Fish Quay

The view from Fish Quay hits you straightaway - a proper sweep of the Devon coast that makes you understand why people bother with seaside towns at all. It's essentially a working harbour viewpoint just outside Dawlish, where you can watch actual fishing boats doing their thing rather than just tourist trinkets and ice cream vans. The quay itself is small and functional, nothing fancy, but that's rather the point. You get to see how the place actually ticks.

It's the sort of spot walkers gravitate towards. If you're staying at one of the caravan parks nearby - Lady's Mile Holiday Park or Dawlish Sands are closest - this gives you a legitimate reason to leg it into town without feeling like you're just repeating the beach routine for the hundredth time. Twenty minutes on foot from most of the accommodation, and you've got a completely different vibe. The light's usually best late afternoon when you can catch the sun on the water without the midday glare washing everything out.

Don't expect a café or visitor centre - this is working waterfront, not a prettified attraction. You pitch up, take in the boats, watch the gulls, maybe grab a pasty from town proper and come back. Kids will get restless after half an hour unless they're genuinely into maritime activity. Families doing the park holiday circuit between Torquay and Cofton Holidays will find it breaks up the routine without requiring a massive detour. Free, obviously. Go when the tide's proper in - low water just shows mud and disappointment.