Lydford Gorge Alpacas

You'll find these alpacas grazing in the lush Devon countryside near Okehampton, and honestly, they're rather brilliant. The animals are genuinely friendly - soft, curious, and endlessly entertaining to watch as they potter about their paddocks. This isn't some theme park affair; it's a proper working smallholding where you can get up close to the creatures without the corporate sheen.

The main draw is the interaction. You can feed them by hand, which the alpacas seem to enjoy without being pushy about it. They spit occasionally - it's alpaca behaviour, not malice - but mostly they're content to munch and let you scratch their necks. Kids aged four upwards tend to get the most from it; toddlers find them a bit unpredictable.

Allow an hour, maybe ninety minutes if you're not in a rush. It's genuinely relaxing rather than action-packed. Worth timing your visit for late afternoon when the light's softer and the animals are more active.

If you're staying at Lydford Caravan & Camping Park just down the road, this makes a cracking half-day excursion. The park itself sits near Lydford Gorge, so you could easily combine a morning walk with the alpacas in the afternoon. Langstone Manor, five miles out, gives you more of a base to explore wider - Okehampton's market square is worth poking around, and you're well placed for Dartmoor walks.

Not groundbreaking, but genuinely pleasant and the animals are well looked after.