New experience packages on the English Riviera
New English Riviera Geopark Discovery Packages for 2011 aim to offer visitors a range of exciting outdoor experiences – in a unique landscape untouched by glaciation.
You might not associate South Devon with a Sahara-style desert, a Caribbean-type ocean and drowned forests, but The English Riviera is home to a host of hidden geological stories unseen elsewhere in the world. Nestling within rolling hills, the area’s geology has created today’s dramatic coastline, linking a rich diversity of landscape with wildlife, people and culture – and making The English Riviera Geopark just one of a select few Global Geoparks around the world.
But as well as stunning scenery, the new English Riviera Tourism Company is now promoting a whole new visitor experience with a host of exciting discovery packages.
From special cruises around the bay - providing the best views of the spectacular coastline - to an adrenalin rush from coasteering and walking trails to stunning gateway sites, The English Riviera Geopark has a wide variety of attractions to offer all year round.
Just launched is the English Riviera Global Geopark ‘Thrill Seekers’ map which features all the different packages and free spirit options now available for visitors to enjoy, organised in conjunction with the Coast and Countryside Trust.
Over 22 miles of coastline and a mild climate has ensured that the English Riviera has been a popular tourist destination since the Victorian era, but the area’s geological story stretches back over 400 million years to the days of hippopotami, mammoth, straight-tusked elephants, sabre-toothed tigers as well as earliest man.
The new Visitor Experiences include:
Geopark Thrill Seekers - if you’re in search of an adrenalin rush, then this is for you! Experience the Riviera coastline through the exhilaration of coasteering negotiating rugged coastlines, swimming across inlets and even jumps into deep water.
Canoe the Coves - explore the coastline on a canoe adventure, the perfect way to discover the Rivera’s stunning marine wildlife and fascinating geology, including a beach picnic and a rock pooling session in a secluded cove.
Dive the Geopark - discover the wonders of the deep in some of the UK’s best diving conditions. The English Riviera Geopark supports numerous rare sea grass beds that are home to breeding populations of seahorses, plus a huge array of fascinating marine wildlife and several wrecks.
Sail the Geopark - Tor Bay is well known as being the perfect arena for world-class sailing events, with unobstructed, practically tidal-free waters. Torquay and Brixham marinas have sailing and berthing facilities for visiting boats, and there are plenty of opportunities for both experienced and novice sailors to sail the Geopark.
Sea Fishing in the Geopark - anglers catch fish in profusion in the waters of Tor Bay, from mackerel to bass and dogfish to Pollack. While Brixham’s daily catch ends up on the very finest tables across Europe, keep your catch closer to home!
In addition there are also flagship ‘gateway sites’ to the Geopark:
Kents Cavern – an award winning visitor attraction in Torquay with tours, shop and café. A protected national monument and a site of special scientific interest, the cave has an incredible record of human activity from all three stages of the Stone Age stretching back over 500,000 years. (kents-cavern.co.uk)
Berry Head National Nature Reserve – the area’s most important wildlife site, this limestone headland rising 200 feet above the sea, is a free-to-enter 100-acre National Nature Reserve and Country Park with a new visitor centre and Guardhouse Café, with interactive displays about the site. (berryhead.org.uk)
The English Riviera Geopark is a member of the Global Networks of National Geoparks with the support of UNESCO, is one of only a select few Geoparks around the world. The exclusive Geopark membership helps protect and promote some of the world’s most important geological heritage.
Details of the Discovery packages can be found on: countryside-trust.org.uk
For more details about the Geopark, its attractions and events visit; englishrivierageopark.org.uk
For details on other attractions and accommodation visit: englishriviera.co.uk