If you go to Salcombe, you’ve got to get out on the water. Boats - big, small, wooden and everything in between - are part of daily life here and have been for centuries, writes CHRISSY HARRIS.

This beautiful stretch of water is home to almost every kind of vessel imaginable, a combination of Salcombe’s deep rooted connection to the sea - and the fact it’s the perfect place to be on a boat.

Here's a round-up of seven great ways to get out on the water and enjoy the best of the area this Bank Holiday Weekend.

Great British Life: Come and sample the delights on the Salcombe Food Trail.Come and sample the delights on the Salcombe Food Trail. (Image: Salcombe Harbour Hotel)

1. Food finds: The town has its own food trail. The self-guided tour takes you around the town’s top eateries, including Dick & Wills and The Crab Shed. See salcombeinformation.co.uk

Great British Life: Take to the water in a traditional Salcombe Yawl.Take to the water in a traditional Salcombe Yawl. (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

2. Yawl aboard! The Salcombe Yawl has a history going back at least 200 years and is famed for its craftsmanship, fine balance and manoeuvrability. Hand built from mahogany wood, with the three distinctive sails, this little boat is designed for speed. Rent your very own with the The Salcombe Launch Co.

3. Get the wind in your sails: Salcombe Dinghy Sailing offers both youth and adult sailing schemes, consisting of various stages and levels based on practical experience, which enable you to move up through the stages as and when the levels are completed.

Great British Life: The South Sands Ferry is one of the most famous boats around these waters.The South Sands Ferry is one of the most famous boats around these waters. (Image: South Sands Ferry)

4. Ferry tales: South Sands Ferry has been running for over 60 years. It was originally a small, open boat carrying up to 12 passengers who had to scramble ashore across the rocks on the southern side of the bay.

Great British Life: East Portlemouth, on the opposite side of the estuary to Salcombe, is served by a regular, year-round ferry service.East Portlemouth, on the opposite side of the estuary to Salcombe, is served by a regular, year-round ferry service. (Image: Neville Stanikk/VisitDevon)

5. A canine companion: East Portlemouth, on the opposite side of the estuary to Salcombe, is served by a regular, year-round ferry service in open-topped clinker-built motorboats. If you’re lucky, a black spaniel called Frodo (who belongs to one of the ferrymen) who will accompany you on your journey!

6. Truck stop: The Braai Guy is a South African-inspired rainbow-coloured food truck, serving local and seasonal produce cooked over the fire. The truck stops all over the South Hams and will be in Port Waterhouse, East Portlemouth this summer.

7. Beach life: South Sands beach in Salcombe is one of the most unspoilt beaches in South Devon. It’s located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in the mouth of the estuary.