Best Places to Visit Near Exeter
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit near Exeter are Canonteign Falls, Lady Exmouth Falls, Fluxton Weir, Fingle Bridge, Salmon Leaps, Castle Drogo's Secret Gorge Walk, Ness Cove Beach and Haytor Quarry.
Exeter makes a fine base for exploring Devon, with the wilds of Dartmoor to the west and the red cliffs of the south coast within easy reach. Head south-west toward the moor's edge near Christow and you find Canonteign Falls, a Victorian creation whose main drop, Lady Exmouth Falls, ranks among the tallest man-made waterfalls in England.
To the west, the wooded Teign Gorge holds a cluster of gems: the old granite arch of Fingle Bridge, the wild swimming at Salmon Leaps, and a quiet gorge walk beneath Edwin Lutyens' Castle Drogo. Closer to home, the River Otter offers a rope-swing dip at Fluxton Weir near Ottery St Mary.
Down on the coast, Ness Cove Beach hides below Shaldon, reached through a tunnel cut into the cliff, while back on Dartmoor the flooded pit of Haytor Quarry sits quietly below the tor. Waterfalls, wild swims, beaches and old quarries all lie within a short drive.
Here are eight places to visit near Exeter.
Canonteign Falls
Photo: Lewis Clarke via Geograph.org.uk
Canonteign Falls A drive south-west toward the eastern edge of Dartmoor, near Christow, brings you to this tall man-made waterfall in a wooded valley. Rather than a natural fall, it was created in the late Victorian era, when the lady of the Canonteign estate had water diverted from a leat over a high crag, giving work to miners left idle when the local mines closed.
The result is a slender ribbon dropping some seventy metres, one of the tallest waterfalls in England. It sits in a landscaped park of lakes, woodland walks and smaller cascades, now a private attraction with an admission charge and paths climbing to viewpoints.
Lady Exmouth Falls
Photo: Lewis Clarke via Geograph.org.uk
Lady Exmouth Falls This is the main fall at Canonteign, in the wooded Teign valley near Christow, a tall waterfall shaped by hand rather than by nature. It was created in 1890 by leading water over a cliff, the work done by miners left idle when the estate's silver mines closed, and it takes its name from the lady of the estate.
Dropping around seventy metres, it is often called the highest man-made waterfall in England. Woodland trails climb up to it from the visitor attraction below.
As the tallest of the falls here, it makes a striking centrepiece to any visit to Canonteign.
Fluxton Weir
Photo: David Smith via Geograph.org.uk
Fluxton Weir Over to the east, on the River Otter near the hamlet of Fluxton and just downstream of Ottery St Mary, this wild-swimming spot gathers around an old weir. A calmer, deeper stretch of the river lies above the weir, with churning water below and a rope swing hung over the pool.
A riverside field gives access and doubles as a place to picnic in summer. It is a thoroughly informal spot with no facilities of any kind, so bring what you need and take your litter home.
On a warm day it makes a relaxed dip within easy reach of Exeter.
Fingle Bridge
Photo: David Gearing via Geograph.org.uk
Fingle Bridge West of Exeter, at the foot of the Teign Gorge near Drewsteignton, this narrow granite arch spans the River Teign on the edge of Dartmoor. Dating from the seventeenth century and long used by packhorses, it sits in a wooded gorge with the Fingle Bridge Inn standing beside it on the riverbank.
It is a popular starting point for riverside and gorge walks, including the paths that climb to the hillforts above and the circuits leading toward Castle Drogo. Whether you settle in at the inn or set off along the river, it makes an inviting gateway to some of the finest walking on the moor's edge.
Salmon Leaps
Photo: Lewis Clarke via Geograph.org.uk
Salmon Leaps Further up the Teign gorge below Castle Drogo, between Chagford and Fingle Bridge, the Salmon Leaps is a weir fitted with a stepped fish pass. Reached on foot along the riverside path through National Trust woodland, it is a well-liked wild swimming spot, with a long river pool above the weir and old stone plunge pools built beside the cascade.
The steps of the fish pass help salmon and sea trout climb the river to spawn. The gorge around it is steep, wooded and wonderfully quiet, making a swim here feel like a real escape into the heart of Dartmoor's edge.
Castle Drogo's Secret Gorge Walk
Photo: Oscar Taylor via Geograph.org.uk
Castle Drogo's Secret Gorge Walk Starting from the car park at Castle Drogo, this walk follows the Teign Gorge near Drewsteignton, where the River Teign threads through a steep, wooded valley. The usual circuit joins the high Hunter's Path, with open views across to Sharp Tor, and the low riverside Fisherman's Path, looping around by way of Fingle Bridge.
The enclosed riverside route is an informal, little-known way rather than a waymarked trail of its own. Above it all stands Castle Drogo, a National Trust house built in the early twentieth century by Edwin Lutyens.
It is a rewarding half-day on foot in fine gorge scenery.
Ness Cove Beach
Photo: Alan Hunt via Geograph.org.uk
Ness Cove Beach Down on the south coast, this secluded shingle beach hides below the red headland of the Ness at Shaldon, across the estuary from Teignmouth. The way down is through the Smugglers' Tunnel, a dark, winding passage cut through the cliff that opens straight onto the shore.
The shingle slopes gently to the sea, with a marked swimming zone kept clear of boats, and it is a good spot for bathing, rock-pooling and fishing. Whether the tunnel was cut by smugglers or by the owners of a nearby house in the nineteenth century is uncertain.
Steep steps make it hard going, and there are no facilities on the sand.
Haytor Quarry
Photo: Gareth James via Geograph.org.uk
Haytor Quarry Out on the open moor near Haytor, this disused granite quarry has had its main pit flooded to form a pool below the worked rock faces. Around the water lie the remains of an old crane, its stone bases and iron parts left just where they stood, and the pool now draws dragonflies and other wildlife.
Granite was cut here until the mid-1800s and carried away on a tramway whose rails were themselves shaped from granite. Sitting in open moorland below the tor, it makes a peaceful and slightly haunting stop, an easy add-on to a walk up Haytor itself.
FAQs
Where can you go wild swimming near Exeter?
The Salmon Leaps on the River Teign below Castle Drogo is a well-liked spot, with a long river pool and old stone plunge pools, while Fluxton Weir on the River Otter near Ottery St Mary offers a calmer pool and a rope swing.
Which places near Exeter are best for a day on Dartmoor?
Head west to the Teign Gorge for Fingle Bridge and the walk below Castle Drogo, or out onto the open moor near Haytor, where the flooded pit of Haytor Quarry sits quietly below the tor, all within a short drive of Exeter.
Is there a good beach close to Exeter?
Ness Cove Beach, reached through the Smugglers' Tunnel below Shaldon and across the estuary from Teignmouth, is a secluded shingle beach with a marked swimming zone, about twenty-one kilometres south of Exeter.
Conclusion
From Victorian waterfalls to hidden shingle coves, the country around Exeter offers a rich spread of days out. To the west, the Teign Gorge draws you in with the granite arch of Fingle Bridge, the wild swimming of the Salmon Leaps and a quiet walk beneath Castle Drogo.
South-west toward the moor's edge, Canonteign Falls and its towering Lady Exmouth Falls make a dramatic sight, while Haytor Quarry lies flooded and still on the open moor. Closer to town you can take a dip at Fluxton Weir, and on the coast Ness Cove Beach waits at the end of its cliff-cut tunnel.
Waterfalls, wild swims, beaches and moorland corners, these are the places to visit near Exeter.
