11 great adventure activities and experience days in Devon

Visiting Devon and looking for some adventure? It isn't all just days on the beach and hikes over Dartmoor you know!

Here are eleven great Devon experience days you should try for a bit more excitement on your holiday.

Coasteering

For the truly adventurous, a day of coasteering is hard to beat for adrenaline pumping thrills. Scrambling, swimming, jumping and freefalling your way through caves, crevasses and the swell is a great way of exploring Devon's dramatic coastline.

Baggy Point is perhaps the county's best place to go, and there are routes to suit all ability levels, weather and sea conditions. Prices with Extreme Coasteering are from £30 per person.

JCB Digger Driving

Bigger kids who forgot to grow up will just love this Diggerland experience, and there's plenty onsite to keep the rest of the family busy too. For some reason digging holes is one of life's simple pleasures, and using a JCB takes it to a whole new level.

Individual experiences start at £150, but can you master the technique?

Paddleboarding

Not just reserved for sunny California (as you might think), the paddleboarding craze had already hit Devon. Easier to learn than surfing but just as much fun, a stand up paddleboarding (SUPing) intro session in the Torbay area costs around £30 for two hours.

You'll have fun, work those core muscles, and even get a certificate!

Bushcraft

If you'd prefer a more getting-back-to-nature sort of experience, a bushcraft and survival course might be a better bet. What could be more fun than a weekend spent channelling your inner Bear Grylls in the Devon countryside?

Accredited Survival School courses run monthly at a cost of around £215 per person - squirrel stew dinners included!

Surfing

No trip to Devon would be complete without a bit of surfing. Watch from the beach if you must, but you'll need to jump in and get wet for the full experience.

Croyde Bay is a stunning spot to test out your skills, and the surf school there will guarantee to have you up and riding in your first lesson. Beginner's courses start from £35 and the BBQ on the beach afterwards is a great way to soak up the surf community atmosphere.

Vineyard Tours

When it comes to British wine it's Sussex and Kent vineyards that get most attention, but the South West has some local award winners too.

Sharpham and Yearlstone are perhaps the best known vineyards in Devon, but why not avoid nominating a driver and enjoy a full-day tour for just £75 per person instead?

4x4 Driving

Getting out into the countryside is what we're all about, but Land Rover's 4x4 experience is a bit more exciting than your average walk. A half day spent conquering muddy slopes in the iconic Defender will set you back £225 per person.

Flying

There's always something incredible about the bird's eye view you get on a scenic flight, but why not go one better and fly the plane yourself? You'll enjoy some of the South West's most amazing views - and feel the buzz of taking over the controls!

A 30 minute taster flight costs around £105.

You could also have a go at gliding, with trial lessons costing from £95.

Or, for those of you with bigger aspirations, become a 737 pilot for the day with expert tuition on a hyper-realistic airliner simulator for £130 (training on the same tools as BA pilots do!).

Sailing

Let the wind fill your yacht's sails in the quiet waters and stunning backdrop of Plymouth Sound. Some of our favourite haunts - Bantham and Burgh Island - are within reach of a day sail experience, and costs are from as little as £99 per person.

Go Ape

A permanent favourite in our team, exercising one's inner Tarzan on a tree top adventure at Go Ape is fun for the whole family. The Devon course is just 15 minutes outside of Exeter and includes a brilliant 235m zip wire! Prices for big kids are £31 each.

Falconry

Finally, why not try your hand at falconry with a close encounter of the bird kind. The speed, grace and agility of the hawks, owls and falcons will astound you. A two hour experience costs £60 per person (spectators pay £10).

For more experience days in Devon, we recommend Red Letter Days, though it's often nicer to book direct.