If you’re looking for a family-friendly beach with beautiful scenery, a haven for little ones, lots of rockpools to explore and facilities on hand, then you have to add Wembury Beach to your family holiday itinerary.
Wembury sits within a protected and carefully managed stretch of coastline, with areas in National Trust care and a wider Marine Conservation Area nearby.
If you’re building a few days around beaches like this, our luxury family-friendly holiday cottages in South Devon make a calm base between tide-timed adventures, nap breaks and easy evenings.
Read on for key facts about Wembury, the best times to visit and some rockpooling tips.
Wembury Beach offers a mixture of rocks, shingle and sand. As the tide goes out, it leaves behind extensive sandy areas and large rock platforms, which makes it one of the best Plymouth beaches for rockpooling and exploring.
If you’re looking for lots of sand and space to sunbathe, this isn’t the beach for you, but if you’re on the search for a beach with lots of areas to explore with your buckets, then Wembury should be at the top of your beach list.
Low tide is the best time to visit the Wembury coast, as it means that the rockpools are exposed and so are the sandy areas, making it the ideal playground for little explorers and big kids alike.
At high tide, the beach is pebbly and narrow, making it tricky to navigate with little ones. So, the top tip is to check tide times before setting off, as this could really affect how your day will pan out.
The most convenient place to park for Wembury Beach is the National Trust Beach car park, which is the closest to the beach. If you’re a National Trust member, you can park for free; charges are around £6 for the day in high season. The downside to this car park is that it fills up very quickly in the Summer, as you can imagine.
Alternative parking places include Wembury Car Park, which can be used if the beach car park is full or roadside parking along the road down to the beach. Just be mindful of some restrictions, so do check out the small yellow signs before fleeing the car!
If you want to avoid the big rush, it’s recommended you either arrive first thing in the morning when visiting on the weekends or in Summer, or later in the afternoon, with the bonus that the National Trust car park costs £3 after 4 pm.
Facilities are top of the list when it comes to a family day at the beach! You’ll be glad to know that there are plenty of handy facilities at Wembury beach, plus a lovely café (the Old Mill) serving hot drinks, light bites, ice cream and home-baked goodies. Forgotten the buckets? Don’t fear! There’s also a small beach shop open in high season for any last-minute seaside essentials.
If the rain catches you by surprise, Wembury Marine Centre is right on the beach and offers the ideal place to shelter whilst keeping the kids entertained with their tanks, hands-on exhibits and information on local sea life. Plus, it’s free to enter!
If the rain sets in, it’s a short drive from Wembury to the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth with its huge tanks, sharks, turtles, interactive screens and on-site café.
At low tide, the main beach at Wembury Bay is great for rockpooling with its shallow pools dotted around, which are great for little explorers who can easily reach them with their buckets.
The rocky foreshore to the west and east of the beach, towards the coastal paths have extensive rock platforms and tends to offer more interesting finds and is better for older children.
Why not create a sealife checklist for the kids to spot? Make sure you include shore crabs, hermit crabs, anemones, limpets, shrimps, gobie fish, small starfish and blennies. Good luck!
Remember the Seashore Code when out rockpooling at Wembury Beach: tread carefully around the rockpools, gently put rocks back where you found them, look at the sealife but don’t catch or take them home and take any litter home. Also, remember to keep an eye out for the tide so you’re not at risk of getting cut off!
Swimming at Wembury can be fun, but it’s important to remember there aren’t any lifeguards, so it’s good to be aware of water safety. When swimming with children, remember to stay by the shoreline and don’t venture too far out.
It’s safer to swim at mid to low tide, and Wembury is tidal, so remember that the water depth can change quickly.
One of the best walks to try is the Wembury to Heybrook Bay route, but expect steps and a few climbs. This walk covers 4.2 miles, but it gives some fabulous panoramic seaviews across Plymouth Sound.
Want to bring your pooch to the beach? Wembury is a dog-friendly beach between 1st October and 30th April each year.
During the Summer months, dogs can be taken on the coastal paths that surround the beach, but please note that dogs must be kept on leads around livestock and remember to clean up after them!
Don’t forget all those beachside essentials to make your trip as stress-free as possible!
Some items you might want to bring include:
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