W ant to take a holiday in Britain, but worried about getting caught up in bad weather? Then south Devon should be your first choice, for few seaside destinations rival its number of magnificent indoor attractions. These range from historic steam trains and riverboat cruises to state-of-the-art internationally-renowned aquariums. There’s enough to do here to take up a whole fortnight before you even consider spending any time on the beach.

1 NATIONAL MARINE AQUARIUM
Although it has been established primarily for education, conservation and research, the National Marine Aquarium – Europe’s deepest – was voted Devon Family Attraction of the Year in 2003.
Thousands of animals from the hugely popular tiny seahorses to moray eels, turtles and sharks can be seen in their natural habitat from a network of tunnels. Different habitats have been created, from Devon rockpools to coral reefs, and you can watch divers hand-feeding thousands of fish at regular intervals. An exhibition of shells highlights the story of hundreds of prize specimens – both familiar and exotic.

2 BUCKFASTLEIGH
The railway station at Buckfastleigh is three major attractions in one. It is the western terminus of the South Devon Railway, where you can ride behind historic Great Western engines along eight miles of the valley of the River Dart – a particularly magnificent experience in springtime when the primroses are out. You can also visit Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary and Buckfast Butterflies. A ticket covering all three can be bought.
The indoor butterfly gardens allow you to inspect and photograph a multitude of exotic butterflies and moths in a tropical environment, while the otter sanctuary contains a very playful selection of these magnificent river creatures from Europe and Asia.

3 HOUSE OF MARBLES
Long before computer games took centre stage, every child in the playground would have had a prize collection of glass marbles. In this historic pottery building at Bovey Tracey you can re-live those days to your heart’s content, with a multitude of amazing differently coloured marbles of all sizes for sale from as little as a few pence to over £20 for special collectors’ items. Fill a bag with your choice at the pick-and-mix section, watch the world’s largest marble run in action, tour the museum and watch handmade glass being blown. Everyone in the family will be delighted by this very special place – and admission is free, too.

4 ROUND TRIPS FROM PAIGNTON
Take a circular coastal tour from Paignton – and travel by three different forms of transport. Some of the most glorious views of the English Riviera coast can be enjoyed from the lofty heights of the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway, which takes you for eight miles on historic rolling stock through Goodrington and Churston to Kingswear.
From there, a ferry takes you across the estuary to Dartmouth, from where you take a river cruise upstream to Totnes, a magnificent medieval walled town crammed with historic buildings and attractions such as the Guildhall, Totnes Museum and the Devonshire Collection of Period Costume. The river trip is one of the most stunning in the west country. Every twist and turn reveals more hidden quays, waterside villages and wooded slopes teeming with wildlife. From Totnes, you can then take a double-decker vintage bus back to the starting point of Paignton station. When it’s sunny, you can sit on the open-top upper deck.

5 KENTS CAVERN
Escape the rain – go underground. Kents Cavern is famous throughout the world for its geology and archaeology, and its massive limestone cave system has been inhabited from Neanderthal times.
Guided tours tell how the cavern’s great stalactites and stalagmites were formed and the treasure trove of remains were discovered. The entrance and free car park is just a mile from the sea front at Torquay. If you’re still sceptical as to whether caving is for you, try taking a free virtual tour first on their website, www.kents-cavern.co.uk, where you can also book for one of the themed evening events.

6 LIVING COASTS
Torbay’s newest attraction focuses on what happens where the sea meets the land, and looks at all the major coastline types of the world. The latest design and high-tech audio-visual techniques allow you to ‘visit’ every single global coastal environment in the space of a day out on Torquay’s own sea front. You can see guillemots, puffins, auklets and many other seabirds swim underwater to catch fish, or watch penguins strutting their stuff on a beach. In Mammal Cove, witness fur seals in their natural habitat or discover the history and life cycle of the dreaded black rat. Learn all about wading birds and estuary life on the mudflats – and much more.

7 PAIGNTON ZOO
A firm favourite with many generations of holidaymakers, this market-leading 75-acre zoo has undergone a £6 million refurbishment programme to create appropriate habitats – deserts, savannah, wetlands, jungle and rainforests – for the many exotic species on show.
The hothouse contains plants and more than 20 types of reptiles from the tropics, while a forested section houses tigers, orang-utans, gorillas, lions and gibbons. Taking pride of place among the many endangered species which this zoo strives to conserve is its latest additions: a pair of black rhinos called Sita and Kingo. Open every day apart from Christmas Day, the zoo has many individual attractions and facilities inside designed to create a visit that lasts the whole day and is great value for money.