Torquay boasts no fewer than 20 beaches and a surprising 22 miles of coast. Holidaymakers flock to the central Torre Abbey Sands (covered by water at very high tides); the locals opt for the sand-and- shingle beaches beside the 240ft red-clay cliffs at Babbacombe. These can be accessed by a glorious 1920s funicular railway; a memorable trip in a tiny wooden carriage that shuttles up and down rails set into the cliff.