I have compiled this list of summer days out in Devon on a budget because I mostly find that the list of days out and activities I come across in other publications usually involve fairly expensive family tickets and often busy tourist hotspots that we just don’t enjoy.
We look for days out that provide us with wholesome fun that won’t break the bank. We’re a family of 6 so we like to keep it cheap, not complicated, and fun, and days like these have often been our favourite days out!
Therefore this list of summer days out in Devon on a budget guide is made up of places you can visit for free / cheaply / utilise memberships, plus I have included some of our favourite coastal areas and beaches. We mostly try and take picnics with us, extra snacks, and sometimes squeeze two of these nearby places to make a full day.
Mid & East Devon
Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth
We love visiting the donkey sanctuary as they have a roomy cafe with a view, serving a wide range of food, snacks, and drinks for when we fancy a break from making a picnic. They have a guess who adoption donkey trail around the sanctuary (pick up a sheet in the gift shop), a play park, donkey talks, and plenty of space to walk around and visit numerous donkey sheds. It’s the kind of outing that helps fill a day where you need to get out for a few hours to keep sane!
Sidmouth, Devon EX10 0NU.
Wildwood
An admission fee applies with Wildwood but we feel compared to other wildlife/farm parks that it’s really fairly priced. If you’re local a reasonable membership is also something to think about.
This is definitely one of our go-to days out when the weather is mixed and those days when being home might involve a bit of refereeing! The distraction from seeing the animals and the play equipment dotted around the park provide us all with a good dose of fresh air and sanity! Plus the animal talks are well worth hanging around for, we found out loads of interesting facts about the Wolves.
They have activities running in the Saxon village, water fight Fridays, Bear talks, a maze, and much more!
Ottery St Mary EX11 1LU
Beer and Budleigh Salterton beaches
Our favourite beaches in East Devon are Beer and Budleigh Salterton. Beer has a real fishing boat cove charm to it and Budleigh has a lovely beach promenade, 2 reasonably priced cafes, a skatepark, and a nature reserve. Both beaches are pebble beaches, for a sandy one there is the nearby much busier beach of Exmouth.
Crabbing Spots
A fun Devonshire childhood memory of mine has to be scrabbling over the rocks, crabbing with my bucket and line in hand. You will find some great crabbing spots across the county.
In East Devon; Axmouth Harbour and the rock pools at Seaton Hole Beach, as well as good crabbing on both sides of the River Exe, with two miles of sandy beach at Exmouth
Lidos to Visit
Clyst Hydon Set in a pretty village location in Mid Devon this quintessential British pool is very much one for a warm day. This pool is a refreshingly cold dip and we really enjoyed it in the heatwave last year! Complete with a small but fun slide in the main pool and a very small pool for babies. The pool is run by village volunteers, so it is wise to check if it’s open before heading there. They also serve mugs of tea, coffee, cold drinks, and chocolate biscuits!
PYO Spots
Halberton Court Farm Shop – Halberton Tiverton, Devon EX16 7AW
Fossil Hunting In nearby Dorset
I know I’m cheating including Dorset in a Devon guide but these beaches are so close to East Devon that I just had to feature them.
Charmouth Beach is perfect for budding geologists who fancy taking part in some Jurassic digging! This is an activity that we would much prefer to do in the cooler months when the beach is less busy but if you time it right you can manage to beat the crowds. Visit the fossil shop and the heritage center museum to extend your outing and learn about our exciting Jurassic coastline!
Another fab fossil beach is the Lyme Regis Fossil Beach (Ammonite Pavement). We avoided the busier Lyme Regis beach in favour of a pebble fossil beach, Again pick your time carefully, and don’t forget to observe the tide times. You won’t be disappointed as there are many ammonites, fools gold, and fossils to be uncovered.
We usually extend our learning with this book and encourage our children to create their own fossil fact files from what they’ve seen!
Riverway, Charmouth, Bridport, Dorset DT6 6LS
Monmouth Beach Lyme Regis DT7 3LE
RAMM in Exeter
Entry to RAMM is free.
Explore fascinating exhibitions and modern amenities at Exeter’s world-class museum. Discover Devon and Exeter’s rich history and global connections, be delighted by colourful animals, birds, and insects, step into a world of innovative contemporary art, and travel the globe in their World Cultures galleries.
