Adventures in
South-West England.

The peninsula that gave British outdoor culture its accent — Atlantic surf, granite tors, sea-cliff climbing and the longest National Trail in the country.

The South-West runs from the Cotswold escarpment in the north through the Somerset Levels, Dartmoor and Exmoor, down through Devon to Land's End and back along the south coast through the Jurassic Coast. It holds the highest concentration of UK outdoor activity by a clear margin — 25 spots in the directory across surfing, hiking, climbing, paragliding, mountain biking and wakeboarding.

Cornwall is the surf headline. The north coast from Bude through Newquay and Hayle to Sennen catches almost every Atlantic swell going; the south coast from Praa Sands to Plymouth picks up the south-easterly. North Devon (Croyde, Saunton, Putsborough, Woolacombe) is the other major UK surf cluster, and the place most riders go for heavier waves than Cornwall typically produces.

Inland, Dartmoor and Exmoor are England's most generous wild-camping country — Dartmoor still grants a right to backpack-camp above the highest enclosed field, a survival from the post-Reform Act tradition. The South West Coast Path runs 630 miles around the entire peninsula and is the country's longest National Trail. Cheddar Gorge in Somerset is England's largest concentration of bolted sport climbing; Portland in Dorset has the most volume.

The region is a year-round destination — the moderating Atlantic means winters are rarely severe, and the surf season actively prefers October through March for size and consistency. Summer brings the crowds (and the queue at Fistral); September is the local secret.