Little Haldon

The views from Little Haldon are genuinely worth stopping for if you're driving between Exeter and the coast. It's a straightforward elevated spot that gives you a proper panorama across the Exe Valley - moorland, farmland, the works. On a clear day you can see right out toward the coast, which feels like decent value for a five-minute detour.

There's a car park and a small memorial up here, so it's not a case of finding a layby and hoping for the best. You can stretch your legs properly, have a proper look around. It's neither a long walk nor particularly demanding - more of a viewing platform than a destination in itself. Walkers heading across Haldon Moor sometimes pass through, but most visitors are just folk who've heard it's worth the drive and want to check the horizon.

If you're staying at Lady's Mile Holiday Park or Golden Sands, both only a few miles away, it's an obvious morning or evening run with the kids before heading to the beach at Dawlish. Beats sitting in the caravan before tea. The light's best in late afternoon when the sun hits the valley properly. Winter visits work fine too - fewer tourists, clearer air usually.

Bit of a wind-blown spot, so bring a jacket even when it looks calm lower down. Free to visit, no faffing about with opening hours. Honestly, if you're in the area, it takes twenty minutes tops and leaves you wondering why you hadn't been before.