Devon

Home to two national parks (Dartmoor and Exmoor), two glorious coastlines with superb beaches, a lush green interior, and wonderful local food and drink, Devon might just be the summer holiday destination you've been searching for. From the county town of Exeter to the so-called English Riviera of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, and the Jurassic coast to the upland moors, there's enough here to keep you busy for weeks. Take a load off after a long walk over Dartmoor and relax with a Devon cream tea. Happily, the biggest county in England's Southwest is as rich in great places to stay as you might expect. Hotels in Devon range from beautifully located boutique venues to sumptuous country houses, charming B&Bs and country inns – many also doubling up as excellent places to eat, with restaurants that are often destinations in themselves. Devon also has a host of great country cottages and self-catering properties to rent for those wanting to go it alone.

Best Places to Stay in Devon

£130

The Horn of Plenty

South West England, Devon, Tavistock

16 guest rooms
Boutique Hotel
Country House Hotel

£190

Hotel Endsleigh

South West England, Devon, Tavistock

18 Guest Rooms & Suites
Boutique Hotel
Country House Hotel

£159

Soar Mill Cove Hotel

South West England, Devon, Salcombe

Guest Rooms & Suites
Boutique Hotel
Spa Hotel

£90

The Cricket Inn

South West England, Devon, Kingsbridge

7 Guest Rooms
Boutique Hotel
Pub with Rooms

£89

The Turk's Head

South West England, Devon, Exeter

6 Guest Rooms
Pub with Rooms

£85

The Mole Resort ★★★★★

South West England, Devon, Chulmleigh, Winkleigh & Umberleigh

58 Lodges, 35 Rooms
Lodge

£280

Kentisbury Grange

South West England, Devon, Barnstaple

22 Rooms, Suites & Family Lodges
Boutique Hotel

£620

Burgh Island Hotel

South West England, Devon, Kingsbridge

25 Guest Rooms & Suites
Historic Hotel

£145

Orestone Manor

South West England, Devon, Torquay

14 Guest Rooms
Country House Hotel

£265

South Sands Hotel

South West England, Devon, Salcombe

22 Guest Rooms, 5 Beach Suites
Apartment Hotel
Boutique Hotel

£182

Watersmeet Hotel

South West England, Devon, Woolacombe

30 Guest Rooms
Spa Hotel

£100

Gooseford Farm

South West England, Devon, Moretonhampstead

4 Guest Rooms & 1-Bed Cottage

£100

The Great Grubb Bed & Breakfast

South West England, Devon, Totnes

8 Guest Rooms
Boutique B&B

£75

Lundy House Hotel

South West England, Devon, Woolacombe

8 Guest Rooms & 1 Apartment

£130

Brightham House Boutique B&B

South West England, Devon, Salcombe

8 Guest Rooms
Boutique B&B

£145

Browns Hotel

South West England, Devon, Dartmouth

Eight Guest Rooms
Boutique Hotel
Restaurant with Rooms

£110

The Elephant's Nest Inn

South West England, Devon, Tavistock

3 Guest Rooms
Pub with Rooms

£110

The White Hart

South West England, Devon, Moretonhampstead

20 Guest Rooms
Coaching Inn
Pub with Rooms

£150

The Whitehouse

South West England, Devon, Kingsbridge

6 Guest Rooms
Boutique Hotel

£105

Maltster’s Arms

South West England, Devon, Totnes

6 Guest Rooms
Pub with Rooms

£320

Thurlestone Hotel

South West England, Devon, Kingsbridge

70 Guest Rooms & Suites.
Resort Hotel

£138

Coastal Cabins ★★★★★

South West England, Devon, Bideford

10 Cabins

£114

Exe Valley Glamping ★★★★☆

South West England, Devon, Tiverton

3 Safari Lodges

£96

Devon Yurt ★★★★☆

South West England, Devon, Tavistock

Yurts

Springfield Glamping

South West England, Devon, Barnstaple

10 Bell Tents

Longlands Glamping

South West England, Devon, Ilfracombe

5 Safari lodges
Safari Lodges

Bulworthy Project

South West England, Devon

Sleeps 2

£142

The Gamekeeper's Cottage

South West England, Devon, Bideford

Sleeps 2
Cottage

£150

River Cottage Farmhouse

South West England, Devon, Axminster

3 Guest Rooms & 1 Cottage
Boutique B&B

£140

Westleigh B&B

South West England, Devon, Seaton

2 Double Rooms
Boutique B&B

£150

The Salutation Inn

South West England, Devon, Exeter

4 Guest Rooms & 2 Suites
Pub with Rooms

Showing 49 - 79 of 81 sites

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Best areas to Stay in Devon

Croyde & North Devon

South Hams

Types of Accommodation in Devon

Boutique Hotels in Devon

Croyde & North Devon

Family-Friendly Hotels in Devon

Holiday Cottages in Devon

Pubs with Rooms in Devon

Devon Features

Best of Devon

Tourists have been visiting the resorts along the south Devon coast since the railways began to bring them during the early nineteenth century, after which the area around Torquay, Paignton and Brixham was rather hopefully dubbed the 'English Riviera'.

