Phear Park

The clifftop walks around Phear Park, just outside Exmouth, offer proper coastal Devon without the theme-park feel of some nearby attractions. It's a nature reserve rather than a manicured garden - think open grassland, scrub, and the red sandstone cliffs that make this stretch of coast distinctive. You're looking at sea views across to the Exe Estuary, and on a clear day it's genuinely absorbing. The reserve is free to wander, and most people spend an hour or two here depending on whether you're just after a quick clifftop stroll or actually interested in the plants and bird life. It's less crowded than nearby coastal spots, which matters if you're trying to escape the school-holiday crush at Dawlish or Exmouth's seafront itself.

Families with younger kids might find it a bit sparse - there's no cafe, no facilities, just open space. Walkers and nature types get far more from it. The paths are straightforward enough, though the cliffs themselves need respecting; it's not a place for wandering too close to the edge. Given how many holiday parks sit within a couple of miles - Haven Devon Cliffs, Dawlish Sands, Welcome Family - it's a useful free addition to a caravan-park week rather than a destination in itself. Combine it with a proper walk down to Exmouth proper or up towards Budleigh Salterton for a fuller day out. Visit midweek in shoulder season and you'll have the paths mostly to yourself.