Find cool relief by the sea.
Martin Hesp Shares Favorite Atlantic Beaches to Escape Heatwaves and Explore Coastal Life
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Journalist Martin Hesp has named his favourite Atlantic-facing beaches for beating a heatwave, calling the ocean "a giant air-conditioning unit" that keeps the South West cool when inland Britain bakes. Devon Live reports that Hesp singles out the Atlantic fringe of Devon and Cornwall as the best escape when temperatures soar.
Hesp's guide is more than a holiday tip. He frames the beach trip as a biological homecoming — arguing that humans have been drawn to the shoreline for food, cooling, and survival for over a million years.
The Atlantic Acts as Nature's Own Coolant
Hesp argues the Atlantic Ocean is uniquely suited to cooling people down in summer. Unlike the North Sea or English Channel, the Atlantic's deep-water currents keep sea temperatures more steady and air temperatures lower. He told Somerset Live that the coast is "the only place to be when the interior of the country is baking."
The South West Coast Path runs for 630 miles along this Atlantic edge. It gives walkers access to beaches that are harder to reach — and therefore less crowded — even during a full-blown heatwave.
Beaches Fed Early Humans for 1.5 Million Years
Hesp reaches back deep into history to explain why people feel so at home on a beach. He points to Homo erectus — the first humans to leave cave life in Africa — around 1.5 million years ago. According to Devon Live, Hesp argues these early people spent large parts of their lives on the shoreline.
The reason was simple: the beach provided easy food. Shellfish and seaweed could be picked up without tools or hunting. Scientists have linked this coastal diet — rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, with roughly 300–500mg per 100g of shellfish — to the brain growth that helped turn Homo erectus into modern humans.
Artists, Boat Builders, and Coastguards Call It Home
Hesp notes that for some people, the beach is not a holiday at all — it is a workplace. Cornwall Live reports that he highlights artists, boat builders, and coastguards as groups who have long made their living on the Atlantic shore. Beach life, he says, is becoming more casual and creative.
This shift is backed by numbers. The South West tourism sector is worth around £5.2 billion to the regional economy. During heatwave weekends, revenue for coastal businesses can jump by as much as 40%, according to Visit Cornwall data cited in research linked to Hesp's report.
Secret Spots Come With a Cost for Local Communities
Hesp recommends less-visited beaches as the best escape — but this comes with a trade-off. Small Atlantic villages like Hartland in Devon struggle to handle the surge in visitors. Local residents have described what reporters call "tourism fatigue," as narrow lanes and limited facilities buckle under heatwave crowds. Devon Live flagged the strain on infrastructure in these remote spots.
Conservationists also raise a flag. If large numbers of people follow Hesp's advice and forage for shellfish and seaweed on the shore, fragile coastal ecosystems could be damaged. The Marine Conservation Society has warned that the littoral zone — the strip between high and low tide — is one of the most vulnerable habitats in Britain.
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