After the Exeter Marathon: Dartmoor

The Route: Exeter → Dartmoor National Park Logistics: By car; the moor's villages are poorly served by public transport, so a car is the practical option for this trip. Marathon Month: May Duration: Day trip

Exeter ──(by car)──> Dartmoor National Park

Dartmoor sits within easy driving distance of Exeter, a complete change of landscape from the marathon's flat riverside course: open moorland, granite tors and small stone villages. May on Dartmoor: gorse in bloom across the lower moor and generally the driest stretch of the year, though weather on the open moor can still shift quickly.

The Moor

Dartmoor National Park covers a wide stretch of granite upland, with waymarked walks ranging from short strolls around villages like Widecombe-in-the-Moor to longer routes onto the open tors. Given legs recovering from a marathon, a short, low-effort walk around one of the moor's villages or reservoirs is a more realistic plan than a full tor ascent.

Where to eat: Dartmoor's villages have traditional pubs serving straightforward, hearty food, a good match for a day of gentle recovery walking.

Getting Back

The return drive to Exeter varies depending on which part of the moor is visited; this is the least straightforward of Exeter's excursion options without a car, so route and timing are worth planning in advance.