My favourite Devon beaches for family photography
I’ve been photographing families on location in Devon for over a decade, so I’ve got a very good idea of the best beaches for family photography. The South West is such a beautiful area. There are so many amazing beaches, as well as the moors, forests and general countryside, and it provides so many options for family photos. We are lucky enough to have two coasts to choose from, which offers such a range of beaches. When it comes to selecting a location for your family photo session, the beach is, unsurprisingly, a really popular option in Devon. It’s certainly one of my favourite choices!
But different beaches have very different looks, and the South West has so many options. Logistics are also important, and most of these options have parking, toilets and more. I think that these are some of the best Devon beaches for family photography:
- Saunton Sands, North Devon
- Beer, East Devon
- Bigbury, South Devon
- Westward Ho! North Devon
- Budleigh Salterton, East Devon
- Croyde, North Devon
- Mothecombe, South Devon
There are many other options, including a few secret spots that I might share with you if you ask me very nicely! But these ones following are tried and tested, and I really recommend them for family photography.
Saunton Sands
Saunton Sands is a fabulous beach. It’s a really big area of sand, wide and flat, with plenty of space to get away from everyone else, which is perfect for family sessions. Nobody wants to be surrounded by other people in their photographs, and Saunton Sands provides plenty of room to do this comfortably. There are lots of facilities in and around the car park, and pretty beach huts at the top of the beach. The wide, flat sand is just amazing for photographs, so it’s worth working with the tide to get the most out of this. Saunton Sands is dog friendly all year round and so is a great option if you want to bring your own furry family member! I also love the sand dunes at the top of the beach for something a bit different, and they are great fun for children to play in. It really is one of the very best beaches for family photos.
Beer
I think that Beer beach is one of the prettiest in East Devon. It has a very individual look. Beer is a fishing village, so you can always expect to see boats pulled up on the shingle, and lots of fishing nets and crates. Plus, there is a lovely line of beach huts at the back of the beach. All of these offer something extra as a backdrop to your images, and there is lots to explore. It’s often really lovely to have a pop of colour and gives something different to just the sea and beach. One of my all time favourites for family photographs, I’ve had many sessions here over the years and always loved them!
Bantham
South Devon has so many beaches that work well for family photos, but Bantham is particularly lovely. It also has a huge car park, with all the general facilities that you might need. It’s a sandy beach, with tons of space, and wide, flat expanses of wet sand when the tide is out. There are lovely views across to Burgh Island and the iconic Burgh Island Hotel. Plus lots of rock pools for little ones to explore and have fun with. Perfect for creating a fun environment that leads to natural family photographs of you all enjoying yourselves.
Westward Ho!
Like many other North Devon beaches, Westward Ho! (exclamation mark is officially part of the name!) is a great option. It’s absolutely enormous when the tide is out, so you have all the space in the world to get away from the crowds. There is also a pretty golf course on the sand dune area at the top. It’s always lovely to have the option of a different backdrop during a family photography session. You can walk around the golf course to find some really beautiful estuary views here as well. If you want a family photography session where you can get away from everyone else, then this is one of the best beaches for that.
Budleigh Salterton
Budleigh Salterton beach is a regular spot for my family photography sessions. It’s one of those beaches where you just can’t go wrong. The pink and grey pebbles seem to work so well, whatever the weather. It could be a golden sunset like the family group photo above, or a blustery day with grey skies. It always just looks beautiful. Access is easy from a large car park, but the pebbles do take a bit of scrambling over to get down to the sea. Dogs are allowed at one end of the beach all year round, so they can be incorporated into your session if you like!
Croyde
Croyde is a really popular beach, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a large sandy cove in North Devon, hugely popular with surfers and families. There are lots of rock pools to explore, sand dunes at the top of the beach and space to splash in the waves and have fun. It’s a particularly pretty beach, surrounded by green headland. If you are feeling energetic, there are incredible views on the coast path walk to Baggy Point.
Mothecombe
There are so many really wonderful beaches in South Devon, but Mothecombe is an absolute delight. It has to be one of my all time favourites. It’s a sandy cove on the Erme estuary, and a wonderfully family friendly option with rock pools to explore. There are trees and fields framing the back of the cove, creating a beautiful backdrop for your family photographs in all directions. There is a 10 minute walk downhill from the car park to the beach, and the facilities are fairly basic. But this also means it tends to be slightly quieter than some other options, particularly during the week. Dogs are not allowed on this beach from May to September, so this is a great option if you are trying to avoid them. It’s just such a pretty spot, and worth the extra effort for your family photography!
So these are some of the best Devon beaches for family photography. In my opinion, anyway! I hope that this has been helpful to read, and do get in touch if you’d like to know more. There are lots of other options in Devon beside beaches, so you might also like to look at this blog post about different locations in Devon.
If you’d like to find out more about booking a photography session for your own family then you can read more about it here. Or please do just get in touch for a chat, I’d love to hear from you!
