Save Up for Portlemouth Down
This is another of our "must walks" in The South Hams.
Salcombe Town lies on one side of the Kingsbridge Estuary. It's all winding streets, artisan gin and equally artisan ice cream outlets, with plenty of other shops competing for your holiday dollar.
A £3 ferry ride is all it takes to reach the opposite shore, where golden sandy beaches and some of South Devon's finest coastal walking await. We studied the ferry over coffee. The largest combined fare for the 3 minute journey. £36. No wonder it was the same chap piloting it as last year. Pound per hour, he is the richest man in Devon. A title the landlord of the Ferry Inn, which we will come to later, is desperate to steal.
This short but spectacular route passes the idyllic Mill Bay and Sunny Cove before opening out onto dramatic clifftop paths leading to Gara Rock and Portlemouth Down. From there, the walk loops back inland along a wonderfully atmospheric sunken holloway, providing a fitting finale to a memorable circuit.
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| A fine way to start/end a walk |
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| The coves on the east side of Kingsbridge Estuary |
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| At the sea, heading towards Gara Rock on Portlemouth Downs |
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| A shady holloway for the return |
Devon CAMRA must have been reading my blog. There is always one pub in Salcombe in the Good Beer Guide and after last year's walk, I pronounced the pint at the Kings Arms, their recommendation, the worst of the entire week. They have been stripped of their entry and in 2026, this belongs to the Ferry Inn.
Whatever happens, it will be the winner of most spectacular entrance to a Good Beer Guide pub.
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| Mrs M (and Ziggy) looking forward to the Ferry Inn |
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| Unobstructed view from ferry |
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| Side On |
And possibly winner of best view from a beer garden.
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| Palmers 200, looking over to where we walked |
Of course, there is a catch. This 1749 boozer is a Palmers house. A phrase that normally induces an ache in the wallet. Add that to a tourist pub, with a view, in a place where the kids are called Ophelia and Tarquin and expect the worst.
Two pints - £15.30.
No Crisps.
Walk Details
Distance - 7.5 miles
Geocaches - 0
Walk Inspiration - Komoot
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