Villas in Devon

Table of Contents

• At a glance: what should you know about renting a villa in Devon?
• Villas in Devon: find your perfect retreat
• Exploring Devon: our top recommendations
• Activities: what are the top things to do and see in Devon?

• Space, gardens and pools: Devon villas favour generous living areas, private gardens and, on many properties, a swimming pool — ideal for families and couples travelling together.
• Two very different coasts: North Devon brings surf beaches and rock pools, while South Devon offers sheltered estuaries and ancient villages.
• Top-rated stays: our best-reviewed properties in the county score 10.0+, with guests praising the gardens, the peace and the easy reach of the coast.
• Eating out: Exeter anchors the county's dining scene, from Italian cooking to modern European plates and a long-standing wine bar.
• Plan for changeable weather: pack layers year-round, and expect patchy mobile signal in rural valleys — most properties offer Wi-Fi instead.

Devon's villas run from converted farmhouses in green inland valleys to light-filled modern builds within walking distance of the sea. Expect room to spread out, private outdoor space and, frequently, a pool. If you would rather something smaller or more traditional, the county also has holiday cottages in Devon, log cabins and holiday homes across the county. Most come well equipped for longer, slower stays.

• Private swimming pools, many of them heated for the shoulder seasons
• Enclosed gardens and terraces with valley or sea views
• Wi-Fi throughout, which matters in the county's patchy-signal countryside
• Washing machines and full kitchens for self-catering holidays
• Off-road parking, plus dog-friendly options for guests bringing a pet

Together these make a villa an easy base for a week or longer.

What are the best areas to stay in Devon?

For a first visit, South Hams balances beaches, estuaries and good food within short driving distances. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Guests staying here consistently single out the same things: the size of the gardens, how quiet the evenings are, and how quickly you can reach either coast by car. Properties with outdoor space and parking review particularly well, and several of our best-scoring stays in the county hold a 10.0+ rating across their reviews.

Here are our top-rated properties in Devon from the past year:

1. Cottage for 4 people, with yard, with pets - 10.0+: a pet-friendly retreat with parking and its own garden, tucked into the countryside at Washfield in the mid of the county.
2. Cottage for 2 people, with yard - 10.0+: a garden and off-road parking make this Barnstaple base an easy choice for couples exploring the north coast.
3. Cottage for 6 people - 10.0+: space for six and parking on site, well placed in South West England for touring more widely.

Devon sits in South West England and is the only county with two separate coastlines, with Dartmoor and Exmoor rising between them above wooded river valleys and the county town of Exeter.

🥗Where to eat in Devon?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Il Grano is the best rated restaurant in Devon. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest traveller Charlotte recommends The Heavy Tree British Bistro in Devon: a polished neighbourhood bistro on Heavitree's Fore Street, small enough to feel like a find and an easy booking for a relaxed final night before the drive home.

1. Explore maritime Plymouth
2. Walk the wilds of Exmoor
3. Swim at Branscombe Beach
4. Look up in Exeter Cathedral
5. Wander Rougemont Gardens
6. Cross into Dartmoor
7. Follow the coast east

1. Explore maritime Plymouth

   Plymouth is the great nautical city here, built around one of the finest natural harbours anywhere. Climb Smeaton's Tower for the view along the Hoe, follow the story of Francis Drake through the old streets, then choose between the historic gin distillery and the National Marine Aquarium. It is an easy day out from anywhere in the south of the county, and the waterfront is a good place to eat once the light goes.

2. Walk the wilds of Exmoor

   Exmoor is open country of heather, hills and bracken, cut through by the River Exe and protected as a national park. Its coastal stretch runs for some 55 kilometres, with tall cliffs and woodland that in places reaches the edge of the sea. Walkers get caves, headlands and empty beaches; anyone with a camera gets postcard views. Go early in the day for the best chance of clear weather.

3. Swim at Branscombe Beach

   On the eastern side near Seaton, Branscombe Beach sits within the World Heritage Jurassic Coast. The shingle shore hides natural rock pools, and a network of paths climbs away from the sea for wide views back across the bay. It is a quieter choice than the big northern surf beaches, which makes it a good half-day for families with young children.

4. Look up in Exeter Cathedral

   Begun in the early 12th century and finished just under 300 years later, Exeter Cathedral keeps the oldest surviving pair of Norman Romanesque towers flanking a nave. Look up and you will find more than 400 carved bosses in the vault, some decorative, some telling historical scenes including the killing of Thomas Becket. Allow an hour, and more if the choir is rehearsing while you visit.

5. Wander Rougemont Gardens

   Beside the faint remains of Rougemont Castle, this park follows the defences of a 950-year-old fortress raised in 1068 during the Norman conquest, on top of the northern wall of the Roman city. It is a short, shaded walk in the middle of Exeter with a striking history: in 1682 the last people in England tried and executed for witchcraft were sentenced here.

6. Cross into Dartmoor

   Dartmoor delivers granite tors, grazing ponies and river valleys inland from either coast. Short waymarked walks suit mixed-ability groups, while longer routes climb to viewpoints that take in both shores on a clear day. Bring boots and waterproofs whatever the forecast says, and note that mobile signal thins out quickly up on the moor.

7. Follow the coast east

   The eastern edge runs straight into a stretch of coastline worth a day of its own. Sidmouth and Seaton make good stops, and just over the border Lyme Regis continues the same fossil-rich cliffs. Heading the other way, St Ives in neighbouring Cornwall is a comfortable drive from the west, which makes a base here practical for seeing more of the South West.