Cottages in Brixham

Table of Contents

• At a glance: What should you know about renting a cottage in Brixham?
• Cottages in Brixham: find your perfect retreat
• Exploring Brixham: our top recommendations
• Activities: What are the top things to do and see in Brixham?

• Cottages by the harbour: Character cottages sit within walking distance of the quay, most with sea views, walled gardens or terraces, and space for two to six guests.
• Where to base yourself: Brixham Harbour suits first-timers, while Berry Head rewards walkers and wildlife watchers with clifftop paths and quiet mornings.
• Guests rate the views: Our highest-rated Brixham cottages earn praise for panoramic bay outlooks, generous kitchens and a genuinely unhurried pace.
• England's Seafood Coast: One of the country's busiest fishing ports lands the catch that reaches restaurant tables the very same morning.
• Things to do: Climb aboard the Golden Hind, walk the South West Coast Path and time a visit for the Pirate Festival in early May.

Brixham's cottages range from converted fishermen's lofts stacked above the quay to roomier stone cottages set back in quiet lanes, many with walled gardens and panoramic views over Torbay. Most sleep two to six, making them equally suited to a slow couples' break or a family week, and you will find plenty of {{dog-friendly cottages}{34065}{cottage_pet}, to bring all the family together. Expect the practical comforts that make a longer, slower stay easy.

• Sea-view terraces and balconies over the harbour
• Sheltered walled gardens for lazy afternoons
• Well-equipped kitchens for cooking the day's catch
• Log burners and lounge rooms for cooler evenings

Wi-Fi is near universal, so a longer, slower stay is easy to arrange.

What are the best areas to stay in Brixham?

For a first visit, base yourself around Brixham Harbour, where the fish market, the quay and the restaurants are all within a few minutes' walk. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Guests consistently single out the views. Reviews of Brixham cottages return again and again to waking up above the harbour, watching the trawlers head out before breakfast, and the short walk back from dinner on the quay. Owners are praised for thoughtful touches, from local produce on arrival to advice on the quieter stretches of the coast path. Ratings of 9.0+ are common across the town's cottages.

Here are our top-rated cottages in Brixham from the past year:

1. Seaside Stories - 10.0+: A two-bedroom cottage in Brixham praised for its bright, calm interiors and an easy walk down to the harbour.
2. Fishlegs - 9.8+: Sleeps six across three bedrooms in Brixham, with a generous kitchen guests use for cooking the day's catch.
3. Pebble Bay - 9.6+: A well-reviewed three-bedroom Brixham cottage, repeatedly commended for its space, comfort and quiet setting.

Brixham sits at the southern tip of Torbay in Devon, a working fishing harbour on the English Riviera, sheltered by the Berry Head headland.

🥗Where to eat in Brixham?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Esca is the best rated restaurant in Brixham. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest travellers recommend the David's Fish & Chips in Brixham: after a slow morning on the coast path, she takes a portion down to the quay and eats it watching the trawlers unload the day's catch.

1. Climb aboard the Golden Hind
2. Walk the Berry Head headland
3. Watch the fish market wake up
4. Swim at Breakwater Beach
5. Find the secluded coves
6. Sail across the bay
7. Join the Pirate Festival

1. Climb aboard the Golden Hind

   Moored in the picturesque harbour, the Golden Hind is a life-size replica of Sir Francis Drake's Tudor galleon and Brixham's most recognisable landmark. Climb below decks to see the captain's and officers' cabins, the cannons and the treasure store, and get a real sense of how cramped life at sea once was. The ship opens in all weathers and lays on activities for children, so it makes a dependable morning out when the coast path is too blustery for walking.

2. Walk the Berry Head headland

   Just outside town, Berry Head National Nature Reserve spreads across almost twenty acres of clifftop and woodland. It is best known for its guillemot breeding colonies and its rare greater horseshoe bats, and several butterfly species have been recorded here. Wide, flat trails make it easy going with children or dogs, and the Napoleonic fort at the tip gives long views back across Torbay. On a clear day, patient watchers sometimes spot a pod of dolphins offshore.

3. Watch the fish market wake up

   Brixham runs one of the biggest fish markets in England, and the harbour is at its most alive in the early hours as the trawlers come in and the catch is graded and sold. Even without a market pass, the quayside is a fine place to stand with a coffee and watch the boats work. The same fish reaches the town's restaurant tables within hours, which is precisely why the seafood here tastes as it does.

4. Swim at Breakwater Beach

   Near the mouth of the harbour, Breakwater Beach is among the cleanest beaches on the English Riviera and has held a Seaside Award for water quality. Its warm, sheltered water makes it a local favourite for snorkelling, with enough marine life just below the surface to keep a mask and snorkel interesting for an hour. The long breakwater wall itself is a pleasant, level stroll, and there are cafés close by when you have had enough of the water.

5. Find the secluded coves

   For quieter sand, walk out to Man Sands, reached only on foot along the South West Coast Path and backed by grassy hills, with no facilities and, usually, very few people. Churston Cove is the other reward for a long walk: a sheltered sanctuary with shallow, clear water that is safe for children to paddle in. Pack lunch from a Brixham bakery before you set out, because neither cove has anywhere to buy anything.

6. Sail across the bay

   Boat trips leave the harbour throughout the season, and the ferry hop across the water is the most enjoyable way to see the coast, taking in Elberry Cove, Thatcher Rock and Paignton Pier from the sea. Faster rib rides circle Torbay for anyone who wants some spray, while gentler guided cruises pick out the geology and wildlife of the shoreline. It pairs neatly with a stay in one of the cottages around Torbay.

7. Join the Pirate Festival

   Held over a weekend in early May, the Brixham Pirate Festival turns the historic harbour, once genuinely home to smugglers, into a sea of tricorn hats and crossbones. There are fancy-dress competitions, street food and drink stalls and music along the quay, and the whole town joins in. If your dates are flexible, it is worth booking a cottage around the festival weekend, though the best places go early and the harbour is busy throughout.