Things to do in South West England
60 places worth stopping for and 24 places to stay on a road trip through South West England.
See and do
Beach · Lizard
Kynance Cove
Serpentine rock stacks and a white-sand cove on the Lizard.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · West Lulworth
Durdle Door
Limestone sea arch on the Jurassic Coast.
- History
History · Marazion
St Michael's Mount
Castle on a tidal island, reached on foot by a granite causeway.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · Porthcurno
Minack Theatre and Porthcurno
Open-air theatre carved into the cliff above a pale sand cove.
- Beach
Beach · West Lulworth
Lulworth Cove
Circular cove with a clear walking route to Stair Hole.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Mawgan Porth
Bedruthan Steps
Giant sea stacks along a tall cliff, viewed from a clifftop path.
Walk · Two BridgesHidden gem
Wistman's Wood
Stunted oak wood draped in moss, one of Dartmoor's oddest places.
Scenic drive · Cheddar
Cheddar Gorge
England's biggest gorge with cliffs and caves.
Viewpoint · Studland
Old Harry Rocks
White chalk stacks at the east end of the Jurassic Coast.
Walk · Glastonbury
Glastonbury Tor
Hill with a ruined tower visible from across the Levels.
- Beach
Beach · TreenHidden gem
Pedn Vounder beach
Sandbar beach below Treen cliffs that appears at low tide.
- History
History · Tintagel
Tintagel Castle
Ruined headland castle linked with King Arthur tales, reached by a footbridge.
Beach · St AgnesHidden gem
Chapel Porth beach
Steep cove below the mine ruins, known for the hedgehog ice cream at the cafe.
Activity · St Austell
Eden Project
Giant biome gardens in a former china clay pit.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · Penzance
Jubilee Pool
Art deco seawater lido on Penzance's promenade.
Viewpoint · St JustHidden gem
Cape Cornwall
Rounded headland with a mine chimney, a rival to Land's End without the crowds.
- Beach
Beach · CrantockHidden gem
Porth Joke (Polly Joke)
Quiet sandy cove west of Newquay reached by field walk.
Garden · Mevagissey
Lost Gardens of Heligan
Restored Victorian gardens with a jungle valley.
Beach · HartlandHidden gem
Hartland Quay
Rugged rock strata coast with a pub at the quay.
Walk · ZennorHidden gem
Zennor Head and the Tinner's Arms
Short coastal walk from a granite village with a legendary mermaid church.
Beach · Sennen
Sennen Cove
Long white-sand beach with the Atlantic rolling in.
- Town
Town · CadgwithHidden gem
Cadgwith Cove
Fishing cove with thatched cottages and a pub with sea shanties.
Viewpoint · Gwithian
Godrevy Point and lighthouse
Grassy headland looking at a lighthouse and a seal haul-out.
Walk · ManatonHidden gem
Hound Tor
Granite tor with a lost medieval village below.
Swimming hole · PoundsgateHidden gem
Spitchwick Common
Deep river pools in the Dart valley, popular with local swimmers.
Waterfall · Lydford
Lydford Gorge
Deep wooded gorge with the 30m White Lady waterfall.
Town · Lynmouth
Lynmouth and the Cliff Railway
Seaside village linked to Lynton by a water-powered cliff railway.
- Walk
Walk · LynmouthHidden gem
Watersmeet
Wooded river junction on the East Lyn with a tea house.
Walk · ParracombeHidden gem
Heddon's Mouth
Hidden wooded valley dropping to a pebbly beach.
Viewpoint · Wootton CourtenayHidden gem
Dunkery Beacon
Exmoor's highest point with huge views across Somerset and Wales.
Beach · Woolacombe
Woolacombe Beach
Three-mile surf beach on North Devon's coast.
Beach · Bantham
Bantham Beach
Wide estuary beach with golden sand and surf.
Roadside oddity · Bigbury-on-SeaHidden gem
Burgh Island
Tidal island with an art deco hotel and a pub.
History · TynehamHidden gem
Tyneham abandoned village
Village evacuated in 1943 and never reoccupied.
Beach · Kimmeridge
Kimmeridge Bay
Rocky ledge bay good for snorkelling and fossils.
History · Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle
Ruined castle on a steep hill above a stone village.
Beach · Studland
Studland Bay
Wide, shallow beach with seahorse-filled seagrass.
Walk · Worth MatraversHidden gem
Winspit Quarry
Old quarry caves and wild sea cliffs near Worth Matravers.
Town · Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis and the Cobb
Harbour wall and fossil-hunters' beach.
Wildlife · WesthayHidden gem
Ham Wall RSPB reserve
Reed beds on the Levels with starling murmurations in winter.
History · Botallack
Botallack mine workings
Clifftop engine houses perched above the Atlantic.
- History
History · St Agnes
Wheal Coates engine house
Classic clifftop engine house, all rugged coast.
Town · Padstow
Padstow harbour and Camel Trail
Busy harbour town with seafood and a flat bike trail up the Camel estuary.
Town · St Ives
St Ives and Porthmeor
Artists' town with sandy beaches and a Tate gallery.
Walk · Haytor Vale
Haytor Rocks
Big granite tor with an old quarry tramway trail.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Lynton
Valley of Rocks
Dry coastal valley with goats and jagged rock outcrops.
- Walk
Walk · Seatown
Golden Cap
Highest cliff on England's south coast.
History · Wells
Wells Cathedral and Vicars' Close
England's smallest city with a lovely cathedral.
- History
History · PenzanceHidden gem
Chysauster Ancient Village
Roman-era stone courtyard houses on a moorland hillside, with a fogou nearby.
- Beach
Beach · GunwalloeHidden gem
Church Cove, Gunwalloe
A small cove with a tiny church built into the dunes, and a short walk to Dollar Cove.
- Walk
Walk · TreenHidden gem
Logan Rock
A short clifftop walk to a huge granite boulder that famously rocks, then Pednvounder views.
- Walk
Walk · PolzeathHidden gem
Pentire Head
A cliff walk with wild flowers, puffins in spring and a sweeping Port Quin view.
- History
History · MorwenstowHidden gem
Hawker's Hut, Morwenstow
A driftwood hut on the cliff built by an eccentric Victorian vicar.
- Swimming hole
Swimming hole · BudeHidden gem
Bude Sea Pool
A free sea-water pool on the beach, safe for kids and good for winter dips.
- History
History · SancreedHidden gem
Carn Euny Ancient Village
Ancient house foundations and a hidden underground passage called a fogou.
- Garden
Garden · Mawnan Smith
Trebah Garden
A steep subtropical garden dropping to a private beach on the Helford River.
- Garden
Garden · KingswearHidden gem
Coleton Fishacre
An Art Deco house and sea-view garden built for the D'Oyly Carte family.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · BrixhamHidden gem
Berry Head
A limestone headland with a lighthouse, forts and guillemot colonies.
- Beach
Beach · RosudgeonHidden gem
Prussia Cove
Smuggler's coves and a walkable coast path with rocky inlets for a quiet dip.
- Walk
Walk · PadstowHidden gem
Stepper Point
A windswept headland walk at the mouth of the Camel estuary, with a daymark tower.
Food stops
Pub · PostbridgeHidden gem
Warren House Inn
High moorland inn with a fire that has burned for generations.
- Pub
Pub · Worth MatraversHidden gem
Square and Compass
Old pub with sea views and a museum of fossils.
Café · Burton Bradstock
Hive Beach Cafe
Beach cafe serving local fish and crab.
- Pub
Pub · ZennorHidden gem
The Gurnard's Head
Dining pub with rooms on the B3306 coast road near Zennor, open all year.
- Pub
Pub · Restronguet
Pandora Inn
Thatched creek-side pub with a waterfront terrace.
- Bakery
Bakery · Hayle
Philp's Pasties, East Quay
A family pasty bakery on Hayle's East Quay, a local favourite for a hot pasty.
- Ice cream
Ice cream · St Keverne
Roskilly's Farm and Ice Cream Parlour
An organic Lizard dairy farm with a famous ice cream parlour and restaurant.
- Pub
Pub · BeesandsHidden gem
The Cricket Inn, Beesands
A seafood pub on the sea wall at Beesands, dogs welcome.
