Low to mid tide
Woolacombe
Three miles of Atlantic sand with lifeguards, surf schools and a village behind the beach.
- Type
- Long surf beach
- Best for
- Surf & families
- Parking
- Large car parks
Devon, England
North Devon beaches
Local guides to Atlantic surf beaches, dune systems and estuary sands between Combe Martin and the Cornish border.
Choose your beach
Explore the coast
Compare eight beaches by character, best tide and local details before choosing where to spend the day.
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Low to mid tide
Croyde
A punchy surf bay between two headlands, with a village of surf shops behind it.
- Type
- Surf bay
- Best for
- Surfing
- Parking
- Fills early
Any tide
Saunton Sands
A vast, gently sloping beach backed by Braunton Burrows, and the best longboard wave here.
- Type
- Wide flat sand
- Best for
- Longboarding
- Parking
- Clifftop car park
Low to mid tide
Putsborough
The sheltered southern end of Woolacombe Sands, quieter and tucked under Baggy Point.
- Type
- Sheltered sand
- Best for
- Calmer surf
- Parking
- Private car park
Low to mid tide
Westward Ho!
A two-mile sandy beach behind a huge pebble ridge, with lifeguards and a seafront town.
- Type
- Sand & pebble ridge
- Best for
- Easy beach days
- Parking
- Seafront car parks
Low to mid tide
Combe Martin
A small sheltered cove at the end of a long village, with rockpools below the cliffs.
- Type
- Sheltered cove
- Best for
- Rockpooling
- Parking
- Beach car park
Low to mid tide
Ilfracombe
A Victorian harbour town with small town beaches, boat trips and the Tunnels tidal pool.
- Type
- Town beaches
- Best for
- Boat trips
- Parking
- Town car parks
Low to mid tide
Sandymouth
A wild National Trust beach of sand, boulders and folded cliffs at the southern end of the coast.
- Type
- Wild sand & rock
- Best for
- Low tide walks
- Parking
- National Trust