Mediterranean Living, the South Hams Way

The kind of summer we chase across Europe — slower, softer, sun-filled — might be closer than you think.

Higher Cross Park, Thurlestone, Sleeps 12

There’s a particular rhythm to a Mediterranean summer.

Long lunches that gently dissolve into evening. Salt-dried skin after a morning swim. Doors left open, linen soft against sun-warmed air. Days shaped not by plans, but by light — and by mood.

It’s a feeling many of us instinctively look for abroad.

But increasingly, the journey there feels out of step with the kind of escape we’re hoping to find.

Here in the South Hams — along the Devon coast, in and around Salcombe — that same sense of escape comes naturally. And, perhaps, with a little more ease to it.

Salcombe: light, water, and that Riviera ease

On certain summer days, Salcombe feels quietly reminiscent of somewhere much further south.

The water shifts to a clear, luminous blue. White boats drift lazily across the estuary. The air carries that soft mix of salt, sea air, and the warmth of the day.

But it’s the rhythm of the day that lingers.

Mornings begin on the water — slipping across the estuary by boat, coffee in hand, heading towards one of the tucked-away coves. Sunny Cove is a favourite. Sheltered, peaceful, and only reachable by water, it has that rare, undiscovered quality — somewhere you settle into without urgency.

Time passes almost unnoticed. A swim. The warmth of sand underfoot. The quiet lull of the tide.

Later, the gentle return.

Back across the estuary, skin still glowing, hair carrying that soft, salty texture that only comes from a full day outside. Children, still sandy and sun-warmed, half-wrapped in towels, the day lingering on a little longer.

That unmistakable end-of-day feeling — relaxed, slightly sun-dazed, entirely content.

Back in Salcombe, everything softens rather than shifts.

A chilled glass of rosé — or something citrus-led — on a terrace overlooking the water, while children drift happily between ice creams, crabbing lines, and the easy freedom of summer evenings. The light begins to dip, turning everything gold. A slow wander through the shops, unhurried, enjoying the small details.

It’s sociable, easy, and quietly glamorous — without ever feeling overdone.

South Milton: barefoot, elemental, and beautifully simple

Where Salcombe has a certain polish, South Milton offers something more elemental.

The landscape opens out. Colours soften — sea, sand, sky — uninterrupted and expansive. It invites you to slow down almost immediately.

There’s something here that feels quietly reminiscent of Puglia — that same understated stretch of coastline, where beauty isn’t curated, just naturally present. Wide beaches, clear water, and a sense of space that allows everything to breathe.

At South Milton Sands, the day is shaped by very little at all.

A swim in clear, cool water. Warm sand under bare feet. Buckets and spades abandoned nearby, children moving easily between sea and shore, entirely absorbed in the simple rhythm of it all. The steady, grounding rhythm of waves folding onto the shore.

Time passes gently, without structure or urgency.

Lunch becomes whatever you feel like — something simple, something fresh — eaten slowly, without ceremony.

And then, as evening draws in, everything settles into itself.

At The Beach House, tables sit just back from the shoreline. Shoes are left somewhere behind you — children barefoot, sandy, and perfectly content — while a light breeze carries the scent of the sea, mixed with something warm from the kitchen.

A plate of local seafood. A glass of something cold. The last of the sun resting lightly on your shoulders.

It’s the kind of moment you might expect along the Puglian coast — simple, atmospheric, and entirely unforced — only here, in the South Hams, it feels closer, calmer, and somehow more your own.

The villa experience, reimagined in the South Hams

What defines a Mediterranean holiday is often the space you return to — somewhere that allows you to live almost entirely outdoors.

At Higher Cross Park, that way of living comes effortlessly. Set within the South Hams countryside yet just moments from the South Devon coast, it carries the feel of a secluded Greek retreat.

Mornings begin slowly — coffee beside the heated swimming pool, the water still and inviting in the early light.

Afternoons drift between sun loungers and shaded corners, returning again and again to the pool — the quiet centre of the day. Children move effortlessly between pool and garden — the kind of freedom that defines the best holidays — while everything else slows around them.

Higher Cross Park, Sleeps 10 +2

As evening arrives, the focus shifts.

