British Beaches

Visitor information for every beach in the UK

"I watched your ship as it sailed out to sea"

Paignton Preston Sands

(Paignton North Beach)

Devon, England


Rate this beach!
Approximate Location Map

Use two fingers to pan or zoom the map

Paignton Preston Sands is a popular beach located on the south coast of Devon, offering a wide range of facilities and activities for visitors.

Paignton Preston Sands is situated to the north of Paignton Sands, just south of the pier, and is a sandy beach approximately 800 metres wide, backed by a large town green. The beach is lined with colourful beach huts and offers a spacious and flat area, ideal for families.

The beach offers a range of facilities, including a café, shop, and kiosk selling drinks, snacks, and ice cream. Visitors can hire deck chairs and beach huts, and a beach wheelchair is also available for borrowing. The beach is suitable for a variety of activities, such as sandcastle building, rock pooling at low tide, bathing, and swimming, although there is no lifeguard service. A children's playground is located behind the beach, in the grassy area known as Preston Green.

The beach has a slipway and steps at various points along the seafront, providing direct access to the sand. Accessible toilet facilities are available, although not all are free. The beach is dog-friendly during the winter months, but restrictions apply during the summer months from 1 May to 30 September.

Paignton Preston Sands has been recognised as an award-winning beach, further solidifying its reputation as a popular destination for families and beachgoers.

Paignton Preston Sands is adjacent to the South West Coast Path.

Sand

Weather and tides for Saturday 19 July

Today
Chance of rain 60%
Max temp. 22°C
(feels like 20°C)
Wind 11mph
Max UV Index
Tonight
Chance of rain 87%
Min temp. 17°C
(feels like 14°C)
Wind 18mph

The tide at Paignton Preston Sands is currently falling. Low tide will be at approximately 6:45 AM, and the next high tide will be at approximately 1:27 PM.

Today's air pollution levels are forecast to be Low

Approximate sea surface temperature:   17.3°C  

Detailed weather and tides »
  • Facilities

    Food available Toilets Litter bins Slipway
  • Popular Activities

    Rockpooling Sunbathing Swimming Walking Water sports
  • Features

    Pier
  • Parking

    Limited on-street parking.

  • Dogs

    Dogs not allowed 1st May until 30th September.

  • Lifeguard

    No lifeguard cover at this beach

  • Awards

    Keep Britain Tidy Seaside Award

    Marine Conservation Society Recommended

  • Water Quality

    Good water quality

    Good water quality

Recommended holiday cottages near Paignton Preston Sands

Things to do and see in the area

Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company (0.8 miles)
Cockington (1.4 miles)
Torre Abbey Leisure Park (1.6 miles)
Western Lady Ferry Service (1.7 miles)
The Lorrens Ladies Spa (2.8 miles)
Kents Cavern (2.8 miles)
Babbacombe Cliff Railway (3 miles)
Babbacombe Theatre (3 miles)
Babbacombe Model Village (3 miles)
Brixham Battery Heritage Centre (3.4 miles)

All distances are approximate

Other beaches nearby

Location: Preston, Paignton

Location type: Urban

OS Grid: SX896617

Country: England

Local Authority: Torbay

Nearest postcode: TQ3 2NU

(for sat-nav purposes only, a beach does not have a postal address!)

Important! Beach information is compiled from a variety of different sources and is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of compilation. However, information may be incorrectly supplied by our sources or go out of date after publication. BritishBeaches.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy of any information on this page.

Stuff you might want for the beach!

(Or après-beach. Or pre-beach. Or, just because you might want stuff)

Visitor information for Paignton Preston Sands, Devon, England. Weather, tides, visitor comments, beach facilities, photos, nearest postcode, beach information and nearby accommodation.

British Beaches is a Good Stuff website.

18.97.14.84 Sat, 19 Jul 2025 03:44:32 +0100