Buckfast Butterfly Farm and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary

Dartbridge Road, Buckfastleigh, Devon, TQ11 0DZ

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Buckfast Butterfly Farm and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary
  • Buckfast Butterfly Farm and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary
  • Buckfast Butterfly Farm and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary
  • Buckfast Butterfly Farm and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary
  • Buckfast Butterfly Farm and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary
  • Buckfast Butterfly Farm and Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary

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Welcome to the Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary and Buckfast Butterfly Farm. We small, friendly, family run South Devon attraction, ideal for a family visit whatever the weather.

we aim to make your visit educational and fun. You can enjoy and learn about our tropical butterflies in the specially designed habitat of which you become part. You not only see the butterflies but feel the rainforest atmosphere that they enjoy as you see and learn about their amazing life cycle. In the Otter Sanctuary there are three species of otter to see, our native British otter, the playful Asian short clawed otters and the large North American river otters who love to show off

Our mission statement: to be a proactive supporter of the worlds flora and fauna and to provide an enjoyable, educational and thought-provoking visit focussed on our work and experience of otters and butterflies

The Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary has been carefully designed to provide our resident otters with the best possible conditions and our visitors excellent opportunities to see and enjoy them. We also have facilities for the treatment of any sick or injured otters that may be brought to us. It is hoped that having seen and enjoyed our resident otters and been given an understanding into their secret way of life, visitors will be more aware of the plight of otters world-wide, particularly of course our own native British Otter Lutra lutra.

The Butterfly House is a specially designed and maintained exhibition of living exotic butterflies, moths and caterpillars. where visitors can enjoy direct contact with some of the most beautiful members of the insect order from all around the world. You will see the 3 stages of the butterfly life cycle right before your eyes, It really is a fascinating insight into the magical metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly, you may even be lucky enough to see a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis.

We also have a wonderful gift shop full of treats, surprises and gifts for any occasion.

Tickets are valid all day and you are welcome to leave the main building to enjoy the other things to do outside in the gardens and grounds and return again later.

There is a small children's playground and a lovely walk beside the River Dart to enjoy where we regularly have sightings of wild otters.

The feeding times at 11.30am, 2.00pm and 4.00pm these are the best times to see and enjoy the otters, so plan your visit around these times.

In combining education with a fun day out in Devon, we aim to encourage and inspire visitors to learn more of the daily life of our fascinating creatures and create a unique attraction for kids and big kids alike.

Guide Prices

Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
Adult£9.95 per ticket
Concession£8.95 per ticket
Child£7.95 per ticket
Family£30.00 per ticket

Opening Times

* Monday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.30
For November - March opening times please refer to their website.

Facilities

Accessibility

  • All Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors
  • Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
  • Ramp/Level Access

Catering

  • On-Site café/restaurant - Light lunches, teas and ice-cream.
  • Picnic Site

Establishment Features

  • Toilets

Key Features

  • Approx length of visit - 04:00
  • In countryside
  • Max group size - 200
  • Min group size - 10
  • Open by appointment outside normal opening times

Parking & Transport

  • Parking (free)
  • Parking On Site

Payment Methods

  • Blue Badge Guides admitted free
  • Delta accepted
  • Maestro accepted
  • MasterCard accepted
  • Solo accepted
  • Special group rates
  • Sterling Travellers Cheques accepted
  • Visa accepted

Specialist Features

  • Marketed towards children
  • Marketed towards families

Tours and Demonstrations

  • Demonstrations Given
  • Educational Visits Accepted
  • Guided Tours Available for Groups

Venue Facilities

  • Groups Accepted - Groups of 100+ by appointment.

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Map & Directions

Road Directions

The Butterfly Farm and Otter Sanctuary is situated just outside the southern border of Dartmoor National Park between Exeter and Plymouth and is easily reached just off the A38 Devon Expressway at the Dart Bridge junction. There are large brown tourist signs guiding visitors from the junction to our car park. The journey from Exeter or Plymouth by road takes about half an hour and from the Torbay area about three quarters of an hour.

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Public Transport Directions

Its is also possible to visit us by rail by travelling to Totnes main line station and then taking a steam train from Totnes, travelling on the South Devon Steam Railway from Totnes to Buckfastleigh. The South Devon Steam Railway is adjacent to the Butterfly Farm and Otter Sanctuary and there is a short two-minute walk from the platform. This is proving a very popular trip, with discounted tickets available for visitors who visit both the otters and butterflies and ride on the steam train.

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TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4.5 of 5 stars
    • Excellent
      1656
    • Very Good
      372
    • Average
      112
    • Poor
      52
    • Terrible
      25

    Recent Reviews:

    • Rachel A
      Northampton, United Kingdom
      Otter experience - 5* / THANK YOU
      5 of 5 stars
      10th Oct 2024
      Otter experience- wow what a unique, educational and heartwarming day. Was an absolute pleasure to spend the day with Sophie, learning about the otters, meal prep and feeding the otters. The... Read full review
    • Relax32549555016
      Larkfield, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Family
      Worth going but it’s not a full day out
      4 of 5 stars
      26th Oct 2024
      Lovely butterflies, cute terrapins and otters. Not really a full day out but worth visiting. You could visit the train station too Read full review
    • abrahamwinklebury
      Bristol, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Family
      Enjoyed by all
      5 of 5 stars
      30th Oct 2024
      Spent a couple of hours here. It's a good experience. The best part for me was the feeding of the otters and the associated tk. Very interesting.. Inside the building there are lots of colourful... Read full review

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