The Italian-style courtyard comes into its own — stone still warm underfoot, the pizza oven lit, the scent of woodsmoke in the air. Dinner unfolds beneath the open sky, voices overlapping, laughter carrying easily, the evening stretching comfortably for all ages.

Later, the hot tub, the softness of dusk, perhaps a final drink as the light fades completely.

Higher Cross Park, Sleeps 10 +2

For a different perspective, Hygge offers something closer to the Riviera. Perched above the water, its terrace draws you out from early morning — light shifting across the estuary throughout the day, before settling into long, sun-filled evenings.

Hygge, Salcombe, Sleeps 4

Character, charm, and coastal living

For those seeking a luxury holiday home in the South Hams with a sense of history, Collacott feels akin to an Italian villa — the kind that has evolved gently over time, steeped in history and quietly full of character.

Its presence is immediate. Time-worn stone, softened edges, a sense that it has been here for far longer than you — yet inside, everything has been carefully and thoughtfully considered.

Collacot, South Milton, Sleeps 8

Days settle into a natural rhythm — a house that seems to suit every generation, with quiet corners for some and open spaces for others, all moving at their own pace.

Mornings begin slowly, the house still and cool. Afternoons drift between time outdoors and moments of pause — the hot tub offering

a place to sink into, to take in the surrounding landscape, to simply be.

Collacot, South Milton, Sleeps 8

And then, as evening arrives, the atmosphere shifts.

Under the pergola-style dining area, long summer dinners unfold in that unmistakably Italian way — unhurried, generous, and stretching on well beyond expectation. Glasses are refilled, conversation flows, and a bottle of something local sits open on the table.

Collacot, South Milton, Sleeps 8

Collacot, South Milton, Sleeps 8

On other evenings, the rhythm changes entirely — a gentle walk down to South Milton Sands as the light softens, the sea just ahead. Supper at The Beach House, shoes off, sand beneath your feet, the horizon stretching quietly beyond.

There’s something here that feels reminiscent of rural Italy — or the slower corners of Puglia — where history, landscape and lifestyle intertwine without effort.

A softer, slower pace

Some places encourage you to slow down entirely.

Summer Cottage has that gentle Provençal quality — soft light, quiet corners, doors opening onto the garden. Lunch stretches into afternoon, and time passes almost without notice.

Summer Cottage, Higher Batson, Sleeps 8

And at Sunrising, everything begins with light.

Early mornings feel almost still — the day just unfolding, the water catching the first brightness. It sets the tone for everything that follows: calm, restorative, and quietly luxurious in a way that feels entirely unforced.

Sunrising, Salcombe, Sleeps 12

The beauty of a British summer

Of course, this is England — and that comes with its own character.

Salcombe benefits from a wonderfully mild microclimate, often holding onto warmth and light when other parts of the country don’t. There are long stretches of golden, sun-filled days that feel every bit as transportive as those found further south.

But part of the charm lies in the variation.

A slower morning. A soft shift in the weather. An afternoon that calls for something different.

And here, that’s where the experience deepens rather than diminishes.

Lunches that move under cover, lingering a little longer. Evenings gathered around the table, the glow of the courtyard or the warmth of a fire replacing the heat of the sun. A glass of wine, the sound of rain somewhere in the distance, and the quiet satisfaction of being exactly where you need to be.

The South Hams — and a stay with Taylor Made Salcombe — are designed for this kind of flexibility. For living well in every moment, whatever the day brings.

The Luxury of Staying Closer to Home

What makes a summer memorable is rarely how far you travel.

It’s the warmth of the light at the end of the day. The feeling of salt on your skin. The ease of knowing there’s nowhere else you need to be.

The South Hams offers all of this — not as an alternative, but as something altogether more considered.

Closer. Calmer. And, in many ways, exactly what you were looking for all along.

Just a Drive Away

From hidden coves and sandy evenings to sun-filled terraces and long outdoor dinners, this is the kind of summer we often search for further afield — only here, it’s just a drive away.

No flights to catch. No queues to navigate. No passport needed.

Just long days by the water, salty skin, and the quiet pleasure of slipping into a slower rhythm for a while.

Explore the collection and discover your South Hams summer.

View our collection of luxury holiday homes in Salcombe & South Hams