Croyde
Croyde is a small village behind a surf beach in north Devon, between Saunton and Woolacombe. Croyde Bay is the reason the name travels. The sand is backed by dunes, the Atlantic arrives in lines that surf schools can use, and Baggy Point, the National Trust headland on the south side of the bay, is the walk that frames every photograph. This is not a promenade town. There is no tower and no pleasure pier.
The village has a few shops, pubs and places to rent a board. Georgeham, a short walk inland, is the older village with another pub and some of the rooms. Putsborough, over the headland, is a quieter beach. Woolacombe, to the north, is the longer strand with more facilities. Braunton is the town where you do a supermarket shop. People who book "Croyde" sometimes find they are staying in one of these neighbours, which can be fine if the listing was honest about the walk.
Where to stay
Cottages and small bed and breakfasts in the village put you nearest the beach. They book up for the school holidays and for any forecast that mentions a clean swell. Campsites in the fields behind the bay are a large part of the summer population. A pub room in Georgeham is a good compromise if the beach cottages have gone. Do not expect a large hotel with a reception that never closes. If that is essential, this is the wrong bay, and Torquay is the resort version of Devon.
Parking in the village and at the beach fills on sunny days. A cottage with its own space is a better booking than a cheaper one that assumes you will use the public car park at noon in August.
The day itself
Swim or surf in the morning, walk Baggy Point when the wind is at your back rather than in your face, and accept that the afternoon may be a cafe. The coast path continues towards Putsborough and Woolacombe if you want a longer route. Saunton Sands, across the burrows to the south, is the enormous beach you can see from the headland. Surf schools operate in season. If you have never been in the Atlantic, take a lesson rather than borrowing a board and a theory.
Getting there
Croyde is a car journey from Barnstaple, which has the nearest railway station, on the branch from Exeter. Buses reach the area in summer but a cottage week without a car is limiting once you need food or a wet-weather plan in Barnstaple. The north coast as a whole is described on the Devon page. Come for the bay. Stay in the village. Leave the county-hopping for a different holiday.
Guide me to UK is an independent information site. We do not own hotels or take bookings. Fares, opening hours and timetables change, so confirm them before you travel. Reviewed October 2026.