Andrews - The Rough Guide to Devon & Cornwall

This Rough Guide is one of a new generation of informative and easy-to-use travel-guide ebooks that guarantees you make the most of your trip. An essential tool for pre-trip planning, it also makes a great travel companion when youre on the road.

From the fills you in on history, books and film.

Detailed area maps feature in the guide chapters and are also listed in the , accessible from the table of contents. Depending on your hardware, you can double-tap on the maps to see larger-scale versions, or select different scales. There are also thumbnails below more detailed maps in these cases, you can opt to zoom left/top or zoom right/bottom or view the full map. The screen-lock function on your device is recommended when viewing enlarged maps. Make sure you have the latest software updates, too.

Throughout the guide, weve flagged up our favourite places - a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric caf, a special restaurant with the author pick icon . You can select your own favourites and create a personalized itinerary by bookmarking the sights, venues and activities that are of interest, giving you the quickest possible access to everything youll need for your time away.

Stretching sinuously into the Atlantic, Britains westernmost counties of Devon and Cornwall have always captured the imaginations of artists, writers, surfers and hikers anyone, in fact, whos drawn to wild landscapes, dramatic coastline and a benign climate. The two counties have a markedly different look and feel to the rest of the UK: Devons rolling swards of pasture, narrow lanes and cosy thatched cottages are a counterpoint to Cornwalls craggy charm and deep Celtic roots. The essential elements, however, are shared, first and foremost being the sea a constant theme, whether experienced as a restless force raging against rocks and reefs, or as a more serene presence, bathed in rich colours more readily associated with sun-baked Mediterranean shores.

Youre never very far from the coast in Devon and Cornwall, where the panoramic sequence of miniature ports, placid estuaries, embattled cliffs and sequestered bays is linked by one of the regions greatest assets, the South West Coast Path , stretching from the seaboard of Exmoor to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Most visitors are primarily enticed by the magnificent beaches strewn along the deeply indented coast, ranging from grand sweeps of sand confronting ranks of surfer-friendly rollers to intimate creeks and coves away from the crowds. The resorts also come in all shapes and sizes, from bijou fishing ports to full-blown tourist towns offering every facility, and from genteel Victorian health resorts to spartan outposts squeezed between cliffs.

Inland, the peninsula has a trio of wildernesses Exmoor , Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor which appeal equally to activity enthusiasts and wildlife watchers. Elsewhere, Devon and Cornwall also boast some supreme specimens of English rural life unsung hamlets far from the beaten track, where clustered cottages, steepled churches and brilliant flower displays perfectly complement the lush meadows and tidy dells surrounding them.

Some of the regions greatest cultural treasures are to be found in the various stately homes that are open to the public, many with gardens that thrive in the mild climate. Theres plenty of interest in the towns and cities too: castles and cathedrals vying for your attention with galleries and ancient markets . Its not necessary to stick to the bigger centres to track down top-quality restaurants or the most sophisticated accommodation , either Devon and Cornwall excel at both, often in the remotest spots.