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From seaside hotspots and bougie harbour cities to historic cities and rolling rural landscapes, these are among the highest locations to go to in South Devon…
Southwest England is well among the best, and hottest, vacation locations within the nation. And Devon has all of it! Beaches to go well with all attainable tastes, an epic foodie scene, beautiful little villages, and one among England’s best wildernesses.
Neighbouring Cornwall could be higher often known as a seashore vacation vacation spot, however personally, I feel I want Devon. I stay simply next-door in Dorset, so I do know the entire southwest very properly. And after spending the final couple of months visting almost each nook of Devon whereas researching for a guidebook, I do know the county higher than ever!
So, I’ve popped collectively this information to probably the most stunning cities, best seashores and greatest locations to go to in your journey to south Devon.
Get prepared for seashore days, cliff walks, quaint harbours, river journeys, wonderful wildlife, and SO far more…
Map: Best Places to Visit in South Devon
For tthis submit, I’m specializing in probably the most southern part of the county moderately than the entire southern half of Devon. Exeter, Exmouth and past fall into ‘East Devon’ and received’t be coated right here – however they’re properly value visiting too!
12 Best Places to Visit in South Devon
1. Dartmouth
Spread alongside the west financial institution of the large Dart Estuary, Dartmouth has lengthy been a big port. There’s a prestigious naval school, a swanky yacht marina, and a historic harbour space to find.
Today, the city’s crooked streets and gorgeous outdated buildings home posh eating places, cosy bars, swish artwork galleries, and funky boutiques. Oh, and loads of nautical clothes retailers – there’s no escaping the maritime vibes right here!
One of the very best issues about Dartmouth is exploring by river. Take the ferry downriver to go to Dartmouth Castle, the oldest elements of which date from 1388. Next, take a leisurely cruise upriver to identify the wildlife together with seals, kingfishers, wading birds and (generally) otters. Finally, take the ferry to Greenway, Agatha Chistie’s former vacation residence, now a National Trust property.
2. Plymouth
Devon’s largest metropolis, Plymouth has a wealthy maritime heritage, incomes it the nickname ‘Ocean City’. Some of historical past’s most well-known voyages set sail from the port right here: together with the Mayflower Pilgrims, Captain James Cook and Francis Drake.
More not too long ago, Plymouth has been present process a dramatic transformation. The metropolis was closely bombed throughout WWII as a consequence of its function as a key naval port, and the hasty rebuilding left behind a metropolis centre that tended to favour performance over fashion.
But that’s all altering – thanks to fashionable new waterfront revelopments round Sutton Harbour and Royal William Yard, plus an thrilling new Arts Quarter. This final one is across the University space, with galleries, funky new structure, and the vigorous Tavistock Place.
Top issues to do in Plymouth
- Visit The Box – a improbable new museum showcasing Plymouth’s maritime historical past.
- Explore the historic harbourside Barbican space and go to the Mayflower Steps, the place the Pilgrims sailed from.
- Tour Black Friar’s Distillery – the house of Plymouth Gin and England’s oldest working gin distillery.
- Visit the National Marine Aquarium – the UK’s largest aquarium.
3. Burgh Island
You can’t skip Burgh Island if you go to south Devon – this iconic landmark is among the best locations for a mini journey! It’s a tidal island, related to the mainland by a strip of seashore that utterly dissappears at excessive tide.
At low tide, you may stroll to Burgh Island from Bigbury-on-Sea. Or, at excessive tide, there’s the Sea Tractor. This distinctive, bizarre-looking contraption is is operated by Burgh Island Hotel; you’ll discover timetables posted on the seashore carpark in Bigbury-on-Sea and on the entrance to the island.
There are solely a handful of buildings on Burgh Island, and no roads to talk of. This is a spot to get away from all of it: stroll the coast path, spot wildlife, and climb the hill for views of the coast. To eat, there’s the swanky artwork deco Burgh Island Hotel or the 14th-century Pilchard Inn – one among England’s oldest taverns and apparently haunted by a smuggler’s ghost.
4. Salcombe
Just alongside the coast from Dartmouth you’ll discover one other crusing mecca to discover. Siting on the mouth of the serene Kingsbridge Estuary, Salcombe is one among south Devon’s most upmarket locations.
