Torquay's advantages as a seaside resort and destination are obvious, with no less than nine (9) sandy beaches and extremely high standards of water quality (holder of 3 European Blue Flags, more than any other English resort). Torbay enjoys a warm micro-climate that allows palm trees to grow readily.Torquay is (in)famous as the setting of ''Fawlty Towers'', the hotel owned by Basil and Sybil Fawlty in the classic 1970s British television comedy. http://wikitravel.org/en/Torquay