Explore Exeter on a cycling city break around the neighbourhood
Life in Exeter is peaceful and free of stress from the city, as the scenic countryside and coastal environment make it the perfect place for a relaxing time off. The town is near the sea, so walking around the shore early in the morning is ideal for making the most out of it. The weather shifts from cool to comfortable. If you’re rather into warm summer vacations, it would be best to choose another spot.
While Exeter isn’t a big city, you’ll always find something to do alone or with friends and family. The history of Exeter is quite interesting, and you can learn more about it by visiting the Exeter Cathedral. Tours of the Underground Passages are always available and will impress you.
Still, if you’re up for a more leisurely activity in Exeter, where you can simply put on your headphones and stroll around with your favourite tunes playing, you could try biking around to explore it better. Here are some of the best routes around Exeter for you to try.
From Exeter to Exmouth
Starting with an easy trail of the city, we recommend the Exe Estuary path, which takes about one hour of cycling. The trail extends 18.2 miles, increasing and decreasing by about 225 feet. What’s interesting about the trail is it includes crossing by ferry. Since the ride has mostly paved surfaces, you don’t have to own an expensive bicycle and can look into a used electric bike.
You’ll start at the Exeter Ship Canal and bike a few miles until you reach the Exmouth Ferry. A few minutes later, you’re on the river Exe, where you’ll bike next to lovely boardwalk sections for another two miles until you get to the Exe Estuary Trail. Continue on the Exe Estuary Cycle Path, and you’ll be amazed at the final destination: the Goosemoor Nature Reserve.
From Exeter to Dawlish
If you feel more confident in your skills or knowledge about the city, this intermediate trail is the best for you. Completing it will take about two hours and forty minutes as you cross 26 miles on more difficult terrain.
For this trail, it would be ideal to be in good fitness, as you’ll have to go up and down on 875 feet. You start from Exeter Quay and bike along the Riverside Valley Park gravel road, which may be a little muddy if it has just rained. You’ll get along the Exeter Ship Canal and watch the incredible views from the Cockwood harbour a few miles later, but you could speed it up on the Lady’s Mile free cycle path. The end of the trail will be at Red Rock Beach, which is a touring highlight.
From Exeter to Haldon loop
This trail is, on the other hand, made for expert bikers, as it needs better skills and fitness capabilities. It takes about four hours and extends over 51 miles, so you should also prepare some snacks to support your energy levels throughout the ride. The road also has a movable bridge, so make sure to check opening times to be able to complete the trail.
Starting from the Exeter train station, bike about 20 miles until reaching the Medieval Bridge. After another few minutes, you’ll get to Red Rock Beach, where you should be wary of the high tide season and cycle or walk carefully, as spots close to the cliffs are not stable. The Old Badlake House is a great spot for taking a break, and you can explore the cob house listed on England’s National Heritage. Boke another few miles to the Old Exeter Road climb, which may be the most difficult, and you’ll get to the Ridge Café to recharge your batteries.
From Exe Estuary to St James’ Park
This is another challenging trail that might take less than four hours, but depending on your speed and skills, the timeline will change. It extends across almost 40 miles and is more challenging than the previous one in terms of altitude, as some spots will be so difficult to cross by bike that you’ll need to push your bike.
You’ll start at the Swing Bridge and bike towards the Exe Estuary Cycle Path, which will expose you to some of the most beautiful views in Exe Estuary. Be prepared to cross the Exe Estuary Trail and River Exe, but the Exmouth to Budleigh cycle path will be the most challenging. The best part of the trail is Budleigh Salterton, and at the end, you can chill at the Double Docks Hotel.
From Exeter Quay to Exeter St Thomas
We’ll end the list with an intermediate bike trail that’s about three hours and 30 miles long. While the path is relatively easy compared to other intermediate ones, be wary of segments with a series of steps where you need to carry your bike. At the same time, you’ll find one or two movable bridges along the way, so you should check opening times beforehand.
You begin at the Exeter St Thomas and bike along the Exeter Quay. Not much after, you’ll reach the Exeter Canal Basin and the Double Locks Hotel. From now on, you’ll have to bike for longer until getting to the Great Views over Cockwood Harbour and the great Lady’s Mile cycle path.
The challenging part of the trail is at Powderham Footbridge, where there are a few series of stairs. After that, you’ll get to the Turf Hotel and the Swing Bridge. Finally, you’ll be back at the Exeter ST Thomas.
What do you think about these cycling trails in Exeter?
Exeter is a great city, despite its small size, due to its impressive history. The Underground Passages, Red Coat Guided Tours and the imposing Cathedral are the reminiscences of the city’s past. You could easily explore all these beauties with a simple biking tour, as easy or complex as you can. There are numerous easy, intermediate and complex biking trails around the city.
