New Quay

The walk out to New Quay from Dawlish takes you along the coastal path with the sea opening up to your right, and it's genuinely one of those stretches where you understand why people bother with Devon in the first place. The viewpoint itself sits at the end of a small headland - nothing monumentally high, but high enough to give you a proper sense of the coastline spreading away in both directions. On a clear day you can see for miles along the red cliffs. On a grey one, it's moody and dramatic instead.

It's the kind of spot walkers actually want to reach rather than just pass through. The cliffs here are that distinctive red sandstone, worn by weather, and the whole thing feels properly seaside without being twee about it. You're looking back towards Dawlish itself on one side and out toward the wider South Devon coast on the other. Give yourself a good hour if you're starting from town - it's not a monster walk, but you'll want to linger once you're there.

Families with older kids or decent walkers will get the most from this. Younger children might find the path a bit much, and it's definitely one for people who enjoy actually moving to earn their views rather than pulling up in a car park. Free to visit, obviously - it's a public footpath. If you're based at any of the nearby parks like Lady's Mile or Dawlish Sands, this makes a brilliant half-day outing, especially in shoulder seasons when the weather's crisp and the path's quieter.