The pre-holiday debate revolved around whether to book a week at the seaside, have an inland holiday in picturesque countryside or opt for a city break. In the event, Devon ticked all three boxes.

For this is a part of the world with an enticing coastline, where rivers flow through charming towns into the sea and the vivid red glow of lofty sandstone cliffs contrasts with the deep blue sea in places such as Sidmouth, Exmouth and Dawlish.

It is also an area with acres of unspoiled moorland, not least Dartmoor, where ponies roam free, streams run through age-old humpback bridges and hikers quench their thirst at quintessentially English pubs dotted across the moor.

And it is a county that boasts two impressive cities – Plymouth and Exeter – both with a proud history, thriving shops, fascinating museums, and stylish restaurants, bars and cafes.

Our Devon adventure started with an enjoyable stay at The Moorland Garden Hotel, in Yelverton, ideally located for the Dartmoor National Park and Plymouth.

Recently-revamped and under new ownership, the Moorland is a 44-bedroom hotel catering for a range of visiting parties, in our case a family-of-five – Sarah, me and our three sons, Benjamin, aged one, Harry, five, and Jordan, 14.

On arrival, we were interested to learn that Sonia and Brian Meaden, who bought the hotel in 2011 and oversaw the remodelling of each room to an individual specification, are the parents of Dragon’s Den television star Deborah Meaden.

The luxurious hotel is located in nine acres of tranquil gardens – perfect for our three lively boys to run off excess energy before calming down for the evening meal. Since April, the hotel’s Wildflower Restaurant has been in the hands of South African head chef Bruce Cole, who immediately produced a new menu which gave the hotel a double triumph in the 2013 Taste of the West awards.

During our visit, Bruce and his team of six didn’t disappoint, conjuring up a delightful smoked duck breast and mustard cress salad for starters and a tender and tasty main course of Dartmoor farmers aged beef fillet with great accompaniments such as wild mushrooms. This gastronomic triumph was enhanced by the surroundings as the late evening sun dripped into the restaurant, which overlooks the moorland garden through glass doors, lending an inside-out feel of alfresco dining.

The next morning, refreshed by a sleep in one of the character-filled individualistic bedrooms and with a hearty full English breakfast inside us, we set out by car across Dartmoor, stopping off for a riverside walk near Two Bridges. Harry, an instinctive animal-lover, took the opportunity to stroke one of the ponies that graze so plentifully on the moor. He would do more of the same later that day at our destination – The Original Miniature Pony Centre Dartmoor near Moretonhampstead. Here, even our youngest son Benjamin, only 20-months-old, was able to get close enough to stroke several cute mini ponies, while Harry was delighted to be treated to his first ever ride on a full-size horse. This is a place where the family can enjoy a great day out.

We then pitched our tent for two fun-filled days at the five-star Woodovis Park, nestled on the edge of the Tamar Valley. Our children particularly enjoyed using the holiday park’s indoor swimming pool, while Sarah and me made the most of the croissants and pain au chocolat freshly made at the site’s shop each morning.

This peaceful award-winning park provided a base to explore nearby Tavistock, an ancient market town described by one local we met as the ‘finest of Dartmoor’s satellite towns.’ The approach to the town by car from the direction of Princetown is certainly not to be missed as it offers up an awe-inspiring panoramic view. In the town, we found good local produce and fiendly banter from the locals in abundance.

Devonians are rightly proud of their county and are happy to offer advice on places to visit. We were told several times that we ‘mustn’t leave without seeing Plymouth Hoe and the harbour.’ We took that advice and enjoyed a magical day trip to the city. A big wheel, situated on the world-famous Hoe, opens up stunning views, while Smeaton’s tower, located nearby, offers a similar panorama. We found to our delight that the Hoe was a safe and spacious green oasis to relax and watch the activity out to sea as ships came and went.

A short walk away is the National Marine Aquarium, which provided hours of entertainment and educational value for our children.

