Exeter, a UK City in Devon, will always hold a special place in my heart. I studied at the University of Exeter for three years adn was lucky enough to call the city home. It’s actually quite a small city however, so if you’re spending even a weekend there, you’ll want to venture out a little bit. Especially as a student, a lot of people stuck to the same places but, there is actually so much more that the area has to offer. I’m going to cover both beaches, cities and towns all of which are accessible from Exeter via public transport. Of course, if you have a car, there is no reason why you can’t visit these places too. We’ll start off with the beaches:
BEACHES
Exeter is almost a coastal city but, not quite. It is along the estuary of the River Exe further inland but, this means that is has very good connections to local beaches in the vicinity.
The most obvious of which is Exmouth. Exmouth is the beach that all the students swarm to when it’s warm but, don’t let that put you off! I have had gorgeous summer days here on the beach, enjoying fish and chips and an ice cream. Exmouth is not a very commercialised beach so, don’t expect too much beyond a child day here but, it’s beautiful nonetheless. Exmouth is easily accessible from Exeter either by train from Exeter Central or you can cycle along the track beside the Estuary. Exmouth is great for walking along the South West Coastal Path as you can head across to Budleigh Salterton. It’s a relatively short walk but, it will be hilly.
Slightly further along the coast, in the same direction, you come to Sidmouth. Sidmouth is actually my favourite beach location in this area…I think, don’t hold me to it. You can only get to Sidmouth by bus if you need to use public transport but, this only takes around 45 minutes which goes by a lot quicker than you think. Catch the 9/9A to Honiton/Seaton from Exeter Bus Station. Sidmouth is home to some lovely cafes. You can get the best bagel you will eat or just have a coffee and cake. Sidmouth is a pebble beach but, it’s really beautiful. If you want to tackle more of the South West Coast Path then you can walk from here to Seaton which is really lovely (or all the way to Lyme Regis if you want the long haul).
On the opposite side of the Exe, you have Dawlish and Dawlish Warren. Again, there isn’t too much at Dawlish Warren which is easily accessible by train from Exeter, other than the beach. So, I would suggest heading that little bit further (just stay on the same train!) to Dawlish itself. You’ll find a few more amenities at Dawlish with bakeries, cafes, charity shops and more. There is also a lovely little river in the middle of the town which is home to a Black Swam which is pretty cool. If you’re wanting a beach day here, I would suggest walking a little bit further (again) in the direction of The Cove Cafe and you come across a lovely, slightly more secluded beach area.
My final beach town that I’m going to go into more detail about is Torquay. Torquay is probably your more classic beach town if you’re used to beaches on the coasts further North in the UK. If you know, you know. Nevertheless, Torquay is a lovely spot. It’s a lot more commercialised than some of the other options of this list as you have a lot of chain restaurants and shops. If you’re wanting more shopping and town wandering, then this would be a good option. It has a lovely marina and a beach too. Torquay is easy to get to from Exeter as it is just a train ride away.
There are so many other option that I haven’t mentioned too such as Teignmouth and Sheldon but, those are the classic South Coast Devon beaches that are easily accessible by public transport from Exeter.
TOWNS
Topsham is a great place to walk to or get the train to just outside of Exeter. It is a quaint little town which is perfect to spend an afternoon. Here you will find an antique shop, more charity shops and independent cafes and some fine Michelin star dining. Just outside Topsham, Dart’s Farm is a great place to pick up some local produce. It has farm animals which would be great for children and it is where I picked my pumpkin for Halloween. If you’re looking for gifts to take back home, Darts Farm would be a great place to get these from. It is essentially a huge farm shop that sells foodstuff as well as home and lifestyle bits and bobs.
Now, next up is a town that could have gone in the beaches section too but, I wouldn’t necessarily tell you to go to Brixham if it was a beach day that you were looking for. Brixham is slightly further along the coast than Torquay. In the summer months, when the weather is good, you can get a ferry across from Torquay but, if the weather is poor then a bus from Torquay or Paignton will take you the extra leg. Catch the 12 bus towards Brixham from either location. Brixham is one of my favourite places along the Devon coast. It is home to a lovely marina that definitely reminds me of pirates. If you have children, they may enjoy that aspect. It is just such a bright and colourful town. On my visit, I ate a lovely Cornish pasty and we walked across the Berry Head Nature Reserve which gives you some lovely views. It’s a great place to spend a day and one of the more underrated options.
