep to the wild tors and swimming holes of Dartmoor, this corner of Devon packs an enormous variety into a small area. You could spend a morning fossil-spotting at Long Quarry Point, an afternoon exploring the medieval manor at Bradley, or a whole day chasing river pools at Staverton and Spitchwick.
Coast lovers have Sugary Cove; walkers and history buffs have Haytor, Hound Tor and its lost village. Most sit within half an hour or so of the town, so you can easily pair two or three in a single outing.
Pack sturdy shoes, check the tides where they matter, and take your pick. Whatever the weather and whatever your pace, these are the hidden gems for a day trip from Torquay.
