Exmouth

Most first visits to Exmouth start the same way: with the beach. Two miles of sand stretch along the seafront, backed by a promenade that's easy to walk from one end of town to the other, and it's the obvious place to get your bearings before you decide what else to do. From here you can see straight out to the mouth of the Exe estuary and along the start of the Jurassic Coast, which gives you a sense of why people come back to this stretch of Devon.

Where you stay tends to shape the trip. Right on the seafront, hotels like the Premier Inn Exmouth Seafront and the Exmouth Beach Hotel put you a few steps from the sand, while the Cavendish Hotel and Ash Hotel sit a little further into town, handy for both the beach and the shops. Families after a longer stay often head to Haven Devon Cliffs Holiday Park on the edge of Exmouth, and for something more special, Lympstone Manor Hotel out along the estuary offers a quieter, more indulgent base. Hedgebank and Ashton Court Hotel are worth knowing about too if you want something smaller and more personal.

Once the beach has done its job, Exmouth gives you plenty of ways to fill a day. A trip out on the water with Arty Boat is a good way to see the coastline and estuary from a different angle, and Ocean Exmouth is the place for anyone keen to get properly active in or on the sea. Inland, the Hawkridge Bird of Prey Centre and World of Country Life make for an easy family day out, while A La Ronde, the unusual sixteen-sided house just outside town, is worth the detour for its history and views. Vertexe Climbing is a solid option on a wet afternoon, the Exmouth Mystery Treasure Trail is a fun way to explore the town with kids in tow, and Exmouth Museum fills in the local history if you want context for everything you've been looking at.

A first trip to Exmouth doesn't need much planning: settle in somewhere along or near the seafront, spend your first day on the beach and promenade, then use the rest of your stay to work through the boat trips, wildlife centres and estuary views that make the town worth a proper look.