About North Devon
North Devon has some of the most world-renowned surfing beaches at Croyde, Saunton Sands, Putsborough and Woolacombe, as well as the North Devon Coastal Path, and several nature reserves such as Braunton Burrows, the country's first Unesco biosphere reserve. The delightful 'Tarka Trail' path can be walked or cycled all the way to Torrington, by way of Barnstaple and Instow.
Also within reach are Exmoor, Dartmoor, Lynmouth and Lynton, Lundy Island, Clovelly and the Eden project.
Croyde is a really lovely village with 3 pubs, all of which have beer gardens and serve good food. The Thatch is especially popular with locals and visitors alike. There is also a small bistro and a cafe. There is a selection of surf shops, souvenir shops, post office and ice cream shop. Needless to say you can easily get your hands on a variety of different pasties for a traditional Devonshire lunch!.
The beaches
The beaches here are fantastic: clean and picturesque and there is a choice of several beaches within a short drive. Other popular nearby beaches are Putsboroough beach, which joins onto Woolacombe beach, and Saunton. All of the beaches in this part of North Devon are exceptional.
Croyde Beach
Croyde is a very unspoilt beach surrounded by beautiful views of the hills and lots of rock pools and dunes to explore. It has surf lifeguards on duty in the summer.
Putsborough Beach
Putsborough is a five minute drive through the country lanes. It is a long beach, which stretches away to the north where it becomes Woolacoombe beach. Again, the views and the walks here are truly beautiful, summer or winter.
Saunton Beach
Saunton, a five minute drive to the south is another long beach, backed with beautiful dunes, and sheltered from the north by Downend Point. There is easy parking at Saunton and a nice cafe/restaurant. Deckchairs and beach huts can also be hired here in the summer.
Things to do in Devon
There are plenty of activities for children apart from the beach. There are good local parks, indoor play centres, museums, and a Wildlife and Dinosaur park in nearby Combe Martin. There are also lots of interesting places to go for day trips including Lundy Island. Lynton and Lynmouth, Instow and Appledore are pretty Devon seaside villages and Barnstaple offers good shopping.
Walking
There is a vast variety of walks on offer in the area. Everything from a gentle stroll along the beach to the stunning couple of miles of National Trust walking round Baggy Point and for the more adventurous there is the 180-mile long Tarka Trail!
Golf
There is a World class links golf club with two courses, just a mile or two round the headland at Saunton. Saunton Sands Golf Club offers challenging golf on beautiful courses. Nick Faldo has the following to say about Saunton:
Fishing
There are fishing trips available from Ilfracombe Harbour, Combe Martin, Appledore and Lynmouth and at Instow there is the North Devon Yacht Club with a boat park and slipway with excellent Cadet Training undertaken during the summer months.
Dining Out
There are plenty of places to go for dinner in the evenings. The Rock in Georgeham offers a fantistic local option with excellent food and you can eat in either the bar or restaurant. Between Georgeham, Croyde, Braunton and Woolacombe and there are also a number of takeaway options. There is also the Marisco Disco in Woolacombe for dancing.