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
Croyde Highlights
Croyde Bay Resort
Croyde Bay Resort is nestled behind the sand dunes of the world class Croyde Beach and just minutes…
Ruda Holiday Park - Parkdean Resorts
Wake up to one of the most spectacular views in Devon – beautiful Croyde Bay. This golden…
What's On
Emma Stibbon RA: Melting Ice | Rising Tides
In Melting Ice | Rising Tides Emma Stibbon considers how the warming environment of the polar…
Festival of Roses
Revel in the scent and sight of thousands of rose buds and blooms, a sensory celebration of summer…
Guess How Much I Love You™ Trail
Included with garden admission; free to RHS Members and children under 5. Children aged…
Outdoor Summer Concert
Summer Outdoor Concert by Bideford Town Bandon Thursday evenings
Portrait Sculpture Course
Creating true likeness in portrait sculpture requires more than correctly reproducing features, for…
The Very Hungry Caterpillar™ at Arlington Court
The world's most famous caterpillar from Eric Carle's best-selling book is coming to life at…
GoldCoast Oceanfest
If you could bottle a beachside festival and pour it out each year against the backdrop of a sun…
An Introduction to Dry Stone Walling
Do you love nature, being outdoors and getting your hands dirty? If so, this could be for you! Spend…
Kids Fest 2025
A Full-On Festival for Kids aged 5 to 13! Live Music & Stage Shows, VR Experience, Foam Party…
An Evening with Dino Baptiste – Live at HARTA Retreat
Blues legend Dino Baptiste performs at HARTA Retreat on Saturday 28 June, delivering his signature…
Doone Valley History Festival
Enjoy a weekend of free talks, walks, and workshops exploring the fascinating history of the Doone…
Summer of play at Arlington Court
Our Summer of play is back for another year - with a new twist! Visit Olde Arlington, a rambunctious…
A Taste of Sculpture
This fabulous one day sculpting experience will give you the opportunity to create a realistic…
Flower Arranging and Forage Workshop
Create a beautiful honey jar flower arrangement in this seasonal workshop, with a cream tea too!…
Bideford Soapbox Derby
Bideford Soapbox Derby, is a great day out filled with entertainment and great local food and stalls…
Cliff Railway Talk and Tour
A Talk and Tour of Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Learn about the history, how and why it was…
Gabby Young and Other Animals
Saturday night gig featuring Gabby Young and Other Animals - The comeback!
Evening Talk - Tails of Tarka
Come along to our next evening talk with Dave Webb who joins us from the charity UK Wild Otters…
Rails & Dinosaur Scales
Join us for some dinosaur fun at Woody Bay Station! Ruby the Megalosaurus and her adorable baby dino…
Rails & Dinosaur Scales (Dino Days at Woody Bay Station)
Join us for some dinosaur fun at Woody Bay Station! Ruby Megalosaurus and…
Search for something
See more from Croyde
Croyde beats Spain for holiday makers
- 1 minute read
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…
Learn MoreCroyde ranks in the world’s Top 10 surfing beaches
- 1 minute read
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…
Learn More