Short answer: Park in one town and take the cliff railway to the other rather than driving between them. Bring coins: Glen Lyn Gorge is cash only with the nearest machine up in Lynton, and Watersmeet's nearer car park takes cash with patchy signal.
Lynmouth sits down at the harbour where two rivers meet the sea. Lynton is five hundred feet directly above it. The road between them is steep with hairpins, and driving it repeatedly is the thing that ruins a day here.
The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway has been running since 1890, is powered by water, and climbs the five hundred feet in a few minutes. Park once — in either town — and use it to get to the other. It is an attraction in its own right and it removes the worst of the driving.
This is the practical warning for this pair. Glen Lyn Gorge in Lynmouth is cash only, with the nearest machine up in Lynton — which is a cliff railway ride away if you turn up without change. Over at Watersmeet, the nearer National Trust car park takes cash only and the phone signal for app payment is patchy.
West of Lynton and the highest-rated walk in this guide — a dry valley of dramatic rock formations with wild goats and sea views. Two car parks, one with toilets and a café. There is an easy level path as well as the higher routes, so it suits most abilities.
A wooded gorge where two rivers meet, with a National Trust tea room at the bottom. The walk down from the road is straightforward; the walk back up is the part people underestimate. Parking as above — coins.
The Old Bank in Lynton is the highest-rated food in either town, doing small sharing plates. The Greenhouse is open nine till nine and dog friendly. The Ancient Mariner is Lynmouth's main pub. The Blue Ball Inn up on Countisbury Hill has low beams, thick walls and plenty of parking.
Most are run by Lynton and Lynmouth Town Council. Machines take card and RingGo as well as coins, but the signal up here is unreliable, so coins remain the safe option.
Roadside parking in designated bays is free for two hours between 10am and 6pm from Good Friday to 31 October — and outside those hours and dates there are no restrictions at all. So in winter, and in the evening year-round, roadside parking is free. Blue Badge holders park free on the road all year, though they are chargeable in the car parks.
Coaches pay about £2 for an hour, £3 for two or £5 all day in designated bays. Four-day and weekly permits are sold at The Studio and Lynton Town Hall in Lynton and the National Park Centre in Lynmouth — check the current price, as it has changed recently.
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