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Common questions
What are the best months to visit Devon?
May, June, and September. Devon is at its greenest and mildest in late spring, with the coast paths and Dartmoor at their best before the school-holiday crowds. September offers warm seas (the water is warmest late in summer), quieter beaches, and golden light. July-August is the peak — beautiful but very busy, with jammed lanes and booked-out cottages. Winter is mild but wet and wild, lovely for storm-watching and cosy pubs.
What's the weather like on Dartmoor compared to the coast?
Very different, often on the same day. Dartmoor sits high and exposed — it's wetter, windier, several degrees colder, and can be shrouded in mist when the coast is clear. The moor gets the county's heaviest rain and occasional snow in winter. The coast (Torbay, the 'English Riviera') is milder and sunnier, sheltered by comparison. If the moor is socked in with cloud, drive to the coast; the weather can be completely different 30 minutes away.
How warm is the sea in Devon for swimming?
Cool but swimmable in summer. The sea reaches around 16-18°C in August-September — bracing but fine for a proper swim, warmest in late summer rather than midsummer. South Devon (Torbay, Salcombe) is gentler and a touch warmer than the rugged north coast. Many locals swim year-round in wetsuits. May-June the water is still cold (13-15°C); September is the sweet spot when the sea has had all summer to warm up.
What can you do in Devon when it rains?
Plenty. Powderham Castle, the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, and Buckfast Abbey are all indoors. Country pubs with fires are a Devon speciality — a long lunch with a pasty waits out any shower. The Dartmouth Steam Railway runs in the rain. Cream tea in a farmhouse tearoom is the classic wet-afternoon move. And Devon rain often blows through fast off the Atlantic, so a museum visit can be followed by a clear coast walk.