There are so many things to do in Westward Ho!.

This North Devon tourist town is a wonderful place to enjoy the county’s dramatic north coast and take in some of the West Country’s best local attractions.

It’s a buzzing, family-friendly place, and it’s also in prime position to visit other spots in North Devon and even venture over the border to Cornwall. 

If you’re wondering what to do in Westward Ho!, read on – this blog post will help!

About Westward Ho! 

I’m not just really excited about Westward Ho!

The North Devon town has an exclamation mark after its official name – it is one of only two places in the world with this curious titular quirk (the other is Saint-Louis-du-Ha!-Ha! in Quebec).

Westward Ho! was named after Charles Kingsley’s novel of the same name.

This novel was created in 1855, and because of it, there was a sudden influx of tourists to North Devon. 

Therefore, Westward Ho! was established near the parish of Northam. It was a town created purely for tourist purposes.

It still retains a lot of that touristy element today.

You can bask on the beach, go hiking, and do all sorts of activities like go-karting and mini-golf.

And, of course, you’re never far from a good fish and chip shop or a place to grab a pasty. 

Things to do in Westward Ho! 

Westward Ho! Beach 

Westward Ho! Beach in North Devon

It’s no surprise that one of the best things to do in Westward Ho! is to head to the beautiful beach – the town was built up around it, after all!