Trains
The London Paddington to Penzance main line cuts through South Devon, calling at Totnes and Newton Abbot; some services also stop at Dawlish and Teignmouth. A branch line takes in the coastal stations en route from Exeter to Paignton.
Reading - Bristol: 1h15min, 20 GBP Bristol - Penzance: 4h30min, 25 GBP Bristol - Torquay: 1h30min, 20 GBP Torquay - Penzance: 3h, 10 GBP
Ferries
Penzance - Isles of Scilly (St. Mary’s Harbour): 2h40min, 100 GBP
Bristol
- Dockyard Museum
- Street Art Walking tour
Exmoor
National Park Wild and windswept moors, scattered villages, wild ponies, the highest sea cliffs in England. For Stargazing: Dark Sky Reserve https://www.visit-exmoor.co.uk/things-to-do-around-exmoor/natural-attractions/exmoor-dark-skies-2, https://gostargazing.co.uk/location-map/ Exmoor Dark Sky Reserve is rightly proud of being the first dark sky reserve in Europe. We have minimal light pollution and on a cloudless night you can see the milky way, thousands of stars and astronomical sights with the naked eye.
Jurassic Coast
The best places to find fossils along the Jurassic Coast are at Charmouth and Lyme Regis beaches. In most other locations, there either aren’t any fossils, or it is unsafe or not allowed to collect them. Lyme Regis museum, guided fossil walk https://www.visit-dorset.com/listing/lyme-regis-museum/13731301/
Exeter
English Riviera, Torquay, Dartmouth
- SUP or kayak near Dartmouth on the river Dart estuary. Book guided SUP tour to see seal colonies. Flowing serenely through a deep wooded valley, the Dart Estuary is the final, tidal stretch of the River Dar. Rich in wildlife and dotted with waterside villages like idyllic Dittisham, the estuary is best explored from the water. E.g. Totnes Kayaks, Canoe Adventures, The Paddle Shack Devon.
- Dartmouth castle
- 90 min cruise from Dartmouth to Totnes with the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Riverboat Company. https://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/
- Walk along Start Bay: fantastic walks and coastal views. Slaptons Sands, Slapton Ley. WWII tanks leftover from D-Day rehearsals. Coast path comes to historic light house Start Point Lighthouse. Many little coves and beaches, as well as a “ruined village” South Hallsands which was swept away by a storm in 1917.
Cornwall
- Land’s End
- Penzance
- St. Michael’s Mount
- Jubilee pool
- St. Ives: Known for its art and surf scene
- Isles of Scilly
- Falmouth: Surrounded by sea, Falmouth is an appealing jumble of lanes, old pubs, sandy beaches, and an excellent maritime museum. An ideal base for exploring Cornwall’s south coast.