Lympstone Harbour

The Exe estuary has a way of getting under your skin, and Lympstone Harbour is where that magic concentrates itself. It's a working marina filled with proper working boats - fishing vessels, sailing craft, the occasional motorboat - rather than just a collection of weekend playthings. The waterfront has real texture to it: timber jetties, the smell of salt and diesel, locals who actually know their way around a rope.

You can wander the quays for free, watch the boats come and go, and grab a pint at one of the harbourside pubs if the spirit moves you. It's the sort of place where an hour slips past without you noticing, though families with very small children might find the appeal a bit abstract - there's no playground or theme park energy here. What there is, though, is genuine working harbour life. Photographers will have a field day when the light's right, and walkers can easily extend a visit into a longer riverside ramble.

Based just outside Dawlish, Lympstone works brilliantly as a half-day venture if you're staying at any of the nearby parks - Cofton Holidays, Haven Devon Cliffs, or Golden Sands are all within a few miles. The harbour rewards a relaxed approach rather than rigid timing. Come at slack water when the light hits the estuary properly, not when the tide's against you and the parking's stressed.