Oddicombe Beach has achieved an Excellent Standard classification under the English Riviera Beach Standards. You can find out more about the beach standards and what they mean for visitors.
Nestled at the bottom of red sandstone cliffs Oddicombe beach is a sheltered haven for those looking for a relaxing day out.
This attractive stretch of shingle beach is perfect for simply hiring a deck chair, lying back and enjoying the spectacular views. For a bit more action there is a choice of water sports.
Away from the beach, a steep walk to the cliff top is well rewarded with magnificent views across the bay. For those who want the breathtaking views without losing breath, there’s access to the cliff top via the Babbacombe Cliff Railway.
"Popular with both locals and visitors this area of the English Riviera was once described by Queen Victoria in her journal as follows… “We came to Babbacombe, a small bay, where we remained an hour. It is a beautiful spot which before we had only passed at a distance. Red cliffs and rocks with wooded hills like Italy and reminding one of a ballet or play where nymphs appear – such rocks and grottos, with the deepest sea on which there was no ripple.” August, 1846. Despite its beauty the Bay’s geological story is a dramatic one. Here the limestones have been dramatically twisted and turned by geological forces. Around 300 million years ago, when plate techtonic action caused two huge continents to collide, the sedimentary rocks that had been laid down in the seas between the two continents were squeezed and piled up under intense
pressure creating a vast mountain chain. This major episode in the Earth’s history, known as the “Variscan Orogeny”, had a big impact on the rocks of Torbay. Sediments were folded and fractured as they were crumpled and pushed northwards by the collision and here these cliffs contain a geological surprise! The pressure was so great that a large fold turned over on itself so that the sediments are now completely upside down and the dark slates at the bottom of the cliff between Oddicombe and Babbacombe beach
are actually younger than the pale limestones of the Downs at the top! More recently dramatic landslides have hit the headlines when over 100,000 tonnes of rockfall debris fell down across the whole beach at Little Oddicombe and the north end of the beach at Oddicombe, effectively burying the former coastal landscape. It is estimated that the cliff top has regressed by about 30-40m over a length of approximately 140m, leaving a new cliff face about 5-15m in height."
Credit to: English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark
Information about toilets, cafés and beach facilities at Oddicombe Beach.
Facilities at Oddicombe Beach
Guidance for visitors with accessibility needs.
Accessibility information
Details of nearby car parks and Blue Badge parking.
Car parking near Oddicombe Beach
Delivering Harbour, Beach and Marine Services for Torbay Council.
