North Devon’s Seaside

Ilfracombe is teeming with things to see and do © ian woolcock, Shutterstock

The UNESCO Biosphere of Braunton Burrows lures nature lovers...  and there’s good birdwatching and marine wildlife viewing.

North of the River Taw’s broad estuary are Devon’s most popular seaside resorts: the huge expanses of sand at Saunton and Woolacombe, with the smaller Croyde Bay tucked in between them, and the more intimate coves such as Barricane, Grunta and Lee, which take more effort to get to, so are relatively crowd-free even in the summer holidays.

Croyde Bay is smaller than Saunton and Woolacombe, Devon's most popular seaside resorts © Ian Woolcock, Shutterstock

The UNESCO Biosphere of Braunton Burrows lures nature lovers, with Braunton making an appealing base, and there’s good birdwatching and marine wildlife viewing around the National Trust’s Baggy Point and Morte Point.

Ilfracombe has its historic Tunnels Beach, Damien Hirst’s Verity, great restaurants and the aquarium, while Combe Martin is a good centre for walking and watersports.

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