This is Salcombe, the sweet spot for Devon’s sailing fraternity, so expect Dry Robes and deck shoes in all directions. It’s properly busy in peak season so stay at this 50-room boutique retreat instead, a short walk from town’s mid-summer madness. You’ll probably be content to stay put and soak up magical South Sands beach, which unfurls in front of the hotel, trying the hotel’s free OK-yar activities such as beachfront yoga and paddleboarding. Be back at base by dusk though to appreciate the sunset, complimentary G&T in hand.