The Westcountry has shaken off its country-bumpkin image and reinvented itself as a cultural hotbed, says the first edition of Lonely Planet's Devon, Cornwall & South West England.

The region is no longer just destinations for caravans, the blue-rinse brigade, beach bums or long queues on the M4.

According to Lonely Planet's new guide, what was once dismissed by snooty urbanites as a cultural backwater, is now reinventing itself as an eco-haven, a creative trendsetter, a culinary paradise and an outdoor playground.

"From the Eden Project and Britain's first plastic bag-free town to world-famous cheeses and celebrity chefs; numerous outdoor activities such as walking, surfing and sailing to name but a few, this region has much to offer," Lonely Planet says.

"Fancy a culinary treat but had enough of pasties and cream teas? Head to Padstow where TV chef Rick Stein started the foodie revolution of the west and don't forget about Bristol - its city walls still wet from the latest offering by notorious graffiti-artist, Banksy."

Co-ordinating author Oliver Berry said: "The South West is in flux. Regeneration is happening everywhere you look: futuristic greenhouses are springing up in abandoned clay pits, run-down docksides are being rejuvenated and designer bistros are setting up shop all along the coastline."

However, not everything is rosy in the Westcountry. The guide recognises that "the South West always had a love-hate relationship with the summer influx of tourists; overflowing car parks, low-paid seasonal jobs and summer traffic jams have long been a fact of life out west".

Oliver Berry, Lonely Planet: "The South West is in flux. Regeneration is happening everywhere you look: futuristic greenhouses are springing up in abandoned clay pits, run-down docksides are being rejuvenated and designer bistros are setting up shop all along the coastline."

It also claims the region's villages have "had their hearts sucked out as the holiday lets and second-homers have moved in".

The boom in UK tourism may have boosted the South West economy "but not necessarily for the better", the guide added.

"When a narrow sliver of land in south Dorset can command higher property prices than a penthouse apartment in downtown Manhattan, you know something has got to give," the book warns.

"Despite this, you do get the feeling from every corner of this charming region, that Devon, Cornwall and South West England has kissed goodbye to its corn-chewing, tractor-driving stereotype and been reborn as a tonic for the heart," it added.

Written by two resident authors, the first regional UK guide for Lonely Planet offers coverage of the diversity found in Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall.

The guide also highlights the benefits of travelling within the UK and is one of the first Lonely Planet guidebooks to include a Greendex - a new reference index of attractions, tours, restaurants and accommodation that are considered sustainable.

What Lonely Planet says about the Westcountry:

Bristol: "For a big-city buzz, nowhere in the southwest can measure up to Bristol... She might not have the lolly of London, or the beauty of Bath, but one thing's for certain - this old lady's got plenty of life in her yet."

Bath: "If Bristol's a grand old dame, then Bath is her slinkier, sexier, snootier little sister... it’s impossible not to be bewitched by this radiant minx of a city."

Somerset: "It's a county of collision, where wild hill meets tourist town... Savour the sights, sip some scrumpy or get all spiritual - Somerset's a treat for the senses."

Dorset: "Actually the essence of England - a lush, rippling chessboard of fields sprinkled with ancient villages and fringed by a silver sea."

Bournemouth: "This former preserve of the blue-rinse brigade is now a hedonistic paradise or stag-and-hen party hell. Whatever your view, it certainly makes a statement."

Devon: "The kind of place you'd wish you'd grown up in and would want your children to. This county just might make you rethink your life."

Plymouth: "A city dripping with maritime history, overflowing with clubs and bars, and in the midst of a revitalising building boom."

Torquay: "An archetypal Devon resort in a state of flux... a bizarre blend of the boozed-up and blue-rinsed."

Exeter: "Far from locked in the past... a relaxed but lively base for further exploration."

Cornwall: "Recently garnered a reputation as one of Britain’s most creative corners, a place where you can feed you brain, your appetite and your soul all at once."

Newquay: "Hawaii smacks headlong into Ibiza on the streets of Newquay... Cornwall's busiest and brashest tourist town."