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East Devon AONB, Visitor & Tourism Guide

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County: Devon
Nearby National Parks: Dartmoor
Nearby AONBs: Dorset, South Devon, Blackdown Hills
Select Towns/Villages: Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Beer, Topsham, Branscombe, Seaton and also pop over to Lyme Regis (Dorset) on the AONB border

Exmouth to Lyme Regis
The East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty runs along the east Devon coast from around Exmouth and the Exe Estuary to Lyme Regis on the Devon/Dorset border. To the north, the AONB runs as far as Honiton.

World Heritage and AONBs
East Devon incorporates the eastern Devon section of the Jurassic Coast, England’s first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Jurassic Coast starts at Orcombe Point Geoneedle and heads past some delightful coastal towns and villages including Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth, Branscombe and Beer. In our opinion, the best way to explore the Jurassic coastline is on foot on the South West Coast Path. Within Devon, you'll walk the red cliffs of Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth before reaching the white cliffs around Weston Mouth Beach and Branscombe. If you cross the border into Dorset, take time to explore the delightful Lyme Regis.

Lyme Regis is within the Dorset AONB. To the north is the Blackdown Hills AONB. To the west are Dartmoor National Park and The English Riviera.

Beaches
Given the natural beauty of the coastline, there are some cracking beaches. However, unlike, say, the South Devon AONB, you won't find many sandy beaches. Whilst there's sand at Exmouth and across the border in Lyme Regis, most of the beaches in the East Devon AONB are shingle and pebble.

We'd recommend a day at Beer Beach and Ladram Bay Beach, Budleigh Salterton Beach and Branscombe Beach. Our favourite is Weston Mouth Beach but there is quite a hike to its shoreline. The beaches around Exmouth are great, too.

Other attractions
As you'd expect for such a popular part of the UK, there are plenty of other attractions. Bicton Park Botanical Gardens provides a superb family day out and we can't recommend a visit highly enough. Try Stuart Line Cruises and the World of Country Life, too.

Just outside the AONB, we'd suggest a day at Escot. For kids, head to Devon's Crealy Great Adventure Park.

Places in which to base yourself
Major destinations in which to base yourself for a holiday or weekend break in, or on the fringes of, the East Devon AONB include Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton, Beer and Seaton. Branscombe is superb. You could try Exmouth and Lyme Regis.

Further afield
A little further afield, we'd recommend visits to Topsham and Exeter. The former is on the River Exe and Estuary and it's fun to take a ferry to The Turf and Turf Lock. Exeter is a major city within South West England and its cathedral is sublime.

West and south west of the East Devon AONB are Dartmoor National Park and The English Riviera. Dartmoor's a stunning place and we'd recommend walking its many wooded valleys and cleaves. Try the Teign Gorge and Lustleigh Cleave.

If you don't mind driving for a wee bit longer then head to the towns and beaches of the South Devon AONB. Dartmouth and Salcombe are among the best coastal destinations in the UK. The beaches around Torcross and Bigbury-on-Sea are a joy.

Top 10 Recommendations

Top 10 Places To Visit Selected from the best Places To Visit in East Devon AONB we've listed our top 10.

Top 10 Things To Do Selected from the best Things To Do in East Devon AONB we've listed our top 10.

Top 10 Beaches Selected from the best Beaches in East Devon AONB we've listed our top 10.

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