If you’re looking to discover great hotels on the Devon coast then we’ve pulled out some of the best from the thousands of hotels that can be found on PictureTheUK.  There are tens of thousands of photos, too, that’ll help you discover places to visit and things to do in the areas local to the hotels.

1. Watersmeet Hotel - we travel around the UK extensively and this hotel has one of the finest locations we’ve seen.  The hotel looks out across the beaches and sea at Morte Bay in the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

2. The Saunton Sands Hotel - just down the coastline from Watersmeet Hotel and with exceptional views of Saunton Sands in the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

3. The Tors Hotel – perched above Lynmouth on the Exmoor National Park coastline.

4. The Victoria Hotel – one of Sidmouth’s finest.   Over in the east of the county in the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

5. Barcel Torquay Imperial Hotel – for the view alone, we think!  Overlooks Torquay Marina and out across  The English Riviera.

More to come …

We recently added in the region of 3000 cottages and self-catering apartments to PictureTheUK.  So, if you’re looking for a place to stay in Devon you can now browse for cottages and self-catering apartments in addition to the thousands of hotels, B&Bs, inns etc we already host. 

Over the coming years, we’ll also provide lists of the best accommodation as judged by local experts. 

To offer an example of where we’re taking this, here’s a list of Hoseason’s top ten most popular cottages in Devon to help you discover places to stay when taking a holiday or short break in the county:

The Railway Carriage

Lyme Bay View

West Prideaux

Thatcher Rock

The Shippen

Weach Barton Granary

East Goldworthy Cottage

Reed Cottage

Ticketyboo

Little Grange

Devon’s one of the UK’s hottest holiday destinations.  If you’re looking to discover the county then here are ten Devon holiday ideas generated by locals who spend most of their working life travelling around South West England.  The county has two National Parks and five AONBs or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  Most holidaymakers flock to these areas but there’s also the English Riviera, two exceptional cities and one of our favourite coastal towns in the UK:

1. The South Devon AONB

2. The North Devon AONB

3. Dartmoor National Park

4. Exmoor National Park

5. The East Devon AONB

6. The Tamar Valley AONB

7. Exeter

8. Plymouth

9. The English Riviera

10. Dartmouth

If you want to explore other options, there a hundreds of things to do and additional Top 10 lists on PictureTheUK.

More people are choosing to explore and holiday in the UK so if you’re on the lookout for inspiration then we’ve created a list of ten UK destinations for your summer holiday or short break.

Each idea comes with a link that provides top ten recommendations for destinations and attractions.  Lots of pretty pictures as well to get your imagination going!

1. Northumberland - its coast is as good as any in the UK.  There’s a National Park, an AONB, some of the finest castles around and some unique goodies such as Holy Island and Cragside House. 

2. Cornwall - an obvious destination but we’d suggest you head down there out of season. 

3. Gwynedd - for Snowdonia National Park, mostly.  Try the Lleyn Peninsula as well for some cracking beaches.  The area’s got some world class castles, too.

4. South Devon AONB – if you’ve never been to Salcombe or Dartmouth then you should.  Click the link to find out why!

5. London - home to some of the finest culture in the world and a joy to walk around.  If you’ve never experienced the capital as a tourist, we thoroughly recommend it.

6. Somerset - if you’ve been thinking of heading to the West Country then click the link and have a look at all the amazing places to visit and things to do in Somerset.  Not as obvious as Cornwall, Devon or Dorset but guarantees a great break.

7. Hampshire - we’d holiday there for Portsmouth alone but throw in Winchester and the New Forest National Park and you’re on to a winner.

8. East Sussex - home to the newly designated South Downs National Park.  Seen the iconic images of England’s white cliffs?  They’re here at Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.  Spectacular.

9. Wiltshire - an amazing place that too few visit.   Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, a collection of some of the finest country houses in the UK, exceptional villages.

10. Dorset - go for the Jurassic Coast alone!

There are plenty more recommendations on www.picturetheuk.com inlcuding thousands of things to do.  So start discovering the UK today!

This weekend, I was asked to recommend a place to holiday in South Devon.  A cottage for two.  The area should be quiet-ish, ie not dead, with a few places to eat, plenty of walking and the odd trip to an attraction.  This blog post is aimed at that person specifically, but should help anyone aiming to holiday in South Devon.

The area you’re looking at is a combination of the South Devon Area of Oustanding Natural Beauty and The English Riviera and runs from Plymouth anticlockwise along the coast to Babbacombe.  The South Devon and English Riviera links contain plenty of recommendations to choose from, but I’d point you to one of these places …

Depends on your idea of quiet-ish, but I’d head to either Dartmouth or Salcombe.  There’s loads to do in both places and they’re both geared for eating, drinking and walking.  Dartmouth is the bigger of the two but you can’t really go wrong with either.  The South West Coast Path provides the most obvious hiking but if you’re in need of fresh air, do head out on the water as well even if it’s only on one the water taxis.

