Here be treasure: the highlight of the hauls from local shipwrecks are the 500 glittering Moroccan gold dinars from the Salcombe Cannon wreck site, dating from the 13th to the 17th centuries. Evocative tools of the shipbuilding trade are also displayed – stretching hooks, caulking irons and drawing knives – alongside models of the boats they helped build.
Maritime Museum
Top choice in South Devon
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Greenway
12.75 MILES
High on Devon’s must-see list, the captivating summer home of crime writer Agatha Christie sits beside the placid River Dart. Part-guided tours allow you…
National Marine Aquarium
18.39 MILES
The UK's biggest – and perhaps best – aquarium is lodged beside the Barbican harbour. There's a huge amount to see, but the highlight is the impressive…
Plymouth Fish Market
18.41 MILES
Around 60,000 tonnes of fish pass through this market, making it the second biggest by volume in England after London's Billingsgate. It's an amazing…
Sharpham Wine & Cheese
12.91 MILES
Three miles south of Totnes off the A381, this renowned vineyard is chiefly known for its crisp, sparkling white wines, as well as its delicious cheeses…
Cotehele
26.95 MILES
At the head of the Tamar Valley sits the Tudor manor of Cotehele, one of the Edgcumbe dynasty's modest country retreats. The cavernous great hall is the…
Rame Head
20.79 MILES
A great bulk of rock topped by a picturesque clifftop chapel, Rame Head is another of Cornwall's most majestic coastal viewpoints, with a jaw-dropping 360…
Whitsand Bay
22.28 MILES
Small coves dot the coastline of the Rame Peninsula, but for a proper stretch of sand, this huge – and undervisited – bay is the place. Pronounced…
Garden House
23.62 MILES
The enchanting blend of landscapes here make this garden one of the best in Devon. Its 3 hectares encompass wildflower meadows and South African planting,…
Nearby South Devon attractions
1. Mill Bay
0.61 MILES
Salcombe's best high-tide beach, sand-filled Mill Bay sits across the water on the east side of the estuary. It's reached by either walking the lane south…
2. North Sands
0.82 MILES
Compact North Sands lies a short walk or drive (1.5 miles) south along Cliff Rd from the centre of Salcombe (on the same side of the estuary as the town)…
3. South Sands
1.14 MILES
Although it gets busy in the summer holidays, South Sands has immense charm. It's something to do with the broad beach (at low tide), the mini watersports…
4. Overbeck’s
1.29 MILES
An Aladdin's cave of curios, Edwardian country house Overbeck’s crowns the cliffs at Salcombe's estuary mouth. It's set in 3 hectares of lush, subtropical…
5. Cookworthy Museum of Rural Life
3.43 MILES
An engaging collection of school desks, cooking ranges, wagons and ploughs, plus a particularly fine photographic archive.
6. South Hallsands
4.85 MILES
The shells of a handful of houses clinging to the cliff at South Hallsands are the remains of a thriving fishing village. In 1917 a severe storm literally…
7. Sherman Tank
5.53 MILES
Wave-dashed as they are today, Slapton Sands have an even more dramatic past. During WWII, thousands of American servicemen trained here for D-Day using…
8. Bantham Beach
5.6 MILES
Bantham is, arguably, South Devon's finest low-tide beach. Set at the mouth of the River Avon, this dune-backed sweep of sand offers a cool cafe, surf…