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Torquay
Town in Devon, England

Torquay

Torquay is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay.

Plan a trip to Torquay→From Cardiff

It lies 18 miles (29 km) south of the county town of Exeter and 28 miles (45 km) east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay and across from the fishing port of Brixham. At the 2021 census, the built-up area of Torquay had a population of 52,037.

Get in

Getting to Torquay

Exeter (EXT IATA) is the closest airport, but seldom the most convenient as it's lost its flights to London. Torquay is connected to the UK motorway network by the A380, which traces the outskirts of the town as Hellevoetsluis Way and Hamelin Way, leading to the A38 and then on to the M5 at Exeter.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Kents Cavern

    Home to early man for some 700,000 years, tourists can visit this subterranean wonderland.

  2. 02
    Babbacombe Model Village

    This is considered one of the best examples of a model village in England.

  3. 03
    Torre Abbey

    A Premonstratensian monastery founded in 1196.

  4. 04
    Babbacombe Cliff Railway

    Babbacombe Downs Rd, TQ1 3LF,.

  5. 05
    Cockington Court and Country Park
  6. 06
    Torquay Museum

    A Victorian museum centred around Agatha Christie though with many other exhibits throughout the ages.

Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    English Riviera Wheel

    A 60 m (200 ft) tall Ferris wheel, similar to the London Eye, offers souvenir photographs.

  2. 02
    Harbour Amusements

    As with any seaside town, there is an amusement arcade which provides a great way to get rid of loose change.

  3. 03
    The Princess Theatre

    Torquay's main theatre overlooking the waterfront.

  4. 04
    Babbacombe Theatre

    Babbacombe Downs Rd, TQ1 3LU,.

  5. 05
    Little Theatre

    Torquay is also set along a coastline renowned for its 9 main beaches.

  6. 06
    Maidencombe Beach
Eat

Where to eat

Chefs in the area are spoilt for choice when it comes to locally sourced seafood and meat. The cuisine has a distinctive West Country flavour. Adventurous diners can take a culinary journey around the world, sampling everything from French, Italian and Spanish, to Indian, Thai, Moroccan, Mexican and Lebanese cuisine.

  1. 01
    Bamboo Sandwich & Coffee Bar

    A small cafe, with a great sandwich selection.

  2. 02
    Hanbury's Famous Fish and Chips

    Fish & chips shop and restaurant, winner of several awards including Best Fish & Chip Shop 2007.

  3. 03
    The Room in the Elephant
  4. 04
    The Orange Tree

    14-16 Parkhill Rd, TQ1 2AL,.

How locals move

Getting around Torquay the local way

  • Go nextBrixham – A small fishing town, reachable by ferry.

From Wikivoyage: Torquay, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.