If your version of quiet is very quiet, then perhaps try Torcross or the Bigbury-on-Sea area.

As for the cottages, there’s a link on all those pages to a local supplier who, in our estimation, has the best selection of local properties.

The question from a friend:

re: honeymoon suggestions.  we’re looking at 4 nights away mid-week, late Autumn in Devon and Cornwall (perhaps Dorset, too).  open to suggestions on location.

Well, here are our suggestions, starting with a place where one of our co-founders took his honeymoon.  Note: over the past year and a half, we’ve spent most of our time travelling around the South West so the recommendations come from personal knowledge.  There are dozens of other suggestions but we’ve avoided these owing to potential noise (eg Brixham on the English Riviera) or because the locations were too dependent on the weather.  Every place on the list is stunning and Romantic in the old fashioned sense of the word.

1. Burgh Island - a tidal island in the South Devon AONB (basically, landscape as beautiful as a National Park) accessible by sea tractor when water’s high and by foot across a very nice beach when low.  There’s a very famous hotel on the island (setting for Agatha Christie novels, bolt hole for the very famous, price tag included) and a great pub.  Bigbury-on-Sea beach runs into the spectacular Bantham Beach.  Endless walking east, west and inland.  Salcombe close by.

2. Padstow/Rock – we’re talking about the Camel Estuary basically (eg Rock Beach and Harbour and Hawkers Cove Beach).  Miles of blond sand on either bank and walks along the Atlantic coast.  Padstow’s compact, has a wide range of high quality restaurants and pubs.   Can’t really go wrong here.

3. St Mawes – bottom right hand corner of Cornwall across the water from Falmouth.  Magnificent place.  Walking, boat trips, restaurants, pubs.  The area’s quite wooded, too, so plenty of Autumnal blaze.

4. St Ives Bay - probably St Ives itself at the southern end of the bay which positions itself as one of the world’s most beautiful.  There’s a vast arc of sand for walking or horse riding.  St Ives itself abounds with cosy pubs.  Masses to do in the area as well if the weather misbehaves, eg Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.

5. Sennen Cove – tricky one, this.  In good weather, it’s beautiful and romantic and among the most exceptional locations we’ve seen within the UK.  It has the pub and restaurant and walks you’d be looking for and Land’s End is close by but it is small and when the clouds are out, the magic disappears.

6. Fowey – built into the side of a hill overlooking a gorgeous estuary, it competes with any location in the South West for beauty, local walks, boat trips, boozers and restaurants.  Eden Project up the road btw.

7. Salcombe – Salcombe for food, pubs, the cosy fire.  The Salcombe/Kinsbridge Estuary for walks, boat trips and amazing beauty.  Well-heeled.  Plenty to do as well including a dramatic National Trust garden called Overbecks.

8. Dartmouth – busier and larger than Salcombe but with the same draw.  Exceptional beauty, exceptional range of places to eat and drink.  Very well-heeled.  One of the best around for people watching.  You could spend four days without shifting from the town but if you headed south, there’s an awesome stretch of coast from Blackpool Sands via Slapton Sands to Start Point.

9. Beer- this one’s a bit like Sennen above.  It’s unqiue and romantic with a vibe of its own but it’s small and if the weather turns …

10.  Others – there are plenty of other options.  Porthleven, Looe, Lynmouth and Lynton, Mortehoe all meet the criteria but you might also want to head inland to Dartmoor or Exmoor.  The wooded valleys around the edge of the moors are special in Autumn but, again, if you’re pre-booking by weeks and can’t estimate the weather then you could get stuck in the mist.  Dartmoor, for example, has some seriously luxurious hotels (Gidleigh Park and Bovey Castle) around Chagford and the place is a dream.  There’s the Tamar Valley as well which is a heavily wooded area above Plymouth that’s ablaze at this time of year. 

Last, try Dorset as well.  We’d head for Lyme Regis, West Bay or Corfe Castle.  Lyme Regis is a peach of a place.  Plenty of beaches and coastal walking, restaurants and pubs.  West Bay is smaller but equally as beautiful with the coastal walking here being among the best in the South West.  Corfe Castle is compact and a great base from which to enjoy the Isle of Purbeck which has exceptional walking and coastline.

