Croyde

The surfing capital of North Devon with great family facilities and a vibrant, friendly atmosphere, the pretty village of Croyde is one of North Devon’s most renowned seaside locations.

Surfing in Croyde Bay

Due to its excellent surf, beautiful scenery and vibrant village feel, Croyde Bay is a wonderful place to visit if you’re interested in watersports, particularly surfing. In fact, it is known as a surfing mecca, in the south west, so wherever you are in the village, you’ll find numerous places to hire equipment and arrange lessons. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not explore the coast with an exhilarating coasteering session, or book yourself onto a rockpool ramble to discover more of our marine wildlife.

The beach, which is an impressive feature, forms the middle section of a trio of beautiful sandy beaches and is flanked by those at Saunton Sands and Woolacombe Sands, both of which are popular with surfers and families and regularly top polls of Britain’s best beaches.

Croyde Bay beach

While Croyde Bay is primarily known for its perfect surfing conditions and for being part of the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, there is plenty more going for this pretty village than just the coast. Croyde is home to a number of nature trails and walks as well as several wonderful pubs, many of which have thatched rooves and encapsulate the traditional imagery of a Devonshire pub.

One of the most popular walking trails in the village is the National Trust’s Baggy Point, which makes for some excellent coastal walking and has breath taking views as well as being generally accessible for walkers of all ages and abilities. The village itself remains largely unspoiled from time gone by and has an old world feel to it which is well respected by the surfing community and holiday makers as well as residents. The centre is a hub of lovely places to stay and eat with many of the eateries offering locally sourced, seasonal produce on their menus.

Family-friendly Croyde Bay

Croyde’s sheltered bay, on-site facilities and lifeguard presence make it a great family destination. Not only are there are number of seafront hotels with a real family focus with everything from children’s menus to activities for the whole family to get involved. The village regularly hosts a Deckchair Cinema during the summer months allowing you to sit back and relax while enjoying a family friendly classic and of course, there is the ever popular Goldcoast OceanFest event which takes place every year. The festival grows year on year with chart topping music acts providing the entertainment and a full weekend of water sports and outdoor adventures – it certainly isn’t to be missed! While the Deckchair Cinema is much loved and is one of the must do attractions when staying in the area. You can find all the latest showings and times advertised locally so make sure to check these on arrival.

Being a popular destination for holiday makers, Croyde has lots of activities to help you experience a real adventure during your stay

including cycling and  horse riding as well as hotels and activity centres offering gentler sports, such as golf and tennis.

North Devon's surfing haven

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Croyde Bay Autumn

Croyde beats Spain for holiday makers

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According to new research, 2025 is the year of the staycation with more people choosing a holiday at Croyde in North Devon than going to places like Spain and Bali. The research undertaken by travel company Beachlets has indicated that Croyde Bay, the surfing capital of North Devon has emerged as an…

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croyde bay

Croyde ranks in the world’s Top 10 surfing beaches

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Croyde has been named as one of the top ten surfing beaches in the world, coming in at number 7 out of 150 beaches across the globe. The study by ParkSleepFly, analysed surf related tags on Instagram to find the best rated surf destinations and Croyde, which is part of the UK’s first Surf Reserve…

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