This bougie little city – with its sheltered moorings, white sandy seashores, and fancy meals scene – attracts a little bit of a yachtie crowd. But there’s loads right here for everybody to get pleasure from.
Get prepared for unbelievable seafood (don’t miss the Crab Shack), epic cliff walks, and lovely seashores. South Sands and North Sands are closest, or take the ferry to discover the idyllic seashores round East Portlemouth on the other financial institution. You also can take a ferry upriver to the historic market city of Kingsbridge.
5. Torquay & The English Riviera
The three cities clustered across the large unfold of Tor Bay earned themselves the nickname of ‘The English Riviera’ across the time of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815). With the French Riviera offlimits, rich Georgians turned to the calm, sheltered waters of Tor Bay as an alternative.
Torquay and Paignton are the 2 largest cities. Both have some pretty seashores and a number of nostalgic seaside vibes. If you’re in search of the traditional English seaside expertise, that is the place to come back!
Torquay is a bit more upscale, with a number of grand Victorian villas and parks. Paignton is a bit more ‘cheap and cheerful’ and feels a bit run down in spots. But it has some pretty seashores (Goodrington and Broadsands particularly), plus a retro Victorian pier lined with funfair rides and arcades.
Best Things to do within the English Riviera
- Go Undergeround at Kents Cavern, a community of caves instantly beneath Torquay.
- Take the steam practice to Dartmouth.
- Walk the Agatha Christie Trail – the world-famous crime fiction author was born in Torquay and plenty of places right here seem in her novels. Or take a guided tour (from £28pp) – click on right here for more information.
- Hop aboard the Babbacombe Cliff Railway, a Nineteen Twenties furnicular right down to the crimson sands of Oddicombe Beach.
6. Brixham
Brixham can also be on the English Riviera, however has a really completely different vibe to Torquay and Paington. Colourful fishermen’s cottages are clustered onto the hillside above Brixham’s busy working harbour. This is residence to one of many largest fishing fleets within the UK, so the seafood scene in Brixham is unbeatable!
You can take fishing journeys and boat excursions from the harbour, or take a tour of the harbourside Fish Market with a fish breakfast on the wonderful Rockfish restaurant. Don’t miss the lifesize reproduction of the Golden Hind, Fransic Drake’s ship!
7. Dartmoor National Park
It’s not all in regards to the south coast in Devon – there are many superb locations to go to within the county’s beautiful rural inside, too. And one among my private favourites is Dartmoor National Park.
Honestly, I may wax lyrical about this place – however I’ll attempt to include myself! It’s one among England’s final true wildernesses: an unlimited space of heather-strewn moors, towering granite tors (hilltop boulders) and dense forests. And thriller! Legends, folklore and ghost tales abound on Dartmoor, and amidst these dramatic landscapes its simple to start out believing them.
Don’t miss the impossibly cute village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, the traditional Bronze Age settlement at Grimspound, or the long-lasting Haytor Rocks – a terrific spot for a stroll. I additionally love the stroll alongside the outdated Princetown Railway out to King’s Tor and the historic Foggintor Quarry.
8. Totnes
Right within the coronary heart of rural south Devon sits Totnes, the UK’s first Transition Town and doubtless probably the most moral city in England! It was one of many very first cities in The Transition Network, a worldwide motion by way of which communities purpose to deal with international crises at a neighborhood degree.
The result’s a artistic, community-minded city with probably the most unbiased excessive streets you’ll ever discover. The veggie/vegan meals scene is STRONG right here. Don’t miss Riverford Field Kitchen for a seasonal, farm-to-fork eating expertise.
There’s additionally loads of historical past to find – significantly the anceint Totnes Castle – in addition to the serene, wildlife-rich River Dart. Totnes sits on the head of the Dart Estuary; you may take ferry rides and boat excursions to Dartmouth, or hop on a kayak/SUP to discover.
9. Start Bay
Just west of Dartmouth, the large sweep of Start Bay is likely one of the most stunning spots alongside this stretch of coast.
Slapton Sands sits on the centre of the bay: a slender strip of shingle seashore between the ocean on one aspect and an enormous lake on the opposite. The lake, Slapton Ley, is surrounded by a wildlife-rich nature reserve and makes a great spot for a stroll. You can get a improbable view of all of it from on excessive as you drive out of the village of Strete. Driving throughout the skinny strip of Slapton Sands is a enjoyable expertise, too.