Another underrated day trip from Exeter is Totnes. You can easily get a train from Exeter St Davids to Totnes which takes approximately 35 minutes. It is actually at the head of the River Dart and is a lovely place for a wander around. I particularly liked the second hand book shops here so, if you’re a reader, definitely add this to your list. It’s home to lots of independent shops and bakeries which again, is a highlight. Totnes Castle is not one of the most spectacular castles you will ever see but, it is a classic Norman castle with a moat style structure; one of the best preserved in the country1. It is however, an English Heritage site and therefore, there is an entrance fee to get close to the castle.
The 44A or the 44 will take you to Ottery St Mary. If you’re going to Ottery St Mary on a normal day, you’ll meet a quaint little town in Devon with charity shops, bakeries and the like. However, if you’re going on bonfire night, you’ll find men running around with flaming tar barrels above their heads. Although it’s a nice place to visit, bonfire night at Ottery St Mary is a staple memory for me. I don’t think any bonfire night will ever beat that. It does get very busy though and you need to buy tickets in advance. If you ever get the chance, I really recommend it.
DARTMOOR
I decided I just had to give Dartmoor a section on it’s own. There are so many ways that you can get to Dartmoor from Exeter however, the easiest way is to get the train from Exeter Central to Okehampton. This line reopened in my final year of university and it made trips to Dartmoor so much easier. You are on the very edge of Dartmoor here and can do a nice, not too strenuous walk onto the moors. It’s a great way to access the moors as you can tailor your walk to your own pace and experience. If you want to go deeper into Dartmoor, the Dartmoor Explorer, which resumes service in July 2023, will take you to Tavistock, Princetown, Two Bridges, Postbridge and more2. Another option is the get the train to Ivybridge or you can get the X38 bus to Buckfastleigh. There are so many options here that you really have no excuse. If you don’t venture into Dartmoor at least once in your trip, you’re really missing out. The great thing about all these options is that, you don’t always have to do a circular walk to the same place. Make sure you have checked the bus times at your end point through and don’t leave it until the very last bus – just to be on the safe side.
CITIES
Now, I’m going to give both of these places guides on their own as, obviously, there is so much to do in cities. But, you can access two cities fairly easily from Exeter with enough time just for a day trip.
First up, Plymouth is the obvious nearest city to Exeter. Plymouth is the UK’s Ocean City and is full of history. I think that Plymouth is a very underrated city as it’s home to the Barbican which is a lovely, historic area of the city. The Plymouth Gin museum and shop is here; the architecture is just phenomenal and you can explore the history of the Mayflower. The Mayflower was a ship that set sail in 1620 from Plymouth to Massachusetts in America and created the first New England colony3. The Barbican is located along the Marina and there are some lovely restaurants along here where you can have a meal and drink with a view. You also have to visit Plymouth Hoe and see the lighthouse. The story goes that Francis Drake was playing bowls on the Hoe when news of the Spanish Armada reached him. Like I said, there is so much history here and it’s just a very cool city.
It may come as a surprise to some but, Bristol is also within reach of a day trip in Exeter. You are looking at around an hour on the train from Exeter St Davids which is easily done within a day. Take in the sights of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Brandon Hill Park as well as the shipping and maritime history and industry on display. I think I had some misconceptions of Bristol before we went but, I was pleasantly surprised by the city. There were lots of vegan cafes and stalls if that is your kind of thing. And, there was a very cheap bookshop which was a hit for me. This was just an all around lovely date day for me, finished off with a meal and cocktails at Revolution De Cuba. The Bordeaux Quay is a lovely place to end the day.
I hope I have given you some inspiration on how to spend your time in South Devon/Exeter. There are so many places that Devon has to offer; I have merely scratched the surface here.
If it was helpful, please do let me know!
Amie x
1https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/totnes-castle/
2https://www.firstbus.co.uk/adventures-bus/services/dartmoor-explorer
Explore with Amie 
Leave a comment