Unfashionable seaside town voted ‘worst in UK’ is actually a great weekend break

Our writer discovered a different side to the home of Fawlty Towers (Picture: Maicey Navarro Griffiths) On paper, Torquay is the perfect tourist spot. So pretty it’s nicknamed the ‘English Riviera’, it has beautiful beaches, a decent food scene and a dash of historical intrigue. But this Devon town has a serious branding problem. First known as a fashionable seaside resort in the early 19th century, by the 60s, that had all changed. Mention Torquay today, and most picture coach trips, faulty hotels (sorry) and the kind of dated summer holidays your grandparents might have taken.  These days, it’s regularly voted the UK’s least favourite place and the worst small town for a break.  That said, Torquay still welcomes some five million visitors each year, so there must be something about the place. I went to see for myself and left pleasantly surprised. How to spend a weekend in Torquay Day 1 To start my trip, I took a walk through town, down the waterfront and past Torquay’s much-loved Agatha Christie statue, depicting her and her dog, sitting on a bench.  A passerby tells me it is a favourite among locals, and somewhat of a confusion for dogs. Sadly I am too early for the International Agatha Christie Festival (September 12-20), in honour of the legendary crime writer who once called Torquay home. I can see why dogs would be puzzled, it’s quite life like (Picture: Geography Photos/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Torquay has a few decent activities to help you pass an afternoon. The Fawlty Towers walking tour is a must, but there’s also the Babbacombe Model Village and gardens (pleasant to stroll around), and the Babbacombe Theatre, which rather bizarrely featured in the top 10% of world attractions in TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards last year. To be fair, Harry Hill and Jim Davidson have both performed there. For grub, stop by Pier Point, named the UK’s best fish and chips shop in 2025. Locally caught, cheap and delicious. What more could you ask for? Not a bad view from the hotel (Picture: Maicey Navarro Griffiths) Day 2 On to what is arguably Torquay’s star attraction: Kents Cavern, a network of prehistoric caves dating back 400 million years. As you drive past, you can see the retirement flats that were once the Gleneagles Hotel, which was the inspiration for Fawlty Towers after John Cleese stayed there in 1970. Two sights for the price of one. The cave tour takes you deep underground, through vast chambers and narrow passageways, tracing the lives of the earliest humans known to have lived in Britain. Part history lesson, part immersive experience, it shows that Torquay has more to offer than its seafront, especially when you’re visiting, like me, in the cooler months. It’s most suited for kids, families or historians, but I enjoyed walking through living history and learning about the stones.  Walking through history (Picture: Maicey Navarro Griffiths) Our guide, who switched off the lights at times to give us a ‘proper’ experience, told us you can rent out the caverns and get married inside. Not my dream wedding, but it certainly makes for a story.  Tickets for children are £17.50 and adults £21.50, available online. For the second part of the day, I headed to Sandridge Barton Vineyard, a guided tasting that was really the highlight of the trip. My favourite was a lightly fizzy white, ‘Bacchus ‘Stop Ferment’ 2024’, which I bought for £24 before nibbling on local cheeses and crackers sold in-house. The standout was the Rustic Chive & Garlic. It’s the perfect way to spend an afternoon, relaxing in the Devon countryside. The river flowing through the vineyard makes for a gorgeous photo spot. The wine can be stored for decades sometimes (Picture: Maicey Navarro Griffiths) Back in town, the harbour comes into its own in the evening. There’s a nice buzz about the place and the independent cafés, shops and waterside restaurants are quick to fill up. I perch at locally-recommended bar and restaurant Otto. It’s understated and trendy, and a far cry from the tired mental image most have of Torquay. I’m still thinking of the Rustic Chive & Garlic cheese (Picture: Maicey Navarro Griffiths) Hotel Indigo (Picture: Maicey Navarro Griffiths) If you’re looking to make a weekend of it, hotels like Hotel Indigo are an ideal base, with easy access to the harbour and the surrounding coastline.  Modern yet full of character, the rooms have wall to wall windows that capture sweeping sea views. From bed, you can see only ocean. With a rooftop bar, spa, and locally produced food in the on-site restaurant, you could happily hole up here for a true staycation. Torquay may not have shaken off its shabby image, but it’s no longer defined by it either. And for an easy weekend getaway that’s a little unexpected, it is not to be dismissed. Getting to Torquay from London Great Western Railway trains from London Paddington to Torquay take around three hours, making it an accessible long weekend from London.