Pecs, pins and paddling
Keep your pecs pecking at Bodyworld Plymouth. Ride the wilds of Dartmoor on horseback with Cholwell Riding Stables. Shoot for the pin at Yelverton Golf Club. Head to Plymouth for laser tag, soft play and Clip n’ Climb. Brave the rides and meet the animals at Woodlands Family Theme Park. Or paddle and dig at Saltram Beach.
Country kids
Stretch your legs and make the leap of faith at Clip n’ Climb in Plymouth. Stay in town for karting and laser tag at Plymouth Laser Quest, or soft play at Jump Plymouth.
Explore four marine zones at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, the UK’s largest. Or learn why Sir Francis Drake is a controversial figure, at Tavistock Museum.
Catch the latest big-screen action at Yelverton Cinema. Meet mammals, birds, reptiles and more at Dartmoor Zoo. Ride through half a mile of beautiful scenery with Plymouth Miniature Steam. Or brave the rides and meet the animals at Woodlands Family Theme Park.
Paddle and dig at pretty Saltram Beach. Solve the clues on the Dartmoor Mystery Treasure Trail. Enjoy the mystery of gyroscopic travel with Southwest Segway Adventure. Or test your limits at Tree Surfers on the tree-top high-ropes trail with zip wires, Tarzan swings and rope bridges.
Pack a picnic for Lydford Gorge, the South West’s deepest natural gorge, boasting a spectacular 30-metre waterfall. Enjoy all the fun of the fair at Dingle’s Fairground Heritage Centre. Play the craziest round in town at Woodland Adventure Golf. Or create something beautiful with crafting at ClayArt.
For the grown ups
Keep your pecs pecking at Bodyworld Plymouth, the South West’s largest gym. Experience the freedom, joy and wild beauty of Dartmoor on horseback with Cholwell Riding Stables. Blast away at the clay at Newnham Park. Or try canoeing, kayaking, archery, tree-trekking and more with Tamar Trails or Simply Outdoors.
Walk the granite tors, ancient woodlands and picture-perfect villages of Dartmoor National Park, from Princeton, Hexworthy and Islington. Shoot for the pin at Yelverton Golf Club, a delightful moorland course incorporating mine-workings and leats. Or take the off-road Drake’s Trails cycling network.
Experience the thrill of a 4×4 driving experience through the beautiful Tamar Valley with Trax and Trails. Ski, snowboard and tube at Plymouth Ski Centre. Cast a line in five coarse waters for carp and Wels catfish up to 46lbs at Milemead Fisheries. Or paddleboard down the Tamar with Calstock Watersports Centre.
Visit Lydford Castle with its 13th-century tower, medieval Buckland Abbey for its peace and tranquility, or the Benedictine monks at Buckfast Abbey. Shop the best high-street brands and quirky independents in Tavistock, and stick around for drinks in Drake’s Wine Bar or The Cornish Arms.
Happy hens (and stags)!
There are boxes to tick when keeping hens and stags happy and The School of Fun does much of that on-site. It’s difficult to tire of two six-seater hot tubs out on the deck beneath the stars, a games room complete with pool, table tennis, darts and a games console, and a big, sociable living space with 86” TV.
If you do want to venture out, The Leaping Salmon and The London Inn in the village are good for a brisk walk for beers and bites. But not before you’ve ridden across Dartmoor’s crags and wild spaces with Cholwell Riding Stables or shot clay at Newnham Park in the foothills of the Dartmoor National Park.
Walk or bike the trails, canoe the river and surf the trees with the Tamar Trails Centre. Try wild-water rafting, archery, climbing, raft-building, orienteering, gorge-walking or bog-running with Simply Outdoors. Or take the Dartmouth Golf Tour at Tavistock, Yelverton and Bovey Castle.
Missing the slopes? Head to Plymouth Snowsports Centre for skiing, snowboarding, tubes and toboggans. Add a twist to regular football inside a huge bubble with zorb football at Essential Adventure. Or grab some me-time in the Elan Spa at Bovey Castle, with facials, body wraps, make-up and massages.