Come June, the roads in Devon begin to clog up.  The steady flow of traffic to/ from Devon and Cornwall continues until September and then the traffic thins out once again.  And?  Well, it’s a fantastic time to take advantage of the relative peace and quiet to experience the county and, to help, here are our top ten recommendations of things to do in Devon this autumn:

1. Walk the valleys and cleaves around the edge of Dartmoor National Park – Dartmoor has a reputation for being a bit on the bleak side.  In parts, this is true, but to see a very different Dartmoor, head to the Teign Gorge or Lustleigh Cleave or Belstone Cleave.  These are heavily wooded areas with steep hillsides and clearly the colours come out at this time of year.

2. Make the most the empty(ish) beaches – the beaches of the South Devon AONB, North Devon AONB and East Devon AONB get seriously crowded in the summer months.  In Autumn, you get more space.  Try Slapton Sands or Bantham Beach in the south, Putsborough Sand or Saunton Sands in the north, Sidmouth (Jacob’s Ladder) Beach or Ladram Bay Beach to the east.

3. If it’s raining, go to a gorge – the best, in our opinion, being the National Trust’s Lydford Gorge and Waterfall.

4. Spend some time in a cave – Devon, fortunately, has a world class cave at Kents Cavern.  Grab a guided tour in the UK’s ‘oldest home’.  Utterly fascinating stuff.  Remember too, that this cave is part of the world’s first urban ‘Geopark’: The English Riviera Geopark.

5. Look up in a cathedral – Exeter Cathedral, to be precise.  We spend our lives bumbling around the UK and the vaulting in this catehdral is as good as any we’ve seen.

6. Walk the Jurassic Coast – if you head to Exmouth, you can start exploring the Jurassic Coast via the South West Coast Path.  The red cliffs are exceptional against autumnal colours.

7. Head off to the Hartland Peninsula -  Why?  Beacuse the coastline here can get very woody which means colour.  Try the walks around Clovelly.

8. Climb Smeaton’s Tower - Plymouth is an amazing place.  The Pilgrim Fathers journeyed to America from here and Drake set sail about fifty years before.  Climb Smeaton’s Tower and the history and natural beauty around you are first class.

9. Yomp The English Riviera – we think the Riviera is one of the finest destinations in the UK, let alone Devon.  It came as a big surprise to us given all the bad press the area gets but we’d urge you to try it out for a weekend to see for yourself.

10. Head to Exmoor National Park – steep wooded valleys, high cliffs plunging into the sea, the National Park is made for Autumn frankly.

Devon’s massive and this top 10 could quite easily be turned into a top 100 things to do in Autumn.  There’s the Tamar AONB which is glorious at this time of year and the Blackdown Hills AONB which is relatively unknown but a cracker, too.   You can explore plenty of other options here and we’re still piling on the content for the county with the help of local experts so all suggestions are welcome.  Post comments below or @picturetheuk on Twitter.  Enjoy!

South Devon is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  In 2009, we walked, researched and photographed its coastline from Plymouth all the way around to The English Riviera.  The walk, on the South West Coast Path, takes one through some of Devon’s most popular destinations including Salcombe and Dartmouth.  It also takes one past some of the UK’s best beaches.  We list lots of things to do and see in the area here but if you’re looking for South Devon’s top 10 beaches then these are our recommendations:

1. Mill Bay Beach - an idyllic sandy beach close to East Portlemouth Beaches with exceptional views across to Salcombe.  It’s National Trust and there’s parking behind the beach but it’s easier to park in Salcombe itself and take a boat across the water and then walk to the beach.

2. Blackpool Sands - if you’ve glanced at any promotional material for beaches in South Devon then you’ll no doubt have seen this beach already.  A perfect arc of shingle set againt a blue sea and lush Devon hills.  Lots of parking and plenty of facilities on the beach.

3. Bantham Beach - this was our favourite discovery during the walk around the South Devon coastline.  Across the water from Bigbury-on-Sea Beach, it’s a favourite among surfers.  When the tide’s out, there’s loads of sand and good walking inland via the River Avon.  The beach has a great vibe to it.

4. Bigbury-on-Sea Beach - possibly the best known beach in South Devon connecting the mainland with Burgh Island. 

5. Slapton Sands - one of many shingle beaches running along the coastline at Start Bay.

6. South Sands - as beaches go, this one’s a tiddler but it has awesome views of the Salcombe Kingsbridge Estuary and Overbeck’s Garden and Museum are nearby.  There’s parking behind the beach but by far and away the best way to arrive is by boat and then sea tractor!

7. Hope Cove Harbour Beach - one of several sandy beaches in the area, the harbour beach is nestled behind a vast harbour wall and the setting is extraordinary.

