Day 4 - South West Coast - Bigbury-on-Sea & Burgh Island - Sea tractor and surfing

Nearby to Hope Cove is Bigbury-on-Sea, which has some of the best surfing waves in the UK (take a surf lesson at the local Discovery Surf School), and looks onto the exclusive Burgh Island, which is privately owned by the same folk who have built a very high-end hotel on the isle. You can stay there for between £300 and £600 a night.

There’s also a special pub there called the Pilchard Inn. According to locals, non-residents aren’t officially welcomed there – it’s very much a local’s local. But don’t worry about that, because the kids (and anyone who likes being a kid), will enjoy the sea tractor which ferries you across the 50 metres between the island and the mainland. The tractor is a unique contraption that looks exactly like a normal tractor, except you sit about fifteen feet high above the huge inflatable wheels. When the tide is out, you can walk the distance to the island, but when the tide comes in, the sea tractor will shuttle you across without you getting wet.




The sea tractor on Burgh Island (pic courtesy of Wikimedia - the tractor wasn't running when I was there as it was low tide)