Just 10 miles to the golden sands of Woolacombe

Think of beaches and you think of North Devon. The coastline boasts some of the finest golden, sandy beaches anywhere in the world and the most popular are to be found at Saunton around to Croyde, Putsborough and on to Woolacombe. Most are manned with lifeguards in the main summer season, ensuring high standards of beach safety.

Woolacombe has been acknowledged as one of the top 10 beaches in the world and is a regular winner of both the Blue Flag and Premier Resort Awards for beach safety and cleanliness. The glorious sandy beach stretches for over three miles to Putsborough. Its gently shelving sands are popular with both families and surfers who come to ride the famous Atlantic rollers.

Woolacombe itself caters well for visitors with shops, cafes and restaurants and a wide choice of accommodation. Nearby, the pretty stone built village of Mortehoe is also popular and visitors can discover many small secluded beaches hugging the coast line between these two resorts. The quaint thatched village of Croyde is renowned for its selection of tea rooms, traditional oak beamed pubs, and famous clotted cream ice-cream making it an idyllic spot. The beach is another Blue Flag and Premier Resort winner offering excellent family bathing along the gently shelving shoreline.

The incomparable Saunton sands stretch for over three miles, backed by 1000 acres of sand dunes in the Nature Reserve of Braunton Burrows. The Burrows is a wild and natural landscape offering tranquil sheltered spots for those seeking peace and quiet. Slightly inland is the village of Braunton, a popular centre for both conventional shoppers and the numerous surfers who pass through the village on their way to catch the waves at local beaches.