Hope Cove, South Devon

Hope Cove Holiday Homes

Cottages and houses above the two coves, under Bolt Tail and facing west into Bigbury Bay.

All holiday homes we list in Hope Cove

42 properties, with the street or area each one sits on. Prices and availability are shown on Booking.com when you open a property.

Holiday Homes in Hope Cove

Hope Cove is a village rather than a resort, and almost everything available to stay in is a whole property let by the week. The two halves — Inner Hope under the headland to the south, Outer Hope a short walk north along the shore — sit close enough to the water that a holiday home here is usually within a few minutes of sand.

The orientation is what separates this from Salcombe, five miles away over the peninsula. The estuary is sheltered, green and busy with boats; Hope Cove looks out across open water at the sunset, with the headland of Bolt Tail taking the worst of the westerly weather off the beaches. It is the better side for a beach week and the wilder side in a gale.

Two practical points. The lanes in are narrow and parking is limited, so whatever a property provides is worth confirming before you arrive rather than after. And there is not a great deal of stock here — this is a small village, and the good weeks go early.

Sheltered beaches

Bolt Tail shields both coves from the prevailing westerlies, which makes them among the more sheltered on this open coast. Both are sandy at the right state of the tide.

Inner Hope and Outer Hope

The old thatched square under the headland to the south, the newer building and most of the amenities to the north. A short walk apart along the shore.

Walk out of the door

The South West Coast Path climbs onto Bolt Tail in one direction and runs north along the sands towards Thurlestone in the other. A car-free week here is a real option.

Features & Amenities

Whole property with a kitchen and your own front door
Within a short walk of one or both coves
West-facing, so the sun goes down over the sea
The coast path starts in the village, both ways
Narrow lanes and limited parking — check what the property provides
A small village: book the summer weeks early

More about Hope Cove

Hope Cove faces west, which is the first thing to understand about it. Salcombe and the estuary are sheltered, green and busy with boats; five miles away over the peninsula, Hope Cove looks out across Bigbury Bay at open water and sunsets, and the weather arrives with nothing in the way.

The village splits in two. Inner Hope is the old part, gathered under the bulk of Bolt Tail around a small square of thatched cottages — it belonged to Malborough parish until 1974. Outer Hope, a short walk north along the shore, holds most of the newer building and most of the amenities.

Its history is fishing and rescue. The RNLI opened a lifeboat station here in 1878 and closed it in April 1930; an independent lifeboat, formed in 2011 and funded and crewed locally, covers Bigbury Bay now. From the village the South West Coast Path climbs onto Bolt Tail in one direction and runs north along the sands towards Thurlestone in the other.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hope Cove

Five miles (8 km) west of Salcombe and five miles south-west of Kingsbridge, in the civil parish of South Huish. It is the far side of the peninsula from the estuary — a different coastline entirely, facing west into Bigbury Bay and sheltered by the headland of Bolt Tail.

They are the two halves of the village: Outer Hope to the north, Inner Hope to the south, tucked under Bolt Tail around a small square of thatched cottages. They are a short walk apart along the shore. Inner Hope was part of Malborough parish until 1974, when it was united with its neighbour on the other side of a small headland.

They are among the more sheltered on this coast, because Bolt Tail takes the worst of the westerly weather off them. Both are sandy at the right state of the tide. As anywhere on this coast, read the local safety signage and check the tide before you commit to a walk along the sand.

Yes, but not an RNLI one. The RNLI ran a station in the village from 1878 until it closed in April 1930. Hope Cove Lifeboat, which covers Bigbury Bay today, was formed in 2011 and is completely independent — it works alongside the RNLI and the Coastguard rather than as part of them.

Realistically yes, unless you intend to stay put and walk the coast path — which is a perfectly good plan here. The lanes in are narrow and parking is limited, so check what your property provides before you arrive rather than after.