The main holiday destinations in North Devon are:

•     Westward Ho!
•     Croyde
•     Saunton
•     Woolacombe
•     Ilfracombe
•     Combe Martin

These are the major tourist destinations with the largest holiday parks at Woolacombe, Croyde, Westward Ho! and Combe Martin. There are lots of other holiday parks in the area, some are set slightly inland such as Ilfracombe, Braunton and Bideford areas and around Exmoor where there are some beautiful  places to stay and rural campsites on the moor. Woolacombe has the highest number of large holiday parks with Croyde and Westward Ho! following on. There are inland places to stay in Braunton, Bideford, Barnstaple and several parks around the Combe Martin area.  There are numerous hotels, notably the Saunton Sands Hotel, the Woolacombe Bay Hotel and the stunning Watersmeet Hotel in Mortehoe.

The main towns in North Devon are:

•     Barnstaple
•     Bideford
•     Ilfracombe
•     South Molton
•     Holsworthy
•     Torrington
•     Lynton

Braunton is one of the largest villages in England and is not actually a town, although summer traffic congestion might suggest otherwise! Barnstaple is the municipal town for the area and the largest town and Bideford is the second largest town in the area. The majority of the traffic arriving in North Devon either goes through or passes by Barnstaple and this is the most centrally located town in terms of the transport network, it is also the only town with a railway station. Lynton is a small Victorian town and along with Lynmouth, it is known locally as Little Switzerland, a beautiful place to visit. Torrington, Holsworthy and South Molton are traditional North Devon farming towns that have retained a large element of their character and agricultural background.

North Devon is far more open to the elements than South Devon and catches the Atlantic ocean swells to a greater extent than South Devon. This means bigger waves and longer and sandy beaches, South Devon is more sedate, is often warmer, sunnier and gets lower rainfall. North Devon certainly has a tougher landscape and is dominated by Exmoor and steep hills whereas South Devon has a rolling and rural countryside which is often easier to explore for those less able to walk distances and cope with the steep hills. The South West Coastal Path runs along the sea edges of both North and South Devon with the north being dominated by more spectacular cliffs, especially around the Combe Martin area and Morte Point. The South Devon coastal path is easier to walk and whilst North Devon has long stretches of Sandy beaches such as Woolacombe, Saunton and Westward Ho!, the beaches in South Devon tend to be smaller with a number of beautiful coves to explore.

South Devon is definitely warmer and North Devon is wetter, that is the nature of the geography with North Devon being more exposed to Atlantic weather systems than South Devon. South Devon is better known for a Mediterranean climate as it is one of the most southerly points in the UK and is more protected from Atlantic swells. North Devon definitely gets bigger surf on average through the year although good waves can be had on many South Devon beaches, Bantham being one of the most popular. The less volatile conditions make South Devon better for sailing, notably around the Dartmouth and Salcombe areas whilst surf based water sports dominate the  North Devon beaches. However, on a still summers day with a high pressure system in charge, North Devon is actually usually hotter with the highest temperature ever recorded being at Saunton Sands in 1990. Typically though, South Devon is slightly warmer and has a lower rainfall level than North Devon.

North Devon is all about activities for adults, a great location for a party of adults to connect with nature and have some fun. From walking over Exmoor or the stunning South West Coastal Path to surf lessons and coasteering, it is all about the great outdoors and North Devon has it in abundance. If you want to try surfing for the first time, all of the major beaches have their own surf schools, usually more than one and they provide the equipment. If you want adrenaline, coasteering is fantastic fun, it will definitely get your heart racing and if you have never done it before, it is a brilliant new experience with centres around North Devon such as Watermouth Cove (stunningly beautiful and perfect for coasteering) and Croyde amongst many others.  There are an abundance of golf courses, notably Royal North Devon and Saunton Sands as well as equestrian centres near the beaches at Westward Ho!, Woolacombe and Croyde and several on Exmoor. For a more relaxed day out, RHS at Rosemoor, Clovelly Court, Arlington Court and Hartland Abbey are worth a visit, Hartland Abbey is the location for the tv series Mallory Towers!