At the southwestern finish of the bay, Start Point is a good space for mountaineering and adventures. Hit the coast path to glimpse the stays of South Hallsands village, washed away by a horrible storm in 1917, and to go to Start Point Lighthouse. Follow the trail across the headland to succeed in the distant, crescent-shaped seashore at Mattiscombe Sands. Chances are, you’ll have the place to your self!
10. Teignmouth
Just northeast from Torquay sits one other historic seaside city: Teignmouth. There’s a grand Victorian pier, a fairly Georgian seafront, and a placing rust-coloured sandy seashore.
Beyond the nostalgic seashore vibes, Teignmouth additionally has a wonderful meals scene. It sits on the mouth of the River Teign (therefore the imaginative identify!), so is surrounded by wonderful produce. There are mussel and oyster beds on the river, a number of fertile farmland, and a improbable native fishing trade.
11. Dawlish Warren
Just alongside the coast from Teignmouth, Dawlish Warren is residence to probably the most stunning seashores in south Devon.
Dwalish Warren itself is a small village recognized for its cheap-and-cheerful vacation parks and retro amusement park. But simply outdoors of the city sits Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve – the proper place to get away from all of it.
The reserve is true on the mouth of the Exe Estuary, probably the most vital places for migrating birds recognized for its wealthy and diverse wildlife thorughout the 12 months. And skirting this nature reserve is an idyllic – and infrequently nearly empty – white-sand seashore backed by grass-topped dunes.
12. Tamar Valley AONB
Last, however undoubtedly not least, on this record of the very best locations to go to in South Devon, we’ve got the Tamar Valley Area of Natural Beauty. Just north of Plymouth, it is a wealthy rural panorama stuffed with rolling valleys and picturesque woodland.
Here, historical past and nature collide. Though Cornwall is extra well-known for its mining heritage, West Devon had its share of mines – significantly across the Tamar Valley. Don’t miss the traditional stannary city of Tavistock, a phenomenal little place with a terrific unbiased procuring scene, or Morewellham Quay, a dwelling museum the place you may take a experience on an underground mine practice!
The Tamar Valley is additionally a terrific place for strolling and biking. Try Drake’s Trail, a 21-mile biking and strolling route between Tavistock and Plymouth. You can do the entire thing, or only a part!
Top Attractions in South Devon – A Quick List
Below, I’ve listed a couple of of the highest sights dotted round South Devon. These aren’t fairly ‘places to visit’ however they’re all nice additions to any vacation.
- Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company – take a steam practice from Paignton to Dartmouth, river cruise to Totnes, then a bus again to Paignton. You can do that ‘Round Robin’ journey in any order.
- Greenway – a grand white nation manor as soon as owned by Agatha Christie.
- Buckland Abbey – a manor home constructed from a 700-year-old Cistercian monastery, as soon as residence to Francis Drake.
- Saltram House – historic property close to Plymouth used as a filming location for Sense and Sensibility.
- Overbeck’s Garden – stunning clifftop gardens close to Salcombe.
- The Miniature Pony Centre to fulfill Dartmoor’s most well-known residents!
- Salcbome Gin School – distill your individual bottle of gin!
- The Shops at Dartington – posh boutique retailers on the Dartington Estate.
- Sandridge Barton – a winery close to Dartmouth and the house of Sharpham Wine.
Best Beaches in South Devon
A fast spherical up of the very best seashores to go to if you hit the south Devon coast!
- South Milton Sands
- Hope Cove
- Dawlish Warren
- Bantham Beach, close to Bigbury-on-Sea (one of many south coast’s greatest browsing seashores)
- Blackpool Sands, close to Dartmouth
- South Sands and North Sands , Salcombe
- Anstey’s Cove, Torquay
- Goodrington Beach, Paignton
- Broadsands Beach, Paignton
- Torre Abbey Sands, Torquay
- Mattiscombe Sands, Start Point (can solely be reached by strolling)
- Ness Cove Beach, Teignmouth
- Wembury Beach, close to Plymouth
Read More
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Are there any extra nice locations to go to in South Devon that I’ve missed? Let me know within the feedback!