Great British Getaways: 10 summer breaks in Devon to book now (before they sell out)
‘We’re desperate for something to look forward to’, reads the email from a London couple, as they book my Dartmoor holiday let, Moorland View, for a break this summer. It’s a sentiment echoed by dozens of holidaymakers, who in four days of frenzied reservations recently, booked up the cottage for almost the entire season. Devon’s holiday accommodation agents report a similar surge, including Toad Hall Cottages, who saw a record 1,000 bookings in seven days.
If you’ve been reticent about booking a getaway, it’s not too late. Although established hotels and holiday homes have limited summer availability, new properties, cottages in lesser-known locations and city hotels still offer plenty of choice. Here’s our round-up of best, including luxury coastal retreats, dog-friendly hotels and wildlife tours. For more ideas, keep an eye on tour operators’ social media feeds – it’s where many post last-minute availability and deals.
1. Stay in a new waterside hotel, Salcombe
If you’re quick-off-the-draw, you’ll have top pick of dates at this new luxury hotel on South Sands beach in Salcombe, which opens the books for its summer launch on Friday (February 5). Owned by Harbour Hotels, it promises 50 stylish rooms and suites, many with sea views, a spa, beach bar and laid-back restaurant. Doubles start at £340 per night, including breakfast (01202 400614; www.harbourhotels.co.uk/harbour-beach-club).
2. Go on a wildlife tour
Natural history specialists Reef and Rainforest have just launched a tour of Devon’s wildlife hotspots, the most comprehensive of its kind in the county. The six-day trip, run by expert naturalists, takes in beaver-watching on the Otter River, birding in Dartmoor, Exmoor red deer-spotting, and a boat trip in Torbay to see dolphins, seals and potentially whales. Prices start at £893 per person, including accommodation, breakfast and some lunches. Guests will drive themselves to the hotels and between locations, but all excursions will be guided as a group with social-distancing measures in place. Departures on June 6, June 13 and June 20. (01803 866965; reefandrainforest.co.uk/tours/the-wildlife-of-devon-in-summer).
3. Take a luxury escape with your dog, Dartmoor National Park
A swathe of great value dog-friendly packages has launched in Devon this summer, catering for the thousands of Brits who became dog owners during lockdown. In Dartmoor, Bovey Castle’s Barking Britain package, available exclusively through dog-friendly travel specialists PetsPyjamas, allows guests to stay with their dogs for free – a saving of £25 per dog per night – and includes a dine-with-your-dog option. Prices start at £750 for a two-night stay, for two adults and up to two dogs. (020 3642 3162; www.petspyjamas.com/travel/location/bovey-castle-tq13-8re).
4. Get in shape on a cycling holiday
If lockdown has left you feeling unfit, a cycling holiday with The Bike Bus should help you get back in shape. Freewheel through the Exe Estuary with a private guide, or take a self-led coast-to-coast tour, with transfers, accommodation and a bespoke itinerary meticulously planned for you. A two-night Exe Estuary tour is £249 per person, while a three-day coast-to-coast tour is £395. Both prices include accommodation, and there’s plenty of summer availability (07773 362119; https://thebikebus.co.uk).
5. Take the family camping near Dartmoor
For those craving space and nature after months of being cooped up, Hideaway Camping has a 24-acre expanse to run wild in. Set in Higher Melbury, on the edge of Dartmoor, this glamping site has gypsy wagons, Airstream trailers, ‘igloos’ and camping pitches, all with summer availability. There’s a magical fairy glade for children, tree swings, a dedicated picnic area and hammock garden. A two-night stay in an igloo sleeping five in August starts from £80 per night (https://hostunusual.com/categories/host-unusual/hideaway-camping/#3236).
6. Reunite with your friends, west Devon
An option for extended families or groups of friends keen to reunite, Manor Cottages is a new collection of four self-contained cottages that can be booked together, allowing for as much socialisation as restrictions allow at the time. Set in the grounds of a Georgian manor estate near the little-known west Devon village of Bratton Clovelly, facilities include a swimming pool, sauna, tennis court, forested walking trails and a pond for wild swimming. Prices for an eight-night stay in June start from £8,689 (https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/41418448).
7. Take a city break, Exeter
With most holidaymakers booking countryside breaks, Devon’s city hotels are offering knock-down rates to attract summer guests. Hotel du Vin, in Exeter’s former Victorian Eye Infirmary, has a spa, inside-out pool, bar and peaceful garden with terraces for al fresco drinks and dining. Doubles in July start at £125, including breakfast. (01392 79012; www.hotelduvin.com/locations/exeter).
8. Be beside the seaside, Woolacombe Bay, north Devon
For healthy sea air and wide open spaces, Woolacombe Bay Hotel’s location by a windswept three-mile beach is hard to beat. Facilities include a heated indoor and outdoor pool, spa, gym, putting green, tennis and squash courts, championship-sized snooker table, and for those who’ve been missing the big screen, private-hire cinema. Doubles start from £175 per night in August and £205 in August. (01271 870388; www.woolacombe-bay-hotel.co.uk).
9. Go glamping, Sidmouth
If you’d rather steer clear of busy hotels, Harvest Pod is the latest addition to a collection of handcrafted glamping structures on a hillside above the Otter Valley, near Sidmouth and the Jurassic Coast. Sleeping two, it’s furnished in a simple, country style and has a shower room, Wi-Fi and uninterrupted countryside views. Harvest Pod is well spaced from the other pods on site, and at the time of writing had availability throughout summer. Prices start at £1,085 for seven nights in July for two. (01348 830922; www.qualityunearthed.co.uk).
10. Stay in a luxury holiday home, Salcombe
Self-catering holiday homes in the yachtie town of Salcombe in summer are like hens’ teeth, even in normal circumstances. So Salcombe Classic, a four-bedroom townhouse that launched this month with an empty summer calendar, is a rare find. It has a glass-domed kitchen, fire pit and 180-degree views of Salcombe harbour. Prices start from £5,000 per week. (07786 463862; http://escape-to-hiddenchic.com/portfolio/salcombe-classic/).
