About Islandeering
Hi and welcome to Islandeering Islandeering is for people who want adventure in Britain’s wild blue spaces – our rivers, coast, lakes, canals and islands. You will find amazing walks, paddles and swims in the UK’s most special places, those recognised for outstanding natural beauty, incredible geology or special and abundant wildlife.
More About UsWe continuously find new islands, rivers, lochs, canals and coast to walk, SUP and swim in and meet plenty of great folks along the way. Join our community to get new routes and adventures, latest blogs and news by using the email box below. Tune in also to our Facebook and Instagram pages to see where we are going next.
About Drakes Island
Key Facts
- Location: south Devon
- Size: 10ha
- High point: 49m
- Map: OS Explorer OL20 South Devon
An iconic island located on the largest sandy beach in South Devon, directly opposite the popular village of Bigbury-on-Sea. There are several buildings here, the most prominent being the Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel, closely linked to Agatha Christie, and a bolt-hole in the 1930s for London’s rich and famous, including Noel Coward. There’s also an old smugglers’ pub, The Pilchard Inn, three private houses and the remains of a building known as the huers hut along the high cliffs to the south of the island which was once used to watch out for shoals for the island’s pilchard seine fishermen. Access is via a sea tractor ride during high tide and a walk across the causeway at low tide. There is a car park at Bigbury-on-Sea.
Highlights of Burgh Island
- Burgh Island sea tractor ride
- A pint in the Pilchard Inn
- Paddleboard around the island
How to get to Burgh Island
The only way to get to Burgh Island is via the sandy causeway from Bigbury-on-Sea. At high tide you can ride the sea tractor; at low tide you can walk across the sandy causeway. By car use the postcode TQ7 4AS, for the Bigbury-on-Sea car park.
Where to park for Burgh Island
The Bigbury-on-Sea car park (charges), Marine Drive, TQ7 4AS, is a large car park right above the beach and causeway to Burgh Island. There is a café, paddle board hire and an RNLI station adjacent to the car park.
Burgh Island tide times
Check the Burgh Island tide times here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/coast-and-sea/tide-tables/10/17
Burgh Island Hotel
The iconic Burgh Island Hotel, is an art deco masterpiece located on its own private island off the coast of Devon. This luxurious hotel is a perfect retreat for those looking to indulge in history and elegance. Famous for its 1930s glamour, Burgh Island Hotel offers breathtaking sea views, exquisite dining, and unique tidal beach access. Enjoy cocktails with views or take a dip in the Mermaid Pool. Ideal for romantic getaways or special occasions, the hotel provides an unforgettable experience steeped in the allure of bygone eras. Book your stay at Burgh Island Hotel and step into a timeless paradise. https://www.burghisland.com
Paddleboard around Burgh Island
It is possible to paddleboard around the whole island at high tide in good weather to explore the wilder side of the island with its hidden coves and caves and get glimpses of the hotel’s grounds with its private tidal Mermaid Pool. Paddleboards are available for hire on Bigbury Beach. Alternatively, a full swimming circumnavigation is rewarded with a chance to swim through ‘Death Valley’, a rocky chasm between Little Island and Burgh Point that at specific tides amplifies the surf and becomes a maelstrom of water to challenge the stronger swimmer. Check out the Islandeering tab.
Burgh Island Walks
There is an extensive network of footpaths that circumnavigate the island. Starting along the sand beach of the north, the tombolo is full of beachgoers during the summer months especially when the tide starts to cover it and space becomes more restricted. The path ascends the island and passes between the inn and hotel to the rugged rocks and coves on the west coast and continues to ascend to the remains of the huers hut at the high point of the island, from which there is a precipitous cliff path across a narrow neck to Little Island. Returning, there are vantage points that overlook the hotel but the secretive Mermaid Pool remains hidden to all except for the hotel’s guests.
What to do on Burgh Island
We have shared some of our favourite routes below but more can be found on our Routes Map.
About Islandeering
Hi and welcome to Islandeering Islandeering is for people who want adventure in Britain’s wild blue spaces – our rivers, coast, lakes, canals and islands. You will find amazing walks, paddles and swims in the UK’s most special places, those recognised for outstanding natural beauty, incredible geology or special and abundant wildlife.
More About UsWe continuously find new islands, rivers, lochs, canals and coast to walk, SUP and swim in and meet plenty of great folks along the way. Join our community to get new routes and adventures, latest blogs and news by using the email box below. Tune in also to our Facebook and Instagram pages to see where we are going next.
Key Facts
- Location: Bigbury-on-Sea
- Size: 10ha
- Map: OS Explorer OL20 South Devon
- Starting point: Bigbury Beach, Marine Drive, TQ7 4AS. Grid ref. SX 6504 4415 (50.2818 , -3.8955)
- Parking: Bigbury-on-Sea Car Park (charges), Marine Drive, TQ7 4AS
Burgh Island paddleboard circumnavigation
Leave civilisation behind to explore the cliffs, hidden coves, and gullies of Agatha Christie’s island retreat
Look out for:
-
- Spectacular cliff scenery
- Paddle through Death Valley
- Find hidden coves
- Glimpses of the exclusive Mermaid’s swimming pool in the rocks
Burgh Island paddle board route description
Launch from the causeway beach, opposite the island’s famous art-deco hotel, and paddle towards the island, heading to the right of the Pilchard Inn and past the rock ledges. Once round Herringcove Point, weave through the rocky outcrops of Herring Cove and reach the island’s southwest corner, where steep cliffs loom large. Splashed pink by pockets of sea thrift and colonised by gulls and cormorants, this spot is known locally as ‘cormorant corner’. After negotiating more rocky outcrops, keep your eyes open for a giant flat slab of slate: hidden behind it is a cliff cave you can swim into. Paddle through Death Valley, a rocky chasm between Little Island and Burgh Point, to discover a secluded pebble cove that makes a peaceful picnic spot. Continuing on, you reach a stone wall on the island’s southeast tip, which marks the Mermaid Pool – a seawater lido for the exclusive use of the hotel’s guests. One you’ve completed the circuit, call into the Pilchard Inn for refreshments before paddling the short distance back to the mainland. There is fabulous home-made food at Bigbury Tea Garden, tel. 01548 810868; Venus café, conveniently located near car park, tel. 01548 810141
Special paddling tips:
Although it may appear calm when you set off, Atlantic swell and prevailing SW winds hit the south side of the island so check conditions before you leave at Bigbury , and the surf cam at Bigbury . Only circumnavigate the island in the calmest of conditions: light breeze and no swell.
Offshore wind: N through to E
