Southwest England Coast and Seaside Resorts Guide

The southwest coast region is one of the most popular destinations for seaside visits in the UK. This arises for two very good reasons, it has some of the best coastline in the country and it also enjoys a warmer climate than many other areas of the country. These two factors, coupled with an abundance of accommodation and reasonable transport links ensure that this area is a hot spot for tourists from both the UK and abroad.

For the purposes of this website we consider the southwest to encompass the counties of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and part of Gloucestershire. The region also includes Wiltshire but this is an inland county and so is not included in this website. Starting at Lyme Regis in the east the guide travels westwards towards Lands End at the tip of Cornwall and then moves northwards up the Bristol Channel to end at the old seafaring port of Bristol - see map below. To look for southwest seaside resorts, southwest hotels, guest houses and cottages - see the resort pages.

The southwest region is very varied in terms of geography, activities and habitats. Ranging from the bustling city and port of Bristol in the North to the secluded, picturesque coves of Cornwall to the rural tranquillity of  Devon. This variety is what makes the area a magnet for very many of the UK's citizens each year as they are attracted to the regions beaches, coves, harbours, moorland and countryside. As well as the many attractive towns and villages which are scattered through out the area.

The southwest region has four major cities within it and these act as centres for the economic and cultural life of the region. The cities are Bristol, which many regard as the gateway to the southwest region, Exeter which is the unofficial capital of Devon, Plymouth, situated on the border with Cornwall and Truro, which is the capital of Cornwall. These cities are also major transport hubs - see below for details, with excellent road, rail, air and sea connections to other parts of the UK. Details of southwest guest houses, hotels and cottages maybe found in the resort section.

                              Plymouth Sound                                                                     Mount Edgcumbe

Transport

The main routes to and from the area are the M5 from the North and Midlands area and the A303 and A35 from the East. Within the area the major through routes are the A38 Devon Expressway between Exeter and Plymouth and the A30 which is a more northerly route to Cornwall which skirts both Dartmoor and Bodmin moor. Trains run from London all the way to Penzance and from the north via Bristol. Air links are improving all the time, there are now direct flight to Exeter from Glasgow and Edinburgh - but not from London! Ryan Air have started a direct flight to Newquay. There are direct air links between Plymouth and London and Dublin.

Map of Southwest England 

 
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To explore this fascinating area in more detail or to look for hotels and guest houses, activities or attractions choose from the links to the left or below.

   South Coast Guide    South East Coast Guide   East Coast Guide       Wales Coast Guide           

  North West Coast Guide         North East Coast Guide    Scotland West Coast Guide     

  Scotland East Coast Guide      Northern Ireland Coast Guide 

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