Bonfire Night... but not as we know it

The Flaming Tar Barrels of Ottery St Mary, Devon

The Magdalen Chapter Hotel, Exeter

Caroline Sylger Jones pays a visit to a new contemporary hotel in Exeter

Things to Do in Devon

Baggy Point

Bantham Surfing Academy

Barricane Beach

Bigbury, Bantham & Burgh Island

Blackpool Sands

Chambercombe Manor

Clovelly

Croyde Beach

Dartmoor Zoo

Dartmouth Castle

Dartmouth Museum

Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company

Dartmouth Town

Dittisham Village

East Portlemouth

Embassy Cinema

Hope Cove

Horse-riding

$Ilfracombe Harbour$

Ilfracombe Harbour

$Ilfracombe Museum$

Ilfracombe Museum

Landmark Theatre

Lannacombe Beach

Lundy Island

Morte Point

Museum of British Surfing

National Marine Aquarium

Overbeck’s

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park

Salcombe

Salcombe Maritime Museum

Saunton Beach and Braunton Burrows

Saunton Golf Club

Sharpham Vineyard

Simon Drew Gallery

Slapton Ley and Slapton Sands

South Milton Sands

South West Coast Path

Start Point

Stoke Gabriel

Surf South West

The Tarka Trail

Thurlestone beaches

Totnes

Totnes Castle

Totnes Elizabethan House Museum

Tunnels Beaches

Woodlands Family Theme Park

Woolacombe Sands

Cafes, Pubs and Restaurants in Devon

Anchorstone Café

Beachhouse

Beachside Restaurant, South Sands Hotel

Blue Groove

Chichester Arms

Coasters Coffee Company

George & Dragon

Grampus Inn

Oyster Shack

Piglet Cafe

River Cottage Kitchen & Deli, Axminster

Riverford Field Kitchen

RockFish Seafood & Chips

Seahorse Restaurant

Squires Fish Restaurant

The Barrel House

The Cove

The Cricket Inn

The Kings Arms

The Old Bakery

The Pigs Nose Inn

The Rock

The Salutation Inn Restaurant

The Thatch

The Winking Prawn

Willow

Shopping in Devon

Conker

Country Cheeses

Hen House Fitness, Health & Beauty

$Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium$

Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium

Quba

Revival

Saveurs

Devon

Which Devon village has the best beach?

The jury is out on this depending on whether you favour South Devon or North Devon. In the south, Salcombe and around is home to some great beaches as well as some terrific places to stay, like the beachfront South Sands Hotel, Brightham House B&B, Soar Mill Cove Hotel or The Gulls – a gorgeous self-catering property close to Blackpool Sands. In the north Woolaccombe, Croyde and Braunton are famous for their spectacular beaches, which you can enjoy from the heights of the Saunton Sands Hotel, high above the majestic strand of Saunton Sands, or Byron Luxury Apartments above Woolcacombe beach.

Are there any scenic hiking trails in Devon?

Devon is so diverse and is a walkers’ paradise, with its coastal paths and the moorland hiking trails of its two national parks – Exmoor and Dartmoor. On the coast, the South Hams village of Dartmouth can be a good starting point, with the beautiful Hideaway in Dittisham providing a great nearby accommodation option. Plus, you can explore a corner of Dartmoor and its surrounding valleys from the fairytale Hotel Endsleigh. In North Devon, the South West Coast Path, where Exmoor sweeps down to the sea, is magnificent. Stay along its length at places like the Old Rectory Hotel right on the North Devon Coast.

Which is more beautiful, Devon or Cornwall?

This is the sort of question that can lead to raised voices and blood pressure in the locals, so choosing one over the other is a risky business. Devon has green rolling hills and valleys, the rugged expanses of Dartmoor and Exmoor, the calm bays and rivers of the South Hams and the spectacular north coast and its surf beaches. Cornwall, with its own language and culture, and its position at the very end of the country, is somewhat a world apart from the rest of the UK, and is steeped in the history of its fishing tradition. Its coastline is second to none. So take your pick, you won’t be disappointed!

Is North or South Devon nicer?

The rugged Atlantic coast of North Devon is the county’s remote side, with Exmoor, the rugged north coast and some proper rural retreats such as Holsworthy, with its luxury floating accommodation at both the Blackbird and Clawford Lakes. South Devon boasts the “English Riviera”, with classic seaside towns and also the more upmarket and hidden away South Hams. It offers a lot of variety in terms of landscape, with stunning views and places to stay on the coast at The 25 – once voted ‘the world’s best B&B’! and the brilliant and calming Cary Arms & Spa.