Daniel Mays on why he loves Salcombe for messing about in boats by

The actor shares his secrets for eating, fishing and celebrity-spotting in the Devon town just don't call it Chelsea-on-Sea

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What’s your favourite destination and why?

Salcombe in Devon. My wife introduced me to it — she used to go on holiday down there as a child. Before that I’d been completely oblivious to it. She suggested it about 10 years ago, so we threw everything in the car and drove, and I fell in love with it instantly. Some people call it Chelsea-on-Sea, but when the weather is amazing down there it’s like the English Riviera. We try to go every year for a couple of weeks to recharge. It’s a place I feel so connected to. With the hectic life of an actor in London and everything else going on, I get there and I feel instantly more relaxed and chilled. It’s like a spiritual home for us.

Who did you last go with?

My wife, Louise Burton, and our kids, Milo, who is 19, and Dixie, who has just turned 12. They’ve grown up going down there. We love how it has a very quaint village feel to it and the locals are incredibly welcoming. We’ve really got in with the boating community at Whitestrand Boat Hire. You can rent a boat and go beach-hopping up and down the estuary, which is what we love to do. Over time we’ve become a bit more adventurous and go from North Sands to South Sands, over the other side to East Portlemouth.

Where’s your favourite place to stay?

We like to hire a cottage so it’s private and make day trips out to Kingsbridge on a boat.

What are the best places to eat?