Bigbury-on-Sea offers several ways to spend your time: a short walk on Burgh Island, a section of the South West Coast Path with river crossings, and activities on the beach. When planning, it is worth distinguishing between these options. The Burgh Island walk is 1.3 kilometres long; by contrast, crossings on the section from River Yealm to Bigbury-on-Sea depend on ferries and low tide. In summer, a seasonal passenger ferry also runs between Bantham and Bigbury-on-Sea (Cockleridge).
Burgh Island: Short Walk and Wildlife
The Burgh Island walk is an easy 0.8-mile (1.3 km) route. It starts and ends at Marine Drive Car Park in Bigbury-on-Sea. Its length, difficulty and start and end points make it easy to plan a short walk. This lets you consider the route as a separate option without confusing it with a longer coastal section.
Butterflies, moths, foxes, rabbits, badgers, hedgehogs, Common Lizards and a wide variety of birds can regularly be spotted on Burgh Island. Wildlife is seasonal, so possible sightings vary depending on the time of year.
Coastal Paths and River Crossings
On the section of the South West Coast Path from River Yealm to Bigbury-on-Sea, the River Yealm is crossed by ferry. The River Erme is crossed at low tide by fording it, while the River Avon is crossed by ferry. These are different crossings, each with its own conditions. Plan this section with ferry times and low-tide levels in mind, and check ferry information before travelling.
The seasonal passenger ferry between Bantham and Bigbury-on-Sea (Cockleridge) runs in summer; check its information before travelling. The mouth of the River Avon, also called the Aune, lies by Bantham and Bigbury-on-Sea. For travel planning, these are two separate points of information: the seasonal ferry service and the location of the river mouth.
Beach and Water Sports
Bigbury-on-Sea beach is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The beach has shallow water for paddling; Bigbury-on-Sea also offers opportunities for windsurfing and kitesurfing. This gives you a choice of different water sports, without implying that they all require the same conditions.
During the main season, Discovery Surf School offers kayak and paddleboard hire from a beach trailer on the Causeway side of Bigbury. The offer depends on the provider's availability. When comparing beach activities, bear in mind that hire is more limited than the general opportunity to paddle: it is seasonal and subject to the provider's availability.
Architecture and Golf
Burgh Island is a Grade II listed building. The Burgh Island Hotel is an Art Deco landmark on its own tidal island. For those interested in architecture, Burgh Island's listed status and the hotel's Art Deco character offer different points of interest.
Bigbury Golf Club's course has 18 holes and measures a total of 6,011 yards from the white tees. This figure applies to those tees; course specifications may change. If golf is important to you, check the club's current information before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Otterton, Swimbridge, South Pool, Hawkchurch, Winkleigh, Moreleigh, Parracombe, Beaworthy
For the broader travel overview: Devon.
