10 places to visit in South Devon from the comfort of home

It’s not long now until we can start welcoming guests back to our holiday cottages in South Devon. However, we’re sorry that those of you who were booked to spend Easter with us have had to rearrange plans. We hope to see you again soon. In the meantime, let us share some of the best places to visit in South Devon from home to whet your appetite for future visits.

Take a look at these 10 virtual Devon tours!

1. Dart Valley Trail

If you are looking for reasons to visit Devon then we can highly recommend watching Cornwall and Devon Walks with Julia Bradbury on ITV. In episode 7 she follows the Dart Valley Trail from the market town of Totnes to our home in Dartmouth. 

Along the way she explores the Sharpham Estate, where you can sample delicious wines made from vines grown in our rich South Devon soil, and Greenway House which was Agatha Christie’s holiday home and one of several National Trust properties to visit in the area.

Here’s where to catch up on the ITV Hub and Julia’s route to save for future reference.

Part of the walk is also accessible to motorised wheelchairs.

2. Agatha Christie’s Greenway

Take a virtual tour of Greenway House and Gardens with Agatha Christie’s grandson Mathew Prichard. As well as being related to the Dame, he also produced Poirot, And Then There Were None and Marple.

If you want to find out more about Christie and her family history there’s plenty of ways you can explore her life from home.

3. Dartmouth Stream Railway

One of the most popular South Devon attractions is Dartmouth Steam Railway. Take a virtual ride from Kingswear Station to the seaside resort of Paignton with no interruptions to views of the river, countryside and coastline.

Here’s some more steam railways in Devon that you might want to visit.

4. Dartmouth Castle

This fort at the mouth of the River Dart has been Dartmouth’s first line of defence since the 14th Century. It was last operational in the Second World War, so the soldiers have long since gone.

Today you can visit the ammunition stores, find out about the lifestyle of the troops stationed here and climb up to the roof for fabulous views of the river, town and English Channel.

Here’s aerial footage of Dartmouth Castle and St Petrox Church, which gives you an overview of the fort complex. 

5. Devon’s best beaches

Grab your sun hat and explore some of the best beaches in Devon from home. This beautiful video that sweeps over Blackpool Sands and Slapton Sands.

Here’s some more of our favourite beaches in the South Hams.

6. The South West Coast Path

Thanks again to Julia Bradbury we can share some of South Devon’s South West Coast Path with you at home.

In episode 5 of her Cornwall and Devon walks series she takes a hike from Salcombe to Prawle Point. Along the way Julia discovers this coastline’s abundance of wildlife and the joy of dining on Devon crab.

Here’s more of our favourite South Devon coast walks.

7. Devon zoos and wildlife attractions

If you have children, they may be missing a trip to the zoo. The good news for families stuck at home is you can check in on the animals at Paignton Zoo on their webcams.

The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth also has a multitude of video tours. Meet the animals, join in with story time and set your kids educational tasks linked to sea creatures and conservation at the UK’s largest aquarium.

You can even book your own private virtual tour from home.

8. The Box in Plymouth 

Devon’s newest museum, The Box, opened in September 2020. It quickly turned its attention to making its displays accessible to all online.

Videos explore the cultural and natural history of Plymouth, South Devon and Dartmoor, as well as its art and maritime traditions.

Take a look The Box YouTube channel for more videos from The Box. There are also interviews with the people who have made this multi-million pound attraction happen.

9. Dartmoor’s starry skies

Dartmoor National Park is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2021 and is one of our suggested easy day trips form Dartmouth.

Here’s an astronomical video demonstrating the beauty of the moors – all 368 square miles of them. No wonder Dartmoor is one of the best places in the UK for stargazing.

10. Dartmouth

Of course, it would be remiss of us not to share the beauty of Dartmouth with you. Even it it is virtually for now.

Here is a spectacular drone video of Dartmouth town, the mouth of the River Dart and some of the secluded coves. All are within walking distance of our Dartmouth holiday cottages.

To help you plan for your next visit to South Devon take a look at our Dartmouth holiday guide.

Where to stay in South Devon

If these places to visit in South Devon have tempted you to book a holiday, get in touch. We have cottages in Dartmouth and Kingswear, as well as holiday lets in Stoke Fleming and Strete, and near Totnes.