From green and gentle hills to weathered moorland, soaring cliffs to sheltered sandy beaches, Devon is a nature lover’s dream. Tucked between Cornwall and Dorset in the southwest of England, the region boasts two national parks, Exmoor and Dartmoor, that cover more than 600 square miles of dramatic wilderness between them. The rugged northern coast has become a surfing destination, and the southern coast is home to the so-called English Riviera, where the pretty Georgian seaside towns of Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham are lined with palm trees and blessed by an almost Mediterranean microclimate. Exeter and Plymouth are lively university towns rich with history: Exeter’s city walls still combine Roman and medieval ruins, while Plymouth’s storied maritime past is evident everywhere you look. But wherever you start your journey, you don’t have to travel far to quickly find yourself surrounded by beautiful landscapes, bountiful wildlife, and, at night, some of Britain’s starriest skies.

Devon has its own airport at Exeter (EXT), where flights arrive from European holiday destinations and various other UK cities. Bristol Airport (BRS), 70 miles away, serves many more destinations, while the closest major global hubs are London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW). It’s easy to reach Devon by rail from London — a direct train to Exeter St Davids takes two hours and connects the major towns and cities, as do coach services and local bus networks. Still, this is a largely rural area where public transport can be frustratingly infrequent and taxi and rideshare services can be limited. You may consider renting a car to explore more widely, especially the less accessible areas of the coast and the national parks.

Thanks to its southerly location Devon is one of Britain’s warmest and sunniest regions, with a unique microclimate on its south coast that keeps even the winters mild. Having said that, the weather in Exmoor and Dartmoor is famously changeable; cold, rain, and fog can descend without warning, so it’s best to be prepared for all conditions when spending time outdoors. Summer is music festival season, and the seaside towns really come to life between June and August. But if you want to avoid the peak season when many Britons take their holidays here, then April-May and September-October are good alternatives, with a number of food festivals as well as the annual County Fair in May. In winter, you can catch one of Europe’s best rugby teams at their home stadium in Sandy Park.

Exmoor National Park

Dartmoor National Park gets far more attention and twice the visitors, but Exmoor’s untamed beauty is no less compelling and more diverse than the term “moorland” suggests. Woodland, rivers, and beaches hidden along its dramatic coastline foster a landscape rich with wildlife, including roaming herds of red deer.

Plymouth

Humans have lived near the Plymouth Sound since the Bronze Age, when the Saxons settled there one thousand years ago. But it’s the town’s maritime and naval heritage that have left the greatest mark, from its 17th-century Royal Citadel and the Mayflower Steps—from which the first Pilgrims departed for North America—to the current home of the Royal Marines.

Jurassic Coast

Beginning near the east of the county and stretching into Dorset, this span of Britain’s south coast comprises 95 miles of awe-inspiring scenery and geological significance. Its beguiling cliffs and rock formations date back 180 million years and have yielded some of the most important fossils found on the continent.