Holiday rentals in Croyde

With its thatched-roof pubs and quaint tea rooms, this olde-worlde village seems as if it’s cut off from the progress of modern life. Look closer, however, and you’ll discover a surprisingly youthful crowd hanging around the traditional village store and ice cream parlour. Its Atlantic rollers make Croyde much-loved within Devon’s hip surfing community, and its pretty beach is sheltered between two headlands and backed by sand dunes.

There’s a lifeguard service here from May to September, and it’s during that period the beach comes alive with activity of all kinds, including its ever-popular beach volleyball courts. To the north of the beach is Baggy Point, whose dramatic clifftop is easily accessible on foot, offering superb ocean views as well as coasteering for the more adventurous. Continue on the South West Coastal Path for a couple more hours and you can walk all the way to Woolacombe Beach on the other side of the headland.

With omnipresent swells, surfers love Croyde any time of year, but particularly in spring, when the waves are at their most consistent. May Bank Holiday (the first weekend in May) sees Croyde celebrate the season with SkyBar, an annual après-sea party with a pop-up nightclub and all-night dancing. Temperatures peak in July and August, which is also when the town hosts its much loved Deckchair Cinema events, a relaxing way to enjoy the long summer evenings outdoors. But the major event of the year is the three-day GoldCoast OceanFest in June, a festival of sporting events that include swimming, surfing, and beach volleyball. Outside of summer, the town returns to a quieter pace.

The Pubs

It’s impossible to visit Croyde without being tempted to stop at one of its beautiful pubs. There are three in the village, including one that’s a 16th-century former barn with a thatched roof, timber beams, and whitewashed walls. Their beer gardens are joyously busy in summer, while in winter you can settle next to a cosy open fire and hear live music.

Saunton Sands

Just beyond the southern headland of Croyde Bay is this 3.5-mile sweep of golden beach, which has become popular with families thanks to its milder surf and range of amenities. You can also explore Braunton Burrows, the enormous sand dune system and nature reserve that stretches across some 2,400 acres, and is home to nearly 500 species of flowering plants.

Morte Point

About a 20 minute drive from Croyde beach, this peninsula at the northern edge of Woolacombe Beach has been the doom of many ships (“Morte” translates as “death”). You can see why as you look down upon its jagged rock face and the waves that pound it; you might also spot the grey seals that swim in its surrounding waters.