Devon advice

[Bugsy73]

Have decided to have a UK holiday again this summer as too nervous of covid and all the mayhem it may cause when travelling abroad.
Would love advice on the nicest places to go in Devon. We have 3 teenagers.
Thanks!

North Devon would be good for teens. Woolacombe is good for body board/ surfing etc.

I also really like Combe Martin, you can jump off the path into the park sea when the tides in and it has the most amazing rock pools. The water quality has been a bit hit and Miss recently though and sometimes swimming isn’t advised.

I was thinking North Devon. We really like Lynton/Lynmouth for a day trip so maybe somewhere close to there? Do you know anything about Ilfracombe?

Another vote for north Devon, in reach of croyde will get you brownie points. Surf lessons even more. I put mine in all day activities there before and headed to Exeter for some me time

@Bugsy73

Ilfracombe is a nice little town to walk around. They do some good dolphin watching boat trips from there and there’s plenty of places to get good ice cream.

North Devon is best - traffic is not so bad.

Not North Devon, but what is Paignton like? My daughter has spotted an outdoor swimming pool with a load of massive slides!

Paignton’s ok. The town itself is a bit run down, but the beach is nice enough and the zoo is great. Not been there for a while so might be different now.

Am leaning towards Ilfracombe....

I'd recommend Ilfracombe over Paignton every time

North Devon every time for me. Feels quieter and more remote than typical seaside busy of Paignton which is also v run down now. Is more what I want from a holiday.
Woolacombe is where we stay, lovely resort, huge beach, always wins awards for best beach. Surfing schools a plenty, nice restaurants. One of the beaches Barricane has hut with amazing curries, perfect for sitting together to watch sunset. We stay in next village across Mortehoe which is quieter up the hill but has the most amazing coastal path walks in every direction. And nice pubs!
Ilfracombe is great for more classic seaside place with harbour, amusements, fish and chips, also lots of boat trips. Combe Martin amazing for crabbing and has lots of activities like paddleboarding, coasteering etc, perfect for teens. Lynton/Lynmouth for cliff railway.

Yes, you must, if you can, visit Lynmouth and Lynton, especially the amazing Valley of Rocks just outside Lynton and the FunicuIar Railway at Lynmouth. I live not too far away and, whenever I have friends staying, these, along with Porlock, and the A39 Atlantic Highway, are 'must sees' - everybody is blown away by it all. There are some fantastic viewing stops on the A39, between Lynmouth and Porlock, with breathtaking views across the Bristol Channel, especially at night with the moon rising! And wild Exmoor ponies grazing near the road, and the old 'AA' patrol box, and...

Need I go on? One of the most awesome and undiscovered parts of the South West

Oh and Clovelly is another must visit if you are considering the North Devon area

And, if you do visit Lynmouth, read up on the extraordinary true story of the 'Overland Launch' first and then drive up Countisbury Hill and down Porlock Hill, both of which are an integral part of the story, human endeavor never ceases to amaze me!

And even Minehead is worth a visit - the beaches are actually quite nice! The whole of this area is very much less 'touristy' than South Devon, and, in my view, very much better for it

Westward Ho! has a good beach and a surf school 😊