To keep little ones entertained you can follow the museum trails, immerse their experience with a sound journey (headphones provided) and/or pick up a free Beastie Bag from one of the museum receptions.
There are plenty of budget friendly summer events that you can book, over on the RAMM website so check there for details on activities such as making a heraldic shield, building Lego castles and catapults, discovering the knightly art of combat, creating illuminated bookmarks, trying out willow weaving and plenty more fun and informative medieval activities.
Exeter Queen Road EX4 3RX
South Devon
Dartmoor
Hound Tor
A few of our budget-friendly Dartmoor activities include a walk up Hound Tor or neighbouring Haytor
It’s a real blow the cobwebs away walk up to Hound Tor and the medieval village. Great views, lots of scrambling over rocks and fun geocaching to be had.
The postcode for parking is TQ13 9XG with a 1/2 Mile walk across the Moor to the Tor.
Spitchwick
A fantastic place for cooling off in the river. Take a picnic and really make the most of a wonderful River Dart setting.
Spitchwick Newton Abbot TQ13 7NT
The House of Marbles
A fun way to spend an hour. Take a visit to the House of Marbles (free to enter) to discover all about glass blowing, marble making, and giant marble runs, and pick and mix your own marbles with pocket money. They are running a few competitions this summer including design your own marble.
The Old Pottery, Pottery Rd, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot TQ13 9DS
Salcombe
I cannot compile a list for the summer without including Salcombe. Salcombe is one of the reasons we moved to Devon and we love that we can reach there in just over an hour. In the summer it’s obviously busy but it never puts us off.
We enjoy the bustling vibrant harbour where kids can get their hair braids and glitter tattoos for the summer holidays, there are regular small boat/ferry trips running, or you can simply soak up the atmosphere and watch the sailing boats across the beautiful estuary. It’s a perfect place for kids to spend their pocket money on sweets, fudge, friendship bracelets, and coastal knick-knacks.
There is a National Trust garden in Salcome to explore as well as a beautiful stretch of SW coastal path. Once you’ve enjoyed the town you can take the river taxi across to the wonderful NT beach of Mill Bay or South Sands.
Slapton, Torcross, Beesands, Hallsands, and Start Bay Lighthouse
Another of our favourite spots in South Devon. Slapton Ley is the largest natural lake in southwest England. Although it is only separated from the sea by a narrow shingle bar, it is entirely freshwater. The lake is surrounded by reedbeds, marshes, and woodland habitats.
It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and was declared a National Nature Reserve (NNR) in 1993. The nature reserve is open daily and there are no entrance fees. Slapton Ley TQ7 2QP Adjacent to Slapton Ley lies Torcross where you can enjoy a swim in the sea, visit the old-fashioned sweet shop and have a walk on the pebble beach at Torcross. There are also a couple of eateries serving fish and chips plus a lovely farm shop just up the road at Stokenham.
If you’re looking for an even quieter spot then Beesands and Hallsands are well worth a visit for a coastal walk. The atmospheric ruined fishing village of Hallsands stands as a testament to the power of the sea and the danger of over-exploiting natural resources.
South Hallsands, TQ7 2EY
You could finish off exploring this area of South Hams by visiting the Start Point Lighthouse at the end of the headland. This impressive lighthouse has guided vessels in passage along the English Channel for over 150 years. The walk up to Start Point Lighthouse is one of the best coastal walks in South Devon, along the South West Coast Path. The dramatic cliffs and stunning coastal landscape are breathtaking – and can be done as a short walk or part of a longer trek across the SW Coast Path.
Start Point, Kingsbridge, Devon, TQ7 2ET
Bantham and Mill Bay Beach
There are so many amazing beaches in South Devon that it’s a tough call to pick just two. These two beaches are our top beaches in the county.
Mill Bay is slightly trickier to reach as the road to the small car park is very narrow. You can reach the beach by paring at the top of the hill and walking down the lane or alternatively by river taxi in Salcome and then either walking across the sand at low tide or again walking down the road. There are toilets and a pop-up cafe in the summer months. It’s a perfect beach for all the family. It’s sheltered, has a great river-digging area for young children, good for paddleboarding and snorkeling. Again it just has a nice vibe to it.
