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The best spots for crabbing in Devon

29th June 2020

Categories: Visitor News

With more and more places opening up throughout July and August, why not take the opportunity to get away with the kids before school starts again in September? You can find plenty of things to inspire your family trips to Devon here, but one way to entertain the children without having to spend lots of money or worry about the issues surrounding social distancing, is crabbing.

Crabbing is an age old tradition and child friendly crab lines can be picked up at a variety of places around the coast, so grab yourself a couple and head out to see what clawed critters you can find around Devon! Some places are better for crabbing than others, so here are some suggestions for the best places to find crabs.

Wembury Beach

Image: Wembury Beach, by @emmievernon on Instagram.

Located in South Devon, Wembury is one of the best places for finding marine animals. The coastline here is part of the Marine Conservation Area and is also a Special Area of Conservation and as such, there are plenty of fun creatures to be spotted. As it is a conservation area, you won’t be able to take anything you catch home with you, but seeing what is around and returning anything you catch the water is fine. Plus, because of its reputation for conservation, you’ll find interactive displays at the Marine Centre which will tell you more about the marine life in the area. The centre may have restrictions and changes to its usual schedule, so make sure to check before you venture over to avoid disappointment.

Salcombe Estuary

Image: Salcombe Beach

Salcombe is a beautiful part of Devon and during a hot summer, you can easily imagine you’re somewhere Mediterranian. While the adults enjoy catching the rays and enjoying the charming towns of Salcombe and Kingsbridge, the kids can amuse themselves in the marina with their crab lines. If you’re lucky, you might even spot dolphins, seals and basking sharks, which are all known to visit during the warmer months, just don’t attempt to catch any of those!

Seaton, Beer and Sidmouth

Image: Beer Beach

While each of these places are worth a visit and have their own charms, we’re grouping them together because they all have access to the Jurassic Coast which is always a good place to start when looking for small sea creatures. This part of Devon is particularly popular for those looking for rockpools and fossils too especially when the tide is out. Seaton Hole Beach is a great spot for finding crabs and other small marine life.

Babbacombe

image: Babbacombe from @fotoelvey on Instagram.

Set within the popular English Riviera, Babbacombe is a beautiful spot and is often less busy than neighbouring Torquay. It’s a popular place for divers and anglers because of the diverse sealife that can be found in the water and crabs are no exception. You can also find cuttlefish and of course, grey seals are pretty common in the harbour area too!

Will you be heading out to any of these spots to do some crabbing this summer? If you do, remember to follow all signage at the beaches and along the coast and to return the crabs and anything else you catch to the water. We’d love to hear what you find, so don’t forget to get in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter and to tag us in your photos on Instagram, find us at @visitdevon.