Things to do
Family fun and activities
Dartmouth is a superb base from which to access a great array of family based activities and things to do - you’ll want to keep coming back there is some much fun to be had.
Zoos, watersports, boat trips, family theme parks, vineyard tours, National Trust, spas, golf and more - something for everyone.
Some world class zoos: Paignton Zoo (Paignton) where we love the Orangutang’s, Elephants and Red Panda’s amongst many others, and Living Coasts (Torquay) with many sea birds, penguins and sharks, are both very high quality. They are quite close by, if you cross over the car ferry. Dartmoor Zoological Park (DZP) on the edge of Dartmoor is the Zoo that the Hollywood film “We Bought a Zoo” with Matt Damon was based on and is a great rural zoo famed for it’s Tigers. There is also a smaller zoo, Shaldon Wildlife Trust. There is a superb Aquarium in Plymouth - it is the UKs biggest aquarium and idea for a rainy day visit. Although not a zoo as such, there is also the Buckfastleigh Butterflies and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary at the A38 junction which is a lovely smaller attraction to visit. Pennywell Farm is also located near Buckfastleigh, and also there is the Miniature Pony Centre on the edge of Dartmoor which is a lovely day out.
Watersports for all: the watersport available in South Devon is growing all the time.
• Bantham Surf School - hire wetsuits for a few £, a surfboard for £12 for 2 hours or a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP). Enrol on surf lessons for more tuition at Bantham Beach.
• Dartmouth Sea Kayak - guided sea kayak tours round the coastline or up the beautiful river dart through http://www.seakayakdevon.co.uk
• Royal Dart Yacht Club http://www.royaldart.co.uk was Yacht Club of the Year in 2016, and we have the Dartmouth Yacht Club http://www.dyc.org.uk - take a temporary membership and participate. The DYC has a number of kayaks for your use as a member.
• Waterborne - SUP school and SUP Yoga classes - awesome ! http:// www.waterborn.uk.com/
• The Paddleshack - new to Dartmouth, take some lessons and explore the river and coast with qualified experts. Book them on the embankment in one of the kiosks. tremendous fun and not as hard as it looks !
Dartmouth based things to do: Steam railway trips are available from Kingswear. For example, the “round robin” is an all day trip that takes you on a circuit from here toPaignton all on one ticket that takes you on the steam train, then a bus, then a boat tripfrom Totnes to here. Equally a shorted trip from Kingswear to Greenway Halt is a nice trip along the river. Boat trips - a large variety of boat trips, now including the paddle steamer Kingswear Castle, and the Greenway Ferry are available from the kiosks all along the embankment. There is also the Castle Ferry - a small light blue boat that picks up on the embankment and drops off just at the Castle is a short but lovely little boat trip - we are a fan of this lovely short ferry ride and often catch the ferry back from a visit to the Castle Cafe at the mouth of the Dart. Dittisham Taxi also runs frequently up and back to Dittisham. Boat hire - you can hire small boats (the yellow and white ones on the river) from opposite the boat float area in town and with a one hour boat hire you have enough time to go all the way up to Dittisham and back.
The Dartmouth Spa and Golf and Country Club is 4 miles outside of Dartmouth on the main road offering a championship 18 hole course and a 9 hole course. The Spa has beenrecently redeveloped and extended. see www.gcc.co.uk for more information. There is also a Spa in walking distance of the town at the Dart Marina Hotel - walk over to theHigher Ferry and into the Hotel car park for information.
The Britannia Royal Naval College does open for tours, with information available from the Tourist Information Centre. The Naval heritage of the town is very significant and wellrepresented in this tour, and the connections between the college and the Royal Family are very strong - this was the first meeting place of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip.
Crabbing on the embankment, and also from Bayard’s Cove is a great young family activity - always a debate about the best bait - our opinion is buy some fish-heads from the fishmonger in the market square ! You may find a couple of crabbing buckets you can borrow in the small shed out the front of Harbour Heights.
There is a small museum in town and also the Newcomen engine replica in the Tourist Information Centre - the Newcomen Engine is a hugely significant piece of history, beinginvented by Thomas Newcomen, without which it has been said the industrial revolution would not have been possible.
The Flavel Arts Centre is in town and offers a small cinema and other shows - see www.theflavel.org.uk for programme of Theatre, Music, Dance, Art and Cinema
Woodlands is the largest family theme park in the South West, just outside Dartmouth with indoor and outdoor family fun including bumper boats, toboggan runs and zip slides to ball pools, commando courses and bouncy castles
National Trust in South Devon: Greenaway House and garden - Agatha Christies house is a National Trust property and is best visited by a short boat trip from the mainpontoon to Dittisham. There are other National Trust properties and places in the area too, such as Overbecks (Salcombe) and Coleton Fishacre (Kingswear). A bit further towards Plymouth are Saltram House, Buckland Abbey and Lydford Gorge. Powderham Castle near Exeter is also great. Look out for special events. Much of the Coastline is National Trust with several NT car parks at magnificent stretches of the coastal path.
Dartmoor National Park is a spectacular place to spend time. See our special section on Dartmoor. In particular Adventure Clydesdales is a wonderful horse riding provider at Dartmeet where you can spend a half day riding Clydesdale horses across Dartmoor. A very unique and special experience.
China Blue is in Totnes, and you can have a happy hour or two painting your own bit of pottery there. This is an ideal rainy day activity too and one for all the family. You carefully painted pot of artefact will be glazed and fired for you ready for collected in a few days or posted back to you at home.
Start Point Lighthouse is close by, near Torcross at Slapton. The Lighthouse is situated on one of the most beautiful peninsulas on the English Coast located at one end of Start Bay between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth. You can go into the lighthouse for a tour but check beforehand they are open. The coastline in this area is wonderful, and there are views across to "the village lost to the sea" - Hallsands. Why not pop into the Cricket Inn at Beesands on the way back to Dartmouth, or the Start Point Inn at Torcross for award winning fish and chips at Slapton sands.
South Devon Chilli Farm is located near Kingsbridge and you can visit them to wander round the chilli plants, sample the preserves, chocolate and take away some chilli plants or local produce.
One more great trip is to visit Sharpham Cheese and Vineyard at Asprington near Totnes for a lovely walk through vineyards and along the river, some wine and cheese tasting anda wonderful meal at the Anchorstone Cafe.