Mill Bay car park, East Portlemouth, Devon, TQ8 8PU
Bantham Beach is also fab for all the family. At the end of a long narrow lane (with passing places) is a large car park with toilets and good pop-up eateries. The beach has lifeguards present and a surf school. Our older children learned to surf there and we recommend their junior lessons. At low tide, you can walk to Bigbury on Sea if you feel adventurous or just relax and enjoy some golden sand with a few rock pools to keep the littles even more entertained.
Bantham Kingsbridge TQ7 3AN
Crabbing Spots
In South Devon; Brixham harbour, Salcombe – Kingsbridge Estuary, Dartmouth harbour, and the dam at Stoke Gabriel are just some of the good crabbing spots.
Lidos to Visit
Exeter and South Devon have a great choice of Lidos to visit.
Topsham Pool A firm favourite with our kids! This pool is heated making it a safe bet for an outing on most days in the summer. They run a fun inflatable session so check out their timetable for more details.
Buckfastleigh Outdoor Pool and Skatepark – what a perfect combination for tweens and teens!
Moretonhampstead – edge of Dartmoor
Kingsteignton Outdoor Pool – Newton Abbot
Chudleigh Swimming Pool – Newton Abbot
Shaolstone Seawater Pool – Brixham
Ashburton Pool – Newton Abbot
PYO Spots
Oak Tree Gardens – Totnes
Thornes Farm – Crediton, Exeter
Pips Pick Your Own – Yealmpton, Plymouth
Strawberry Fields Lifton – PL16 0DH – plus sunflower picking
North Devon
Heddon Valley National Trust
As members, the NT is a great way of getting out for the day and running off energy in open spaces. This butterfly trail sounds fab if you’re in the Barnstaple area this summer. Pass through the Heddon Valley National Trust visitor hub and follow the woodland trail to find all their butterflies. The trail winds through woodland as it makes its way through the beautiful Heddon Valley.
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply to the venue. Check admission prices
Heddon Valley, Near Parracombe, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 4PY
Arlington Court National Trust – Mog Trail
One for Mog fans! Explore Mog’s world through extracts from Judith Kerr’s classic stories on this free family activity trail. Pick up a trail sheet from reception and wander around the garden and grounds to find out what Mog has been up to, from getting stuck in trees to dreaming she can fly.
Intriguing Regency house and impressive collection of horse-drawn vehicles, set in a picturesque garden
Arlington, near Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 4LP
Ilfracombe Aquarium
A small but jam-packed seaside aquarium!. Explore the aquarium as it journeys from the source of an Exmoor stream downriver to the lake, pond, estuary, rockpool, harbour, coast, and out to the marine reserve at Lundy. The guides were very informative and we all really enjoyed the experience for a fraction of the cost of a large city aquarium!
Ilfracombe harbour EX34 9EQ
Clovelly
Clovelly Village admission charges apply but I have included this as a budget day out, as we feel it’s really fairly priced, plus there is enough to explore to make this a whole day out. If you’re staying nearby you can return for free within a 7-day period. We visited in autumn when it was quieter as I can imagine it does get busier in the summer months. It’s a fascinating fishing village perched on a 400ft cliff that really takes you back in time. We found that there was plenty to see and do for the day from exploring the harbour, and the cobbled streets, seeing a waterfall to meeting the donkeys to arts and crafts activities.
Clovelly Visitor Centre, Clovelly, Devon EX39 5TA
Saunton Sands and Woolacombe Beach
The coastline of North Devon really seems pretty unspoiled and wild in places. With rock pools, sand dunes, and surf galore. These are just two that we’ve visited and enjoyed.
Crabbing Spots
In North Devon; head to the rockpools of Westward Ho! or Combe Martin. Try the harbours of Appledore or Ilfracombe and you should hopefully find a nibble on the line!
Lidos
We hope that this summer days out in Devon on a budget guide provides you with some inspiration to fill some days out over the coming summer holiday weeks. All that we have left to say is ‘Happy Holidays!’ and if you need any more inspiration then do check out our arts and crafts section on the blog for home days. We will post some of our days out and activity ideas as always over on my Instagram page and do check out the blog posts below!
100 things to do this Summer Holiday
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