From the mossy peaks of Dartmoor to the shimmering shores of the English Riviera, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to gift experiences in Devon.

That should come as no surprise!

A recent study by Visit Britain found that Devon is the third most popular holiday destination in the UK – behind just London and Cornwall. So there’s clearly a lot here to experience.

And talking of experiences, research by GetYourGuide shows that 92% of people prefer receiving experience gifts than physical presents at Christmas. I guess there are only so many pairs of socks you can wear!

So, to help you find the perfect Devon experience gifts for the couples in your life, I’ve rounded up seven brilliant options:

You’ve heard all about Exeter Cathedral and Paignton Zoo. You’ve seen the beautiful pictures of Dartmoor National Park and the South West Coast Path. And you’ve read all the fun facts about our lovely county. But now you’re looking for some slightly more unusual things to do in Devon.

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

In this article, we’ve got a bit of something for everyone – and every season. And for each suggestion, we’ve included the price, duration, location and Google review score, so you have everything you need to put together a Devon itinerary with a difference.

Ready to plan your adventure? Here are 11 fun things to do in Devon for adults.

Totnes is a charming little market town nestled in the South Hams area of Devon.

With a history dating as far back as 907, it has plenty of sites and stories for you to explore. Totnes  even got a mention in the Domesday Book way back in 1086.

But beyond its history, Totnes and its surrounding countryside is a haven for art, food and nature lovers. So, with so much out there for you to explore, let’s get straight to it! Here are my 14 favourite weird and wonderful things to do in Totnes.

Best things to do in Totnes for artsy types

Totnes is the unofficial hippie capital of Devon. So if you’re looking for a creative way to spend your day, here are four great options.

“It’s mesmerising”, “it’s amazing”, “I can’t believe I made that!” Just a few of the comments from our lovely customers who have been joining us in the studio over the last 5 months, for their own hands-on experience of glass blowing.

We’ve welcomed teenagers, couples, mums and dads and grandparents to our studio in South Devon, Diptford where they have been making paperweights, vases, pint and stemless wine glasses, jugs and flowers. Each piece goes home the next day, along with photos and video capturing the experience.

With 1:1 coaching from Izach, each guest has had the chance to select what they want to make, in their own colour palette. Truly working with the material and deciding how far they want to take their design.

With a view to ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone that comes along – we are loving being able to share this fantastic and endlessly fascinating craft with a growing number of hot glass fans.

It’s here, it’s installed, it’s shiny. Fire Work Glass Studio is beginning to look a lot like the real (albeit tiny) deal.

For the uninitiated we have a Furnace (where the glass is melted and kept at a moderate 1150 degrees C), the Marver, a stainless steel table where molten glass is shaped, a Reheating Chamber (saucily known as the Glory Hole!) which comes in at 1400 degrees C, where glass is reheated while it’s being worked; a pipe warmer, does exactly what it says on the tin, a bank of Annealers/Kilns where the finished pieces are kept warm and cooled down slowly; and a whole heap of tools, from pipes, to paddles and moulds, shears and tweezers as well as the humble folded newspaper. And not forgetting the all-important Gaffers Work Bench, where he will leisurely sit and play with fire and make beautiful things.

Now that all this lovely equipment is ready to be fired up– the next big question is, what will we make?

It takes a lot, a lot of everything.

Yes there are the tangible things – bricks and mortar, equipment and money, but more than that there are the intangibles and over the last 3 months (and 2 years), it’s those hidden things that have made all the difference…

The skills and expertise of everyone who helped build the workshop – where would we be without Mark, Paul, Olly, Chris, Richard, John and a host of others without whom we’d still just be talking about it

The freely given advice and guidance of master craftsmen in the glass blowing community, with special thanks to Richard Glass (yes that’s his real name) for his friendship and ongoing injections of reality and optimism

The massive support of all our family and friends whose words of encouragement boost our confidence on the days when everything goes right and more especially when it all goes wrong – it means more than gold to us

That feeling, like Christmas morning and that thing you’ve wanted all year is under the tree, that’s how we were feeling on this sunny August 2022 morning, absolutely buzzing. After a long wait, thanks to Covid lockdowns, finally arriving from Sweden, all our lovely, shiny hot shop equipment.

Amazing how all the frustration and worry melts away, only to be replaced by high anxiety when the only way to get the equipment into the building is on the front forks of a really big tractor – the joy of living in the depths of the country!

And at last, when it’s all in position, the result of so much planning, the studio is finally ready, and there’s the big question. Will it work?