Want to know the best times to visit Devon? Our top picks of things to do each month will help you decide. Whether you want ideas for when to enjoy a walk on the South West Coast Path, the low-down on music festival season, where to find fresh lobster cooked to perfection or where is best for festive fun, certain months are best. For any events and venues mentioned, please check dates and opening times before travelling.
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Once Christmas and New Year’s Eve become a fading memory, many of us turn our attention to working off those festive indulgences and promising to be healthier.. for a little while at least.
So, January is a fantastic month to wrap up and go for a walk, and Devon is blessed with incredible settings to blow the cobwebs away. Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks are particularly dramatic in the winter: think frosty hillsides, morning mists and ice-covered streams.
If you’re looking for a bracing walk with sea views however, beaches like Torbay, Saunton Sands and Exmouth are beautiful and you are sure to get your fill of fresh air.
Choose Devon for a Valentine’s weekend break and although it might be chilly outside, the sight of snowdrops blanketing the landscape with their dainty white blooms will make you smile. So, take a hand-in-hand stroll at the Snowdrop Festival at The Garden House on the western edge of Dartmoor National Park. It’s a delight.
Or amble around the grounds of the National Trust’s Knightshayes, that comprise a formal garden, parkland and woodland. You’ll find one of the most varied collections of plants in the UK and a host of designated walks. If you have your four-legged friend in tow, there are lots of great places to walk your dog here too.
The beginning of spring signals the start of warmer weather so it’s a great time to enjoy the great outdoors more fully. For long walks, the South West Coast Path is a superb place to start.
The stretch between Ilfracombe and Woolacombe is rugged and challenging but also one of the most beautiful in North Devon. At this time of year, you will often see lambs and wildlife along the route, including seals bobbing about in the sea.
If cycling is your preferred method for exploring, Cycle Route 27 between Torrington and Braunton, which is part of the Tarka Trail, is really popular and there are lots of places where you can hire bikes.
April is often when many visitor attractions that were closed for winter reopen their doors for the tourist season. However, many places are still quieter than they will be in the summer months, so it is a fantastic month to visit some of the National Trust’s historic houses.
From Bradley, a medieval manor house set in woodland and meadows near Newton Abbot, to the fortified manor house of Compton Castle in Marldon, there are some real gems to discover.
If you’re visiting Devon in May and you fancy a glimpse into the rural life, visit the Devon County Show. The event takes place from Thursday to Saturday in the third week of May at the Westpoint Arena and Showground near Exeter. Expect everything from horse and dog shows to the opportunity to drive a tractor and superb local produce to sample.
If you prefer music to farming, the town of Dartmouth hosts the Dart Music Festival in May every year. Three days of free music events include almost every genre from orchestral, choral and opera to blues, jazz and rock. Performances take place at indoor and outdoor venues from pubs and hotels to churches and the town bandstand.
It’s June and we’re well into festival season. Foodies Festival in Escot Park, Exeter celebrates top and local chefs, delicious food and tempting drinks, alongside entertainment including live music. Meanwhile, Oceanfest takes place by the sea in Croyde and promises laid-back vibes against the backdrop of the bay.
Meanwhile, the English Riviera Air Show held in Paignton features an array of air displays from vintage warplanes, aerobatic teams and modern aircraft. There’s entertainment such as bouncy castles and fairground rides too, as well as a shopping village and food stands, making this a great family-friendly day out.
If you’re looking for a quirky event in Devon to quench that thirst for discovering something different, look no further than Birdman Ilfracombe. Held annually on a Saturday in July, the event is free to attend and combines live music, street food and shopping into one family-friendly spectacular.
However, it is the legendary Birdman flying competition that is the main event, where contestants launch themselves from the pier in all manner of homemade flying machines.
July is also a great month to enjoy more festivals including Chagstock Music Festival in Dartmoor, Tunes on the Sands at beautiful Blackpool Sands beach and Exmouth Festival that highlights music, film and arts.
From family beach breaks to sophisticated seaside stays for couples, visiting Devon in August gives you the very best chance of fantastic weather for having fun outdoors.
There are numerous beaches to set up your deck chairs for the day and enjoy a picnic. If you want to visit the Devon coast for water sports, you will be in one of the best places in the UK to do so. For example, Hele Bay near Ilfracombe has an activity centre where you can hire kayaks and paddleboards, and even learn to surf.
Meanwhile, there’s Torbay Royal Regatta, Dartmouth Royal Regatta and Salcombe Regatta for sailing enthusiasts. A beautiful sight to see when you’re savouring a moreish ice-cream from the shore.
Explore Devon’s longstanding connection to the sea at the Sea Ilfracombe Maritime Festival. The free event offers a weekend of fun entertainment across the town from listening to sea shanties and fishing from the pier to watching pirates go about their pirate duties!
Continuing with the theme of the sea, the idyllic harbour village of Clovelly hosts a Lobster and Crab Fest. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy fresh lobster cooked to perfection before you on the quay.
Meanwhile, for literature lovers there’s Budleigh Literary Festival and the annual Agatha Christie Festival. The latter sees a range of films, plays, talks and events take place across various English Riviera locations where the author lived and wrote.
For a family break, Devon in the October half term can be a fantastic choice. The temperatures in Devon are often a little warmer than elsewhere in the UK, so you might be lucky and have some mild days to enjoy the outdoors, whether that’s fun on the beach to country walks.
When the weather isn’t so kind, there are a host of family-friendly attractions to keep children busy including The Big Sheep Farm and Theme Park, and The Milky Way Adventure Park (open weekends), both in Bideford, Exmoor Zoo and Babbacombe Model Village.
Even in November Devon’s fine gardens have something special to offer visitors. A prime example is RHS Rosemoor’s Winter Garden that is surprisingly colourful. Feeling inspired? There’s a garden centre on site where you can pick up plants to take home.
If you’ve started to think about Christmas, Combe Christmas is a weekend event in Ilfracombe where the Christmas lights are switched on and the whole town comes together to celebrate. There’s a superb street market, a lantern parade, a variety of indoor stalls and live entertainment, with an appearance from Santa too.
For a shopping experience with plenty of seasonal feel-good factor, Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market is hard to beat. It’s Devon’s largest Christmas market and showcases West Country produce, handcrafted gifts and hearty food to warm you up.
Meanwhile, some of the National Trust properties are extra special to visit in December when they are dressed for the festive season. Try Killerton House where the halls, downstairs rooms and chapel are decked with fresh evergreen foliage, decorations and Christmas trees.
For a memorable treat for the kids there are special Christmas trains at Lynton Railway where Santa will greet you at the station. Or book tickets for the Christmas Train of Lights on the Dartmouth Steam Railway for a ride to remember.
If you have any questions about any of our cottages or if you’d like some help with your booking, you are very welcome to get in touch with us.
We are always happy to help and go out of our way to tailor your perfect UK holiday.
