Why here?

Within four hours of London, with a backdrop of stunning rolling green hills, Croyde in North Devon is one of the UK’s most popular and finest surfing beaches.

The village has a quaint, English countryside charm, some famous gastropubs and decent surf shops too.

What’s it like?

Surfer’s Paradise is located just a 60 second walk from the beach, so there’s no excuse for not making a dawnie.

The facilities are excellent with hot showers, surf hire and access to the launderette, swimming pool, restaurants and bars in the Ruda Holiday Camp.

You can hire a spot from £11 per night.

Spot Check

Croyde is challenging. The waves can be fast, hollow and tricky for beginners, especially at low tide.

However, neighbouring Saunton Sands has miles of golden sand and mellower conditions, that are especially good on a longboard.

Don’t Miss

The off-season. Croyde gets super-busy in the summer, especially at weekends, so paddle out early morning or evening. September is perfect, the water’s still warm and the surf picks up.

Time out

The Thatch is a traditional English pub, with an extensive, tasty menu including in season specials and a Sunday roast, plus live music on a weekend.

How to get there

Take the train to Barnstaple, then a shuttle bus to the bus station. From there a once-hourly bus goes to Croyde, but they don’t take surfboards. Coaches also go to Barnstaple.