- Farm shop
Farm shop · Topsham
Darts Farm
Big farm shop near the Exe estuary with a food hall, cafes and a fish shed.
- Ice cream
Ice cream · St Keverne
Roskilly's Farm and Ice Cream
Organic dairy farm on the Lizard where the Cornish ice cream is made, with a restaurant.
- Bakery
Bakery · Hayle
Philps Bakery, Hayle
Family bakery in Hayle hand-making traditional Cornish pasties, with steak and cheese a regular order.
- Pub
Pub · GunwalloeHidden gem
The Halzephron Inn
Old smugglers' inn above Gunwalloe cove on the Lizard, open daily with lunch and dinner.
Places to stay
- Campground
Campground · The LizardHidden gem
Henry's Campsite
Camping at mainland Britain's southernmost village.
Campground · GerransHidden gem
Treloan Coastal Farm
Roseland farm campsite with coastal access and quiet beaches.
- Campground
Campground · Hope CoveHidden gem
Karrageen Caravan and Camping
Clifftop camping in the South Hams near Bolt Head and Hope Cove.
- Campground
Campground · ExfordHidden gem
Westermill Farm
Riverside camping on a working Exmoor farm.
- Freedom camping
Freedom camping · Princetown
Dartmoor backpack camping (permitted areas)
Legal wild camping on parts of the high moor, subject to rules.
Campground · PorthcurnoHidden gem
Treen Farm Campsite
Cliff-top camping near Logan Rock and the Minack Theatre.
- Campground
Campground · Sennen
Trevedra Farm
Clifftop camping near Land's End, with beach and coast path access.
- Campground
Campground · OsmingtonHidden gem
Eweleaze Farm
Field camping above the Jurassic Coast near Osmington Mills.
- Campground
Campground · Cerne AbbasHidden gem
Giants Head Caravan and Camping Park
Camping on the hills above the Cerne Abbas Giant.
Campground · Croyde
Bay View Farm Camping
Farm camping above Croyde Bay, with the surf on your doorstep.
- Campground
Campground · PostbridgeHidden gem
Runnage Campsite
Simple farm campsite in the middle of Dartmoor.
- Campground
Campground · PadstowHidden gem
Dennis Cove Camping
Small campsite a walk from Padstow's quay.
Campground · Malborough
Higher Rew Camping
Family-run campsite near Salcombe with sea views.
- Campground
Campground · St Agnes
Beacon Cottage Farm
A farm campsite on the north coast with 60 pitches and sea-view fields.
- Glamping
Glamping · TrelillHidden gem
Cornish Tipi Holidays
Tipis and camping near Port Isaac, with a lake and fire pits in woodland.
- Campground
Campground · AshburtonHidden gem
The Crib
Tiny Camping and Caravanning Club certificated site between Ashburton and Buckfastleigh.
- Campground
Campground · GunwalloeHidden gem
Gunwalloe Caravan Park
Small working-farm site five minutes from Gunwalloe's beaches on the Lizard.
- Campground
Campground · Osmington, near WeymouthHidden gem
Zambuka Campsite
Adults-only farm site with panoramic views, fifteen minutes from Durdle Door.
- Campground
Campground · Langton Matravers
Tom's Field Campsite
Long-running Purbeck tent campsite with a shop, on the way to Dancing Ledge.
- Campground
Campground · Clapworthy, near South MoltonHidden gem
South Ford Farm Camping
Small riverside farm campsite with twelve tent pitches, pigs, sheep and chickens.
- Campground
Campground · Trevellas, St AgnesHidden gem
Trevellas Manor Farm Caravan and Campsite
Family-run sea-view farm site a ten minute walk from Trevellas Porth.
- Campground
Campground · Botallack, near St JustHidden gem
Parknoweth Farm Camping
Rustic summer-only farm camping with a few sea-view pitches near Land's End.
- Campground
Campground · Near HelstonHidden gem
Lamarth Farm
Dog-friendly farm campsite ten minutes from Gunwalloe and Poldhu.
- Campground
Campground · Near St BrewardHidden gem
South Penquite Farm
Eco-minded Bodmin Moor farm campsite with a summer cafe and dog-friendly pitches.
Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
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