South West· 2 min read
Best Days Out in Devon — 12 Places Worth the Drive
From Dartmoor to Exmouth, here are 12 genuinely brilliant Devon days out for couples, families, and groups.
Devon punches well above its weight for days out. You've got two coastlines, a national park, and enough farm parks and steam railways to fill a summer. Here's our honest shortlist — the places we'd actually drive an hour for.
1. Crealy Theme Park & Resort, Exeter
The big one for families with under-12s. Queues stay manageable outside school holidays, and the indoor sections rescue a rainy day. Book ahead online — gate prices sting.
Check Crealy ticket prices →2. Dartmoor — Haytor and Hound Tor
Free, wild, and the best picnic view in the county. Park at the Haytor visitor centre, walk up to the rocks (20 minutes, pushchair-hostile but toddler-possible), then drive on to Hound Tor for the legendary food truck.
3. Paignton Zoo
One of the UK's better zoos — spacious, conservation-led, and genuinely a full day. The train link from Exeter makes it an easy car-free trip.
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Paignton Zoo
South West · Club partner
One of the UK's leading conservation zoos, set in 80 acres on the Devon coast.
4. Babbacombe Model Village
An hour of pure charm, and the gardens alone justify the ticket. Combine with the cliff railway down to Oddicombe beach.
5. Exmouth — Orcombe Point to the Beach
Two miles of proper sand, a flat prom for scooters, and the start of the Jurassic Coast. Go at low tide, bring a kite.
The rest of the twelve
- South Devon Railway — steam trains along the Dart, pair with Buckfast Abbey next door.
- The Milky Way Adventure Park — the wildcard: indoor rollercoasters on a Clovelly farm.
- Woodlands Family Theme Park — Devon's biggest, best value in shoulder season.
- Buckland Abbey (National Trust) — Drake's house, great for a slower day.
- Blackpool Sands — the prettiest beach in the county (private, so arrive early).
- Canonteign Falls — England's highest man-made waterfall, an easy family walk.
- Plymouth's National Marine Aquarium — the UK's largest, and a solid wet-weather banker.
However you plan it, book tickets online before you travel — nearly every paid venue here discounts advance bookings.
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