8. South Milton Sands - not particularly well know but a cracking sandy beach owned by the National Trust.

9. Thurlestone Beach - an intimate, family beach close to South Milton Sands.

10. The English Riviera Beaches (Broadsands Beach, Goodrington Sands, Paignton Beach, Meadfoot Beach, Babbacombe Beach and Oddicombe Beach)

There are plenty more magnificent beahces in the area so if we’ve missed your favourite or there’s one you want to shout about then pls add comments here or @picturetheuk on Twitter.

Most of the Dorset coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The ‘Jurassic Coast’ in Dorset runs from/to Lyme Regis to/from the headland around Swanage Bay and Studland Bay and is awesome.

The beaches are different to those of Cornwall and Devon.  For one, there’s a lot less sand and a lot more shingle.  A similarity is their popularity.  We travel around the UK a lot, especially when the weather’s good, and most Dorset beaches are heaving with visitors when the sun’s out.

To help you discover this coastline, we’ve put together a list of top 10 beaches in Dorset.  If you have others, pls add them in the comments or @picturetheuk on Twitter.   We provide further info, geolocate beaches on Google Maps and publish as many photos as we can of the beaches on PictureTheUK …

1. West Bay Beach - a shingle beach beneath dramatic cliffs which turn intense orange when the sun sets.  Easy access to the cliff tops and the South West Coast Path.

2. Lyme Regis Beach - one of the few sandy beaches on the Dorset Jurassic Coast (others include: Weymouth Beach, Swanage Beach and Studland Bay Beaches).   Backs onto Lyme Regis promenade and is close to The Cobb.  To the east are the splendid Spittles and Black Ven Beaches which are popular with fossil hunters!

3. Chesil Beach - possibly the most famous beach in Dorset and one of the most famous in the UK. 

4. Swanage Beach - an exceptionally popular beach in east Dorset close to Corfe Castle.  Lots of people, lots of shops and places to eat, lots of views.

5. Studland Bay Beaches - a collection of beaches within Studland Bay.  It’s possible to catch a ferry from the north of the bay to …

6. Sandbanks Beach (Poole) - probably best known as the beach in front of some of the most expensive real estate in the UK!

7. Durdle Door Beach - located beneath some pretty impressive cliffs with a fine view of Durdle Door.  Lulworth Cove is a brisk walk to the east.  

8. Bournemouth Beach - a big beach stretching out in front of this popular tourist destination.

9. Charmouth Beach - Lyme Regis to the west, Golden Cap to the east.  A wonderful shingle beach beneath yet more dramtic cliffs.

10. The Spittles and Black Ven Beaches (Lyme Regis) – not your typical beach, granted, but it’s one of the best we’ve come across for fossil hunting, exploring rock pools, acting like a 5yr old.

We’ve researched and photographed many of the beaches along the Atlantic Coast of Cornwall and Devon and here are our suggestions as to the top ten beaches in North Devon.   Some of them are magnificent and we’d place them among the best on offer in the UK.   We’ve excluded those in Exmoor National Park and on the Hartland Peninsula as these will be covered is separate posts.

Most of our recommendations have additional information on the PictureTheUK website,  are geolocated on Google maps and there are plenty of photos.  You can also discover ’Things To Do Nearby’ and ‘Places To Stay Nearby’.

1. Putsborough Sand - the southern end of the vast strip of sand at Morte Bay.  The view from the headland looking north is as good as it gets.

2. Woolacome Sand - the northern end of the vast strip of sand at Morte Bay.  Despite its size, this very big beach gets crowded in the summer months.  Just north of Woolacombe Sand are a number of smaller beaches which are exceptional. 

3. Saunton Sands - another vast stretch of sand along the North Devon Atlantic Coast.  Backs into Braunton Burrows

4. Croyde Beach - said to be one of the best surfing beaches in South West England. 

5. Westward Ho!/Northam Burrows Beach - along with Saunton Sands, Putsborough Sand and Woolacombe Sand, this is another massive North Devon Beach. 

6. Barricane Beach – just up from Woolacombe Sand, an intimate beach surrounded by rocks.  Probably our favourite out of all the beaches we visited in North Devon.

7. Combe Martin Beach – on the border of Exmoor National Park, an intimate beach at the end of a very long high street!

8. Ilfracombe Tunnels Beaches – a beach accessible by tunnel from central Ilfracombe.

9. Braunton Burrows - strictly speaking, not a beach.  One of the largest areas of dunes in the UK leading to Saunton Sands.

10. Lee Bay Beach – small beach in a predominantly rocky coastline.

There’s more information on the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) on PictureTheUK, too.

We’d love to hear any recommendations for the area, eg where the best views are or if there are other cracking beaches that we’ve missed.   Either post here or @picturetheuk on Twitter.