Devon Travel Guide
Devon is England’s southwest giant, the county that gave the world cream teas, cider and some of the most varied coast in the whole country. It has two national parks, two very different coastlines that feel like different regions, and a pace of life that rewards slowing down. This guide comes from the trips where I learned the practical essentials, the stuff that makes the difference between a good holiday and a great one.
Getting There and Around
The car is the practical backbone of a Devon trip. The M5 runs down to Exeter and the county spreads out from there, but summer traffic around Torbay and the north coast takes genuine patience, and Saturday mornings in August are best avoided if you can. Rail works well for the line down to Plymouth and the Riviera branch, Exeter has good connections to the rest of the country, and flights land at Exeter from a range of UK cities. Once you are here, a car gives you the freedom to chase the weather between the two coasts, which is a real strategy, because a cloudy morning on one side can clear over the other. On the narrow north coast lanes, patient drivers who stop early rather than squeeze past win the day.
Where to Stay
South Devon offers the classic seaside scene: Torquay, Paignton and Brixham for beaches, harbour life and family fun, plus the prettier creek-side villages of Dartmouth and Salcombe that lean more upmarket and foodie. North Devon is wilder and surf-focused around Croyde, Woolacombe and the lanes beyond, quieter and more dramatic, with big skies and strong coffee. Inland, the market towns and moorland villages give you the heart of rural Devon, with pubs, walking and slow mornings. Self catering cottages are the strongest option for grounding yourself for several days, and booking ahead in summer is essential the moment you have dates.
Two Coasts, Two Characters
The north coast of Devon faces the open Atlantic, with big surf beaches, red sandstone cliffs, and the dramatic coastline around Lynton and Lynmouth with its cliff railway. The south coast is gentler, with warmer, calmer water, sheltered coves and the elegant resorts of the English Riviera. You can see the contrast in a single dawn to dusk day by driving across the middle of the county, from the heaving Atlantic surf at Saunton to the calm of a Salcombe estuary at sunset. It is the same place and it feels like two countries, and part of Devon’s genius is giving you both in one holiday.
The National Parks
Dartmoor in the south is a huge open expanse of granite tors and free-roaming ponies, one of the few places in England where you can roam freely across the landscape. Exmoor in the north is darker and wilder, with deep wooded valleys, red deer and some of the highest sea cliffs in the country. Both are superb for walking, and both demand respect for the weather, which turns fast at altitude and brings the moor into its own in every season. Carry warm layers and a waterproof even on a summer morning; the valleys can be cool and the tops cold, and a change of conditions is more rule than exception.
Food and Drink
Devon’s culinary identity is loud and proud. Cream teas are the headline, served here with jam first and cream second, in deliberate and ongoing contrast to the neighbours across the Cornish border. Cider is the original Devon drink, with local orchards and traditional cider sheds worth seeking out and tasting with a long history behind each glass. Seafood shines all along the coast, with fresh catches at the harbours, and pub food across the county is consistently excellent. Foraged mushrooms in autumn, local cheeses, artisan bakeries and market produce round out a picture that makes eating a genuine highlight, so save room in the plan for at least one long, slow meal.
What to See
The essentials are the coast path, the two moors and the working fishing harbours. Add in Exeter Cathedral with its extraordinary vaulted roof, the memorable cobbled street of Clovelly, the lovely market town of Totnes, and family draws like the aquarium and the beachfronts of Paignton and Torquay. Give yourself breathing room, because Devon is bigger than it looks and the distances add up. The whole point is to let the slow rhythm of the place take over rather than ticking boxes at speed, and the county repays that patience with its very best self. Plan a loose itinerary, leave a day free for whatever the weather and your mood suggest, and Devon will keep surprising you. Some of the finest memories come from simply wandering with no plan at all, so resist the urge to cram too much into the days.
