In Plymouth you’ll find evidence of the county’s seafaring heritage, while in Exeter a Norman cathedral watches over a pleasing provincial city with a lively arts scene. Victorian resorts of varying size and appeal are strung along Devon’s south coast, culminating at Torquay with its palm trees, prom and bucket spades.

In East Devon, fossil hunters and families can explore the unique sandstone Jurassic Coast. Other highlights include the charming port of Dartmouth and the beach-fringed estuary at Salcombe. The North Devon coast has a different appeal, with Exmoor’s rocky coves giving way to expansive beaches pounded by the Atlantic Ocean. A burgeoning surf scene animates the villages of Woolacombe and Croyde, fisherman and tourists co-exist in steep Clovelly, while the isolated outpost of Lundy Island offers a uniquely elemental experience. Inland there’s Dartmoor, where prehistoric remains and shaggy ponies compete for your attention with acres of wild, unspoiled moorland.

Cornwall boasts the all-conquering Eden Project, a revolutionary environmental attraction. The Tate St Ives heads up a vibrant contemporary art scene in the far west, while the new state-of-the-art National Maritime Museum Cornwall at Falmouth explores the county’s maritime history.

The mini wilderness of Bodmin Moor deserves special mention for its ancient remains and rock formations, as do the extraordinary subtropical gardens that flourish in the south of the county. It’s the coast, however, that’s the real draw. Rivers flow through lush valleys emerging in the south at old fishing ports such as Looe, Fowey and Falmouth. Further west, the Lizard and Penwith peninsulas feature striking coastal scenery and jaw-dropping beaches.

From Perranporth to Bude, the Atlantic coast is surfing territory, with Newquay the centre of the scene. And should you tire of the beach, check out the restaurants in Padstow, the ruins at Tintagel or strike out along the wonderful South West Coast Path.

Finally, beyond the western extremity of the peninsula are the Isles of Scilly, a cluster of dreamy, low-lying islands characterised by sunshine, flowers and gleaming white sands.

Local history

The Romans first linked Devon and Cornwall to the rest of England with the Fosse Way around AD200, when the area was still under strong Christian Celtic influence. The Normans built strongholds here but separatist rebellions sprang up throughout the second millennium. As well as smuggling, cloth and mining were the major industries. A rail link in the 1850s arrived soon after the death of the last monoglot Cornish speaker, and artists soon flooded down to Cornwall. The opening of national parks in the 1950s saw an ever-growing rise in regional tourism.

Local politics

Devon and Cornwall have often been left to their own devices, resulting in a rich cultural identity and a distrust of authority. Cornish separatists are a small minority, but they find inspiration in an ancient heritage that is receiving renewed attention. More practically, many hope that the IT revolution and the ‘knowledge economy’ will counter some of the problems of living ‘way out west’.

Source: Expedia