The UK’s largest aquarium gave a fascinating insight into the underwater world as we were taken on a journey across the world’s oceans. We paused for some time in the Atlantic Ocean section, marveling at the Sand Tiger Sharks.

We emerged from the aquarium in time to enjoy an early evening stroll round the historic old harbour area, which escaped the worst destruction of the Blitz. As we sought a restaurant or pub for an evening meal, we were spoilt for choice in the classy Barbican area, eventually opting for Shirley Valentine’s Taverna.

The quirky family-run restaurant, tucked away on New Street, offered a variety of freshly-made Turkish and Greek dishes and, on certain nights, even has a belly dancer providing after-dinner entertainment.

That evening, we were among thousands of people who gathered around the city’s waterfront to watch the British Firework Championships. As the impressive displays lit up the water, it was not hard to see why this event has become a cornerstone of the Plymouth calendar.

Further to the east, Devon is also home to part of the stunning Jurassic Coast, England’s first natural World Heritage Site. Sidmouth, a charming seaside town, proved the perfect place from which to explore.

The town has a myriad of independent and quirky shops, a broad seafront promenade ideal for walking, framed by brilliantly-coloured red cliffs. One of our favourite shops was the TasTe of Sidmouth, where 16 flavours of ice cream are available. We devoured many of those flavours during repeat visits to the family-run establishment in Old Fore Street and it wasn’t hard to see how it had scooped a succession of awards, notably the Best of Ice Cream at the Taste of the West awards in 2010.

Our accommodation, provided by Sidmouth Holiday, was a luxurious four-star top floor apartment about a 15-minute walk inland. The light-airy and contemporary apartment at Anstis Court is situated in a pleasant courtyard and forms part of a complex that featured in the television programme ‘A place in the Sun – Home or Away.’ At the end of long days, knocked out by sea air, we were able to sit back in the lounge and enjoy the 42’’ flat screen television with cinema surround sound plus a Nintendo Wii, which provided the children with some extra fun.

From Anstis Court, we enjoyed many pleasant walks into town along a walking and cycling route known locally as the Byes, walking next to the river Sid, watching wily trout sip flies from the river surface, before arriving at the seafront.

One of the best ways to view this coastline is from the sea and, with this in mind, we travelled to Exmouth to board the Stuart Line cruise. During the two and a half hours that followed, we enjoyed unrivalled views of the oldest section of the Jurassic Coast, from the Triassic Era, famous for its deep red colour. The skipper gave a lively commentary as we sat back, enjoyed a couple of bottles of real ale, and looked out of the window at a shoreline that exposes 250 million years of the Earth’s history.

Of course, no trip to Devon would be complete without a trip to Exeter, the county town. We admired the cathedral quarter before heading for the historic quayside to hire some bicycles for the afternoon from Saddles and Paddles. A 12-mile round trip along the Exe Estuary Trail rewarded us with glorious views and refreshment at the Turf Locks Hotel, where we watched trains bursting along Brunel’s famous coastal railway and boats heading out to sea. For the more energetic holidaymaker, it is apparently possible to cycle further along the Exe Estuary Trail towards Dawlish before jumping on the Starcross to Exmouth ferry. From Exmouth, it is then possible to cycle back to Exeter on the other side of the estuary, completing a rather nice loop.

While enjoying a drink at the Turf, we found extra interest in the fact that more than 100 swimmers were taking part in an annual charity swim across the estuary from Topsham, about two miles away, to the Turf – a fine sight as they made their way determinedly through the waters, roared on by a huge crowd of friends and family. And this chance encounter typifies Devon - a county where lasting tradition and community spirit mean you’re always likely to stumble across an annual event, whether it be a regatta, swimming contest or village fete.

We got most of our holiday ideas from the informative Visit Devon website at www.visitdevon.co.uk while it’s also worth checking out their twitter account @VisitDevon or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VisitDevon