Torquay
Torquay is the largest resort in Torbay, on the south Devon coast, and the place people mean when they say the English Riviera. The harbour and marina are the centre. Palms along the front are real, the product of a mild corner of the Channel, not a marketing department. The town climbs the hills behind the water, so a hotel that looks close to the harbour on a flat map can be a steep walk home.
Agatha Christie was born in Torquay. The local museum has a gallery about her, which is the factual version of the connection. You do not need a themed weekend to justify the trip. Paignton and Brixham are the other two Torbay towns. Paignton has a longer beach and the zoo. Brixham is the fishing harbour. Staying in Torquay and visiting the others by bus or train is easy. Staying in Brixham and expecting Torquay's restaurants outside your door is not.
Where to stay
Harbour hotels put you in the middle of the evening. They cost more in July and August and they are noisier. Babbacombe, to the north, is a cliff-top suburb with its own bay, Oddicombe beach, and a quieter night. Wellswood, between Babbacombe and the harbour, is residential and close to Kents Cavern. The train station is above the harbour, nearer the shops than the sand. If you arrive by train with luggage, a taxi is not a failure.
Guest houses further inland are the cheaper rooms. Ask how long the walk is after dark, because the hills are the thing visitors misjudge. Parking at a harbour hotel may be a space you reserve, a public car park, or no space at all.
The shape of a stay
A first day is the harbour, the seafront and one beach. A second day can be Kents Cavern, the cliff railway down towards Oddicombe if it is running, or a boat trip. The separate Torquay activities page lists those without turning them into a party package. For a smaller town on the same railway, go north to Teignmouth or Dawlish.
Getting there
Torquay station is on the Riviera line from Exeter. Change at Newton Abbot if your long-distance train does not come through. The faster route from London is still via Exeter. By car, the A380 drops into Torbay from Newton Abbot. In season the harbour car parks fill. This is a resort you can do without a car if you stay near the centre and use buses for Babbacombe, Paignton and Brixham.
Guide me to UK is an independent information site. We do not own hotels or take bookings. Fares, opening hours and timetables change, so confirm them before you travel. Reviewed October 2026.