Challaborough is a village and popular

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suita ...

beach in the District of South Hams on the south coast of

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

, England. The village is in the parish of

Ringmore Ringmore is a village and civil parish in the South Hams district, on the coast of Devon, England. The population taken at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 208. History The earliest surviving record of Ringmore is in the Domesd ...

, though the eastern part of the small bay and beach lies in

Bigbury Bigbury is a village and civil parish in the South Hams district of Devon, England. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 582, compared to 260 in 1901, and decreasing to 500 in 2011. The southern side of the parish lies o ...

parish. The beach is popular with surfers from

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

and the surrounding area because of its powerful waves. Challaborough village consists of two small static caravan sites (one of which is owned by

Parkdean Resorts Parkdean Resorts is a holiday park operator in the United Kingdom. It was formed in November 2015 through the merger of Parkdean Holidays and Park Resorts. As of 2022 it operates 66 holiday parks across England, Scotland, and Wales, and is the ...

) and a few private houses. Most properties have views of Burgh Island and Bigbury Bay. The beach is popular with surfers and holidaymakers. It is a horseshoe shaped bay with a sand bar protecting the entrance. The beach is divided by a small stream that runs from the valley down into the sea that forms the boundary between the parishes of Ringmore and Bigbury. For boats there are two slipways. One is privately owned by one of the caravan sites and is better maintained, although rather steep. Members of the public have to pay to use the private slipway, but the public slipway, which is only suitable for smaller boats, is free for all to use. Challaborough is popular with the diving community as there are several wrecks along the nearby coastline. Fishing is also good in the area as well as sailing and cruising. Although Challaborough is part of two civil parishes,

and

, and therefore does not have its own council, there is a local action group that aims to protect community interests. There are many footpaths as well as the coastal footpath. To the east is the more developed resort of

Bigbury-on-Sea Bigbury-on-Sea is a village in the South Hams district on the south coast of Devon, England. It is part of the civil parish of Bigbury which is centred on a small village of that name about a mile inland. At the 2021 census, the parish had a ...

and

Burgh Island Burgh Island is a tidal island on the coast of South Devon in England near the small seaside village of Bigbury-on-Sea. There are several buildings on the island, the largest being the Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel. The other buildings are thre ...

. In the other direction along the coast are a number of coves, Ayrmer Cove and Westcombe (pronounced Wis-com); although more challenging to walk to are far quieter and picturesque. A little further west is the mouth and estuary of the River Erme. The static caravans at Challaborough are mostly privately owned, but there are some hire fleet caravans. Facilities on the lower site include a nightclub, arcade, swimming pool, bar, shop, launderette and child's play facilities. The upper site generally enjoys better views but has fewer facilities and is situated on a steep hill. Disabled access around the lower site and the beach is usually very good; in the winter the sand sometimes shifts below the level of the disabled beach access. Dogs are banned from the beach during the summer months. RNLI lifeguards patrol most of the year. The surf at Challaborough can be excellent, powerful and well formed, hence the popularity of this venue with surfers from all over South Devon.

External links

Surf Challaborough

Challaborough tourism website

Blue Flag website
{{Devon Beaches of Devon Villages in South Hams Populated coastal places in Devon Surfing locations