Croyde is one of England’s most unique villages. Located in the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is home to an eclectic mix of surf shops, family friendly pubs, a world-class beach, and the five-star Croyde Bay resort.
Croyde is famous for having one of the country’s best beaches, it is fantastic for surfing, body boarding and family holidays, drawing thousands of holidaymakers every year.
At Croyde Bay, the coast meets the countryside with the picturesque sandy beach having the backdrop of rolling green hills and cliff faces along Baggy Point.
Croyde Village, a 10-minute walk from the beach, is one part classic English village combined with one part modern beach town. The total population of Croyde is around 700 people.
Croyde Beach is open year-round and is most popular from April – October, with the busiest months being July and August. There is plenty of space to put down a towel and enjoy those sunny days and it is free for all to enjoy.
It has RNLI lifeguards daily from around the end of March to the end of September as well as weekends and half term in October.
Surfing and bodyboarding are very popular activities on Croyde Beach with the Atlantic Ocean creating wonderful waves that roll into the Bay. There’s plenty of places to hire boards and wetsuits locally.
Guests can park on the resort and walk directly from our beach gate on to the sand dunes or there are also beach car parks at Down End and on Moor Lane as well as the National Trust car park on Baggy Point. Prices vary dependant on the time of year.
For those wondering if Croyde beach is dog friendly, dogs are allowed on Croyde beach from 1st October until the 30th of April. From 1st May – 30th September dogs are not permitted on the beach, though can be walked on the sand dunes.
Discover more about the beach and nearby.
In Croyde Village, you’ll find family friendly pubs, like The Thatch and The Manor House Inn, a selection of surf and gift shops, Croyde‘s ice cream parlour and a traditional tea room as well as the local post office. In recent years there’s also been pop-up street food stalls.
Croyde Village is just a 10 minute walk from both the beach and resort.
It is well worth a visit to Croyde in Devon to experience one of the most beautiful and unique places in the UK. The village is home to big events like Gold Coast Oceanfest and Sky Bar Croyde as well as former world recorder holder for biggest wave ever surfed, Andrew Cotton.
Whether you fancy some street food, the local pub or modern dining, there is something to suit your taste in Croyde.
The Thatch, Billy Budd’s and The Manor House Inn are Croyde’s three family friendly pubs. The Thatch is Croyde’s ‘Famous Freehouse’ known for their mix of local surfers and holidaymakers enjoying a pint or some food after a long day at the beach. The Manor House Inn is the go-to place for a Sunday roast locally and New Coast Kitchen is a more recent restaurant opening with a contemporary British menu. There are regular street food pop ups in the summer months with dishes ranging from pizza to Jamaican cuisine.
Read our full guide to Croyde and Georgeham Pubs.
With a variety of accommodation including cottages, lodges and a hotel, we have just the right accommodation for your stay in Croyde, whether you want self catering options or to eat at the resort and local restaurants.
Croyde Bay Resort has been awarded the coveted 5* Holiday Village status by Visit England following recent developments at the resort including 28 new top-of-the-range lodges, refurbishments and redesigns of much of the existing accommodation, a revamped restaurant menu and a brand new adventure playground and crazy golf course.
The resort has won a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for the last five years and the accommodation backs on to the sand dunes through the resort’s private beach gate.
The best way to travel to Croyde is by car, but there are also train and bus routes available with connections. By car make your way to the M5 and exit at Junction 27, taking the A361 (also known as the North Devon Link Road) towards Barnstaple. From there you’ll pass through Braunton and Saunton before making it to Croyde. Full directions are below.
