Features
Teignmouth and Shaldon sit either side of the Teign estuary and between them cover pretty much every type of crabbing Devon has to offer. If you can only do one, make it Teignmouth — but the two together make a great day out.
Teignmouth Back Beach — sheltered, sandy, easy
Lower Point Car Park, from £1.20/30 mins
Adventure golf, skate park, big wheel, play area
Short ferry hop across the estuary
🎣 Teignmouth — the Main Event
Teignmouth Back Beach is the prime local crabbing spot and the one to head for. Calm, sheltered estuary waters, a sandy edge, and plenty of quay space to drop a line — it’s relaxed and well-suited to younger kids. Bait and gear are easy to find too; keep an eye out for buckets and lines displayed outside the shops near the waterfront, you can’t miss them. Go between the Ship Inn and Ye Jolly Old Sailor, and there are a couple of jetties to crab from.
🎣 Shaldon — Worth a Look, But Secondary
A short ferry hop across the estuary brings you to Shaldon, where you can crab from the ferry steps or harbour wall. At low tide there’s also rockpooling on the beach. Honest verdict though: Shaldon’s rockpooling is perfectly fine, but if it’s a choice between the two, Teignmouth Back Beach is the better crabbing spot and the one to prioritise. The ferry trip across is fun in itself — especially for kids — so it’s worth a visit for the experience even if you do your main crabbing on the Teignmouth side.
🚗 Parking
Use Lower Point Car Park — it’s open, has toilets, and puts you right where you need to be with several cafés nearby. Pricing is reasonable: £1.20 for 30 minutes, £2.10 for 1 hour, £3.00 for 2 hours, £3.90 for 3 hours, £4.80 for 4 hours, or £6.00 maximum for the day.
🎡 More Than Just Crabbing
Teignmouth has enough going on to fill a full family day beyond the water. There’s adventure golf, a skate park, a big wheel, and a massive play area — so when the crabs go quiet there’s no shortage of alternatives to keep kids occupied.
🦺 Safety and Accessibility
Teignmouth Back Beach is flat and accessible, making it manageable with pushchairs. Shaldon’s rockpools are uneven and slippery underfoot, so sturdy shoes are essential if you cross over. Keep children close near the water’s edge at both spots.
📝 Final Thoughts
Teignmouth is one of the more complete family days out on this list — great crabbing at Back Beach, plenty of facilities, decent parking, good food at The Ship Inn, and enough other activities to fill the gaps. Shaldon adds a bit of adventure via the ferry, but Teignmouth is the main draw and easily worth a visit on its own.