10 MAGIC Places to Visit in Devon (England)

In the west of England, Devon is a holiday favorite with sensational contrasts and variety.

To the south are the gentle resorts of the English Riviera, the fossil brick cliffs of the Jurassic Coast and the long estuaries with beautiful urban cities.

Inside the country are the ancient wilds of Dartmoor and Exmoor, places of legend and folklore, where wild ponies graze and go free.

And then there is the insufficient northern coast, all the rocky sands, the generous sandy beaches and the rolling surf. But wherever you go, you can't leave without feeding on tea and bread with detox cream on top of Devon.

1. Dartmoor

The largest and least inhabited open space in the south of England, Dartmoor is just as mysterious and amazing. This wilderness is full of stories about headless horsemen, ghost monks and pixies, who have inspired artists and writers for centuries, especially Arthur Conan Doyle when he wrote The Hound of Baskervilles. Giving the landscape an incomparable atmosphere is the granite, which bursts through the surface at the top of the Dartmoor peaks (hills), the highest points in the south of England. Granite has been carved into a multitude of monuments around Dartmoor dating back to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, all standing the test of time for the durability of this stone. In the west of England, Devon is a holiday favorite with sensational contrasts and variety.

2. Exeter

The name of this wonderful university town gives clues to its ancient origins, and Exeter was, in fact, the most southwestern Roman fortification in the British Isles. Don't waste time getting to the Gothic cathedral, considered one of the most beautiful in England. Sitting in the nave and embarrassed by the longest, uninterrupted vaulted ceiling of any building in the country. See the 14th-century Guildhall, which is the oldest civic building that still serves its civic function, and deals with the rich history of Exeter's historic trade. There are many, many more, such as the medieval underground tunnels and the fantastic Royal Albert Memorial Museum.

3. Plymouth

Few places could claim to have a maritime tradition as rich as that of Plymouth, which will forever remember names such as Sir Francis Drake and Mayflower, who left for America from this port. Explore the landscape of Plymouth Sound in Plymouth Hoe, as Sir Francis Drake is said to have played a game of bowls, before embarking on the war to meet the Spanish Navy at the Battle of Gravelines in 1588. The Barbican is the most Historic area of ​​Plymouth, a neighborhood by the streets, old inns and now studios and galleries of artists.

4. Torquay

Devon's blonde climate makes a more reliable escape to the beach than almost anywhere else in England, and Torquay must be at the forefront. There are nine sandy beaches on the seafront in this coastal town, three of which have the blue flag for water quality and visitor services. And these glorious beaches go hand in hand with a few good days with the family. At Kents Cave there are 700,000 years of human history, so there is a thrilling anthropological dimension in the tour of this remarkable natural formation. In addition, Babbacombe, the rocky district with a remarkable miniature village, Living Coasts Zoo and the elegant Cockington Country House and park.

5. Dartmouth Castle

You will be happy to find a more beautiful coastal city in England than Dartmouth. On the west bank of the Dart Estuary, the port has been a maritime hub for many centuries. The knights left the Dartmouth Crusade, and the spectators have been in the city since the Middle Ages. Many alleys and streets, such as Smith Street and Duke Street, look just as they did in Tudor times and are crowded with old inns and trading houses. See Class I Butterwalk, a delightful row of manor houses, supported by stone columns. Whodunits fans can also pay a visit to Greenway, Agatha Christie's holiday getaway.

6. Exmoor

Overlapping neighboring Somerset County, Exmoor is the second of Devon's two national parks, pushing toward the county's north coast. It is a world of untamed sandstone tombs, accessible by more than 1,000 kilometers of paths and trails, crosses rivers and meanders along green valleys and upwards, such as Dunkeria Hill, 520 meters. From the Middle Ages to the twentieth century the local economy was supported by the wool trade. Left behind are interesting and beautiful vestiges of this industry, such as water mills and yarn markets. Exmoor ponies run for free in the park and are not as much a breed as a pony species, closely related to wild horses.

7. Combesgate Beach, Woolacombe, Devon

On the north coast of Devon, Woolacombe Beach, often listed as one of the largest in Europe, is vast, sandy, green in green and with waves that are more than attractive. So this is part of a mix of families and sun seekers, but there is more enough space for both of these three miles. For the best waves, surfers only have to walk a few miles to Coryde. The beach has what could be described as the best beach in the country in the right conditions; a perfectly formed A-frame barrel best ridden in winter due to the wind from the shore and the healthy swelling of the Atlantic.

8. Totnes

On the Dart River in the South Devon area of ​​remarkable natural beauty, Totnes is a rather unusual town. This is a result of its alternative community, which encourages artists and musicians and creates a market twice a week with fair ecological and commercial products. For a regular visitor one of the most wonderful things about Totnes' independent spirit is the amount of local shops and restaurants, a real breath of fresh air compared to a typical English street. For history and culture, explore the ruins of Totnes Castle, be transported in the 14th century to the majestic Dartington Hall and watch the history of the famous Pomeroy and Seymour families at Tudor Berry Pomeroy Castle.

9. Sidmouth, Devon

Unlike many of the places covered so far, Sidmouth was just a small fishing village until the rich Georgians and Victorians came to make the most of the sea air and shingle beach waters. This sudden rise over several decades has given the city many streets of stuccoed and painted hotels and houses, as well as a royal esplanade behind the beach.

Landward, Sidmouth is bordered by all parts of East Devon of natural beauty and on the coast are the classic red cliffs of the Triassic period.

For real local culture come in the first week of August for the Sidmouth Folk Festival, with 700 events set up around the city.

10. Jurassic Coast

Both east and west of Sidmouth is the stretch of the Jurassic Coast, which is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here 185 million years of geological history have been revealed by coastal erosion. At different stages of its distant prehistory, this part of the world has represented many different types of environments, including swamp, sea and even desert, and from the rocks and cliffs on the rock are fossils of the massive variety of animals and plants that lived here. So, if you are not a fossil hunter, the east coast of Devon will be a dream area, following in the footsteps of Mary Anning, whose amazing fantastic discoveries from the 1800s have changed the prehistoric life of the world.