Dartmoor is, of course, world famous as a walking destination - and it deserves to be. The area became a national park in 1951 and consists of 368 square miles (954 sq km).

You could almost say it was designed for hiking - vast moorlands dotted with high granite tors offer almost boundless opportunities to walk more or less where you will (particularly since the government passed its recent "right to roam" act). All you have to watch out for are the infamous bogs and the weather. Do not enter the former, and do not wander off into the moors if the latter looks set to turn bad. The longer, higher Dartmoor walks, are for serious hikers only - you really should have the right gear and be carrying a compass - but there are plenty of other opportunities to enjoy strolling around in the national park without having to do military style "yomps" across the barren moors.

Dartmoor's western slopes descend into the great river vale of the Tamar. The Bere Peninsula, the River Tavy, isolated villages like Lydford with its famous gorge - not to mention the region's most striking place of worship perched upon the crags of Brentor - the Tamar Marches offer one of the region's most undiscovered areas.

Click here to see a list of links to the walks.