10 Ideas for a Devon Honeymoon

Plan your perfect Devon honeymoon with these 10 dreamy destinations

Moorland View Cottage

1. Stay in a traditional thatched cottage

Offering all the luxury of a boutique hotel, but with the space and privacy of your own home, Moorland View makes the perfect destination for a romantic Devon honeymoon. Set in an idyllic thatched village in the hills of Dartmoor National Park, it comes free access to a five-star spa and country club, with use of its pool, sauna and sports facilities and up to 25% of treatments, food and drink.
> Honeymoons at Moorland View
> Mini-moons at Moorland View

2. Take to the skies

With love in the air, what better idea is there for a Devon honeymoon than to take to the skies, on a hot air balloon flight at dawn or dusk over epic Dartmoor scenery? Local company Aerosauraus runs group rides from either Ivybridge or Exeter (both half an hour's drive away from the cottage), with prices including champagne starting at £110. They also run flights along Devon’s south coast.

Fingle Gorge

3. Walk through a Dartmoor gorge

Taking in a fairytale castle, oak-lined gorge, ancient stone bridge and traditional pub, this two-hour walk along the Teign River is Devon’s most romantic. Hunter’s Path runs higher up the valley, while Fisherman’s Path traces the spectacular wooded riverbank path, where kingfishers and woodpeckers dart between shaded pools, and trout, salmon and otters frolic in deep, clear waters. The small rocky beaches are perfect places for picnics and toe-dipping. Look out for glimpses of Prestonbury Castle Iron Age hill fort on the other side of the valley. At the bottom of the gorge is Fingle Bridge Inn, where there’s a pretty terrace overlooking the river. In spring, the woodlands are carpeted with bluebells and daffodils.
> More romantic Dartmoor walks

4. Bask on the beach

Sugar-white, soft and clean, Devon’s beaches are some of the most beautiful in the UK and are an essential destination on any Devon honeymoon itinerary. If you’re prepared to walk along the coastal path, you’ll easily find a sandy little cove for a romantic tête-à-tête, even in the height of summer. Elendor Cove, pictured, tops our list for being Devon’s most romantic beach, while Mill Bay, a ferry ride across the water from Salcombe, is also a winning idea for honeymooners. Nestled in an ultra-romantic spot below wooded cliffs, is Blackpool Sands, a mile-long, privately owned sweep of shingle with safe swimming and a lovely beach cafe offering barbecues in summer. Beware, it attracts families in their droves during the school holidays. Long and lovely Thurlestone is another romantic location for UK honeymoons, and has a cute rustic beach shack cafe called The Beach House, which serves superb superb food overlooking the beach.
> More romantic Devon beaches

Elendor Cove

5. Boat up the River Dart

Winding its way from Dartmoor to the port of Dartmouth on the South Devon coast, the Dart is Devon honeymooner’s dream, with yachts and pleasure boats plying between beaches, historic sites, villages and vineyards. There are several options for romantic boat trips, including on the UK’s last remaining coal-fired paddle steamer, but for the ultimate romantic Devon honeymoon or mini moon idea, hire the Picnic Boat, a private boat for two, which provides a bespoke menu, champagne and will take you to little bays for swimming or crabbing, then wait for you while you take a vineyard tour at Sharpham.  
> More romantic things to do in Devon

6. Take a tour of a vineyard

The views of River Dart and Capability Brown-designed hillsides are worth the trip to Sharpham alone, but their vineyard tours, on which you get to taste their delicious sparkling and white wines, as well as their cheeses, will be the clincher for honeymooners. Their Cellar Door cafe makes a scenic destination for lunch on summer Devon honeymoons. Book ahead. > More guided tours in Devon

7. Have a romantic tête-à-tête in Grade-1 listed gardens

Built in 1812 as the holiday home for the Duchess of Bedford, Georgiana Russell, the Endsleigh is a wildly romantic, verdantly-gardened Eden in the Tamar Valley that’s a perfect destination for Devon cottage honeymoons. Wander around the Grade-1 listed gardens, with shell houses, grottos and hidden glades, then have a Devonshire cream tea, fireside, in their grand drawing room.
> More romantic Devon gardens

Stargazing on Hound Tor

8. Dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant

Michelin-starred Gidleigh Park is a grand Tudor-style country manor hotel, set in 107 acres of Dartmoor woodland outside Chagford. Creative menus are delivered with pin sharp accuracy, and there’s a 50-page wine list to choose from. Well worth the £100+ price tag. Work up an appetite beforehand with a honeymoon walk around their romantic grounds. 
> More romantic Devon restaurants

9. Have lunch at the River Exe café

Our favourite alternative-eats destination in summer is the River Exe Café a floating shed-cum-pontoon moored off Exmouth. Serving seafood dropped off by passing fishing boats, the sea-to-plate interval can be as little as five minutes. Get there on the new Topsham to Exmouth cycle path, then catch a water taxi to the café. Closed winter. Booking essential. 
> More Devon cafes

10. Stargaze

Our best idea for a gorgeous Devon cottage honeymoon is to go stargazing. With clear, dark nights, Dartmoor is a fantastic place to view the night sky, with the Milky Way often clearly visible.  Grab a picnic rug, torch, blanket and bottle of wine and head to the top of Hound Tor, one of the most romantic and easily accessible spots to stargaze. 
> More romantic things to do in Devon

RELATED ARTICLES