With no fewer than nine sandy beaches! a famously mild climate, and views over the English Channel, Torquay has been a rather fashionable spot on the English Riviera since the 19th century, when more people started taking family seaside holidays. And Torquay still has plenty of Victorian era spa-town charm and seaside-y appeal. Before the rather grand Victorian hotels, with their white facades sprang up, the seafront was awash with guesthouses and B&Bs, and there are still some excellent options if you prefer a more personal style of accommodation. At this point we should point out that Torquay is the home of Fawlty Towers, but that our Gurus’ recommendations for the best places to stay in Torquay are chosen for their complete lack of chaos… Today there are contemporary hotels too, and some very good pubs-with-rooms, and converted inns on our list of the best places to stay in Torquay.

Before the beach-lovers started arriving, Torquay was known for its fishing catch, and this is still a fantastic place for seafood - if you like that sound of that there’s an annual Seafood Feast Festival held in September. Torquay’s famously mild microclimate means the growing season for produce is long and bountiful too. The long days of summer and mild, wet winters, make this a popular spot for sailors too.

As well as being popular with foodies and sailors, the best places to stay in Torquay are also still very popular with families. Torquay is still a great spot for kids. The numerous beaches include two with European Blue Flag status: Oddicombe Beach and Meadfoot Beach, and the many cabbage palms, bay bushes and pines give the landscape a Mediterranean feel that adds to the holiday atmosphere as much as the many ice cream shops. Torquay also offers visitors Kents Cave, a very significant Stone Age site; an Agatha Christie walk - she was born here; the Torquay Museum, known for its fossils; and the Babbacombe Model Village.

The Best Places to Stay in Torquay

For Families

• The Cary Arms is a gorgeous old, white and blue seafront pub with a collection of 21 boutique-style rooms, suites and huts, and an incredible position on the side of a cliff overlooking Babbacombe Bay. The ten rooms and suites in the main building are simple but chic, then there are three self-catering fishermen’s cottages and eight fun beach huts and beach suites right on the beach (these are fantastic for families — stay here and you can open your door directly onto the sundeck and then the beach), and all with a fresh, New England-y sort of feel. The gastro-pub style food is fantastic too, and there’s a spa.

Best B&Bs

• Tynedale B&B is a colourful converted home turned B&B in a convenient spot on the road overlooking Torquay Beach. It has four bedrooms, all individually decorated with contemporary flair and a hint of opulence - think velvet headboards and satin throws. Breakfast is an indulgent offering too.

Prefer a Private Apartment or Cottage?

• If you'd prefer the privacy of a self-catering option then browse through the wide variety available online with our partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• If you’re travelling via London, you can take the train from Paddington to Newton Abbot, and then a bus from there to Torquay - on a good day you could do it in just over three hours. The closest airport is Exeter Airport, which is half an hour away by car or taxi, or an hour and a half by public transport.
• If you want to hire a car we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• Torquay is a centre of activity on the Devon coast, and hosts all sorts of annual events - when visitors can expect Torquay to be at its busiest. There’s an Agatha Christie Festival in September, as well as a Seafood Feast Festival; around Christmas there’s a Bay of Lights festival; in summer there’s the Electric Bay Music Festival; summer also usually sees an Airshow, and several regattas. If you’re just here for the seaside, the best time to visit will be late spring, summer, and early autumn, which is also when it’s busiest for families, and other lovers of the English Riviera - as this region is now calling itself.

Still not sure where to stay?

• You could expand your search to include all the best places to stay in Devon?
• Or consider one of Torquay’s neighbours? Dartmouth? or Dartmoor?
• Or you could refine your search by the type of accommodation you’re looking for? and consider just the best country house hotels in Devon? or the best pubs-with-rooms in Devon? or Devon’s best spa hotels?
• Or you could contact one of our friendly Gurus for personalised advice.