Devon With Teenagers: High Energy Days Out

Short answer: Coasteering with Adventure South at Salcombe is the highest-rated activity in this guide. Croyde and Woolacombe have the best surf schools. Air Extreme at Barnstaple is the wet-weather answer. Kents Cavern and Beer Quarry Caves both work better with teenagers than younger children.

The problem with Devon and teenagers

Devon's default offer is a beach, a walk and a cream tea, and none of those is a hard sell to a fifteen-year-old. The good news is that the county has genuinely good adventure activity if you know where to look — and most of it is on the water.

Coasteering

Adventure South at South Sands, Salcombe, is the highest-rated activity anywhere in this guide. Caves, traverses, cliff jumps up to five metres and seal spotting, with instructors who take photos throughout and send them on afterwards at no extra charge. There are graded levels, so a group with mixed confidence can be accommodated.

Reviewers describe groups of adults arriving nervous and finishing buzzing, which is exactly the reaction you want.

Surfing

Croyde produces the most reliable waves in north Devon and has surf schools and board hire on the sand. Woolacombe and Putsborough are the other options, and Saunton is the gentler one for a first lesson. Rain does not matter — one reviewer notes that surfing in drizzle is good fun because you do not notice it.

When it rains

• Air Extreme Trampoline Park, Barnstaple — sessions on the hour, free parking, book ahead for a discount.
• Kents Cavern, Torquay — cave tours that hold teenage attention better than a model village.
• Beer Quarry Caves — a ninety-minute underground tour, 8°C year-round.
• The Milky Way near Bideford — rollercoasters and indoor rides.
• The National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth — the UK's largest, with free re-entry for a year.

Walks they will not complain about

Little Hangman and Great Hangman above Combe Martin — Great Hangman is the highest sea cliff in England and it is a proper climb with a real reward. Baggy Point at Croyde with Lundy visible on a clear day. The Hunter's Path from Fingle Bridge up to Castle Drogo. Hooken Cliffs between Beer and Branscombe, which is a landslip of chalk pinnacles rather than a field.

Evenings

Torquay has the most going on — Twenty1 has a rooftop garden bar and stays open past midnight at weekends. The Hideout at Croyde has a rooftop terrace, pizza and QR-code ordering. Halulu at Teignmouth is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Malthouse at Tavistock does burgers and cocktails in an industrial-styled room that feels like a city venue.