The "English Riviera" is a marketing name for a 22-mile stretch of coastline in South Devon, encompassing the towns of Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham. The term was coined in the Victorian era to compare the region's mild microclimate and scenic beauty to the French Riviera (the Côte d'Azur). Because of its south-facing position and the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, the area supports the growth of "exotic" plants like the Torbay Palm, which are rarely seen elsewhere in the United Kingdom. During the Napoleonic Wars, when wealthy British travelers were unable to visit continental Europe, Torbay became the fashionable alternative for "taking the sea air." In 2026, it remains a premier UK domestic holiday destination, characterized by its "UNESCO Global Geopark" status, Victorian architecture, and a turquoise-blue bay that—on a sunny day—authentically mimics the Mediterranean aesthetic that its 19th-century promoters so cleverly invoked.