Moor Sand Cliffs (Venericks Cove)

The cliffs at Venericks Cove catch you off guard - one moment you're on a modest coastal path, the next you're staring at towering bands of rust-red and ochre sandstone dropping steeply to a shingle beach below. This is Moor Sand Cliffs, Devon's less-trumpeted answer to the Jurassic Coast, and it's genuinely worth the detour if you're staying near Kingsbridge.

The geological layers are the real draw here. Those striated cliffs tell a proper story - Triassic sediments stacked on top of each other like some giant's abandoned cake. Geologists get genuinely excited about it. Everyone else just finds them striking, especially in low afternoon light when the reds come alive.

It's not a huge undertaking. Park near Kingsbridge and walk the South West Coast Path down - maybe forty minutes depending on your pace - and you'll have the cove to yourself most days, even in summer. The beach is accessible at low tide if you fancy a scramble down, but the main event is the view from the top. Allow an hour, maybe two if you're the type to sit and sketch or just watch the light change.

Families with younger kids might find it a bit of a slog to get there for what amounts to "nice cliffs", but teenagers studying geography or anyone with a camera will be properly satisfied. It slots nicely alongside the better-known spots if you're based at Wilton Farm or Karrageen - both within easy striking distance - and breaks up a week of busier beaches.