Torquay, South Devon & Dartmoor National Park

Included Excursions

Dartmoor National Park: Buckfast Abbey, Princetown & Tavistock (full day)

Home to a community of Benedictine monks, Buckfast Abbey lies on the banks of the River Dart. Here, we soak up the peaceful atmosphere and explore the beautiful Abbey church with its art treasures. There’s also time to wander the tranquil gardens and browse the gift and produce shops.

We then continue on a scenic drive through Dartmoor National Park; this wild heart of Devon is peppered with moss-blanketed boulders, honey-coloured heaths, tinkling streams and cinematic granite tors. Look out for rare wildlife before we reach our next stop; Princetown. This tiny moorland outpost is home to the foreboding Dartmoor prison and the Dartmoor National Park Visitor Centre, which was once the Old Duchy Hotel where Arthur Conan Doyle penned the eerie The Hound of the Baskervilles.

Our next stop is Tavistock. This classic West Country market town is the gateway to the Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site. Explore the old streets, which throng with an eclectic mix of small independent shops and delicatessens and peek behind the Town Hall to discover the award-winning and historic Pannier Market.

Dartmouth, River Dart Cruise & Totnes (full day)

We start the day with some time at leisure in the riverside town of Dartmouth. Former home of Agatha Christie, it is easily one of Devon's prettiest destinations. Explore the pastel-coloured buildings leaning at angles and the picturesque harbour laden with yachts and pleasure boats.

Next, we enjoy a relaxing cruise along the calm waters of the River Dart, where we admire the magnificent buildings including the Britannia Royal Naval College and Agatha Christie’s Greenway Estate. Cameras at the ready for the Sharpham Estate with its vineyards, and steep, toppling wooded hillsides plunging down to the water’s edge.

We disembark in the historic market town of Totnes, a helter-skelter of charming streets and fine Tudor buildings nestled beneath the silhouette of the sturdy Norman castle. We have time to explore the boutique shops famed for their range of ethical products, whole foods and fair trade goods.

Please note: the cruise itinerary may operate in reverse order subject to sailing times.

Torquay has been one of the UK's top holiday destinations since Victorian times when the Riviera name was used to describe this favourite of resorts. Their legacy remains with sparkling white villas perched on the hilltops and elegant Victorian facades along the main streets to make a beautiful setting for a perfect coach break.

Torquay's famous seven hills provide the backdrop to the waterfront, with 22 miles of coastline, cliffs, coves, beaches and walks to rival any in the South West of England and a climate that belongs somewhere much further south. Stunning views can be seen just about everywhere across the bay, out over the English Channel.

Torquay is very much a place to relax, in the many pavement cafés, pubs and restaurants, so soak up the atmosphere, take in the scenery, stroll around the parks and the gardens – everything you need for a an enjoyable coach holiday in a traditional English seaside resort!

Dartmoor National Park lies at the heart of Devon – a unique landscape of wild, vast moorland peppered with moss-blanketed boulders, heath-clad heaths, dense woodland, deep river valleys and distinctive granite tors. Covering 386 square miles, this is a place of remoteness and tranquility full of rich history and rare wildlife. The famous Dartmoor ponies are an iconic sight as they roam freely across the moors. 

Dartmoor’s brooding landscape has inspired many writers, poets and painters over the centuries, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles. It has also featured in TV and film including Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.

Designated as a National Park in 1951, Dartmoor’s largely untamed countryside is just begging to be explored!