North Devon Tourist Information Holidays Accommodation UK

Lynton, Lynmouth & Combe Martin

The sublime North Devon Coast is just waiting to be discovered. Lynmouth, the harbour village, and Lynton, it's sister village high up on a steep cliff reached by the Victorian Cliff Railway are particularly popular. Named by the Victorians as 'the Switzerland of England', these North Devon coast holiday hotspots not only have a dramatic, sublime cliff coastline, but are also backed by beautiful wooded gorges which are part of the Exmoor National Park.

Lynton and Lynmouth are framed by two enormous gorges, and with the East and West Lyn Rivers nearby you have a setting of pure holiday magic, with a choice of activities from walking, fishing, local golf, surfing, cycling and swimming. Walking especially is magic in this area, with three main Devon walkways, the Two Moors Way, the South West Coast Path and the Tarka Trail all touching this area. Shorter or longer walks can be chosen dependent on taste.

Moving along the coast from Lynmouth towards Ilfracombe check out the equally sublime Combe Martin, a charming little coastal village base. Here you'll see some of the most breath-taking coastal views in the UK, no joke. And so convenient for Exmoor as well. It's a walker's paradise round here, with ample charming pubs and specialist shops.

Combe Martin offers a choice of accommodation in it's sheltered harbour, with two main headlands - Great and Little Hangman. There's a lovely little picture postcard cove beach and numerous secluded bays off the main beach. If you're looking for quiet, serene coastal beauty, superb walking, charming pubs and easy access to Exmoor head to Combe Martin!

• Lynton Accommodation
• Lynmouth Hotels
• Bed and Breakfast in Lynmouth

Ilfracombe, Woolacombe & Croyde

Ilfracombe really is the hub of North Devon's dramatic coastline, especially for family holidays. It's Victorian roots shine through, notable particularly in the character old hotels and Illfracombe's layout, with it's many green spaces and park areas. Ilfracombe on the North Devon coast is today one of Devon's most popular family holiday resorts, and also a popular spot for the stag and hen weekend break! Ilfracombe has it all on the seaside holiday front. Take your pick from a choice of outdoor activities including Devon golf courses, an aquarium, Ilfracombe Museum, the spectacular Tunnel Beaches, a castle and family theme park nearby, various promenade amusement arcades and beach activities and to top it all a delightful town centre with lots of quirky specialist shops. Families, head for Ilfracombe and don't forget your memorable trip to beautiful Lundy Island just off the Ilfracombe coast!

Ilfracombe offers a host of family entertainment including a diverse programme of events at the Landmark Theatre. Music events, tea dances, films, drama and frequent Agatha Christie plays thrown in are on the menu at Ilfracombe's architecturally celebrated Landmark Theatre.

Woolacombe beach and resort has won awards. It's a Blue Flag beach, plus it's a Premier Beach Seaside award winner as well. We are talking one of the TOP TEN beaches in the world right here in North Devon's Woolacombe! It suits for both family holidays and watersports fanatics, particularly surfers.

For Devon Surfing at it's best, check out the surfing the waves at Croyde. The beach itself is famous worldwide as a surfing centre and is of course a Blue Flag beach with excellent cleanliness and facilities. There's plenty of surfing shops selling surfing clothes at Croyde, as well as surfing tuition centres and the beach has lifeguards during the high summer season. In summer Croyde beach does get more crowded. Croyde offers fast, hollow waves and at low tide especially they keep hold of their shape producing larger swells. Croyde is best for surfers with experience, especially around the reef and Downend Point. Head for Saunton Sands for a slover pace if a novice!

• Hotels in Woolacombe
• Ilfracombe Holiday Cottages
• Woolacombe Bed and Breakfast

Barnstaple North Devon Arts & Crafts

Barnstaple is one of the oldest towns in Britain, and was a key Devon centre during the wool trade boom during the medieval period. It has a famous Devon history for arts and crafts, and today has a thriving arts, crafts and cultural scene, aided by the development of the North Devon Festival. Check out the North Devon Museum at Barnstaple for the history of Shapland and Petter, famous Barnstaple cabinet makers. There's an arts and crafts centre there too!

The Broomhill Sculpture Gardens is a must visit in Barnstaple. It serves as a central North Devon venue for arts and crafts and is the focus of the North Devon Festival. Most certainly Broomhill is one of the best sculpture parks in the UK!

Barnstaple and it's surrounds are also famous for fabulous Devon Garden attraction. Check out Marwood Hill Gardens near the Broomhill Sculpture Park. If you're touring Devon Gardens Marwood Hill Gardens is one not to miss, with it's spectacular large walled garden.

Barnstaple is also superb for Devon golf! Barnstaple's golf course has two parkland courses, the aptly named Barum and Landkey. Both are 18 hole golf courses, and Barum has PAR 70, whilst Landkey has a PAR 54. There's some very good golf facilities on this course including a floodlit golf driving range.

• Barnstaple Hotels
• Bed and Breakfast in Barnstaple
• Barnstaple Accommodation

Braunton & Braunton Burrows

Braunton is a great base for exploring this beautiful natural sand dune area, as well as superb local walking and of course surfing! Braunton village is renowned for it's many surf gear shops which also offer surf board hire aplenty. The 180 mile long Tarka Trail, which links the North Devon Coast with Dartmoor actually passes through Braunton village, perfect for walkers.

Braunton is famous for it's splendid Braunton Burrows sand dunes. This is the largest area of sand dunes in Britain, and an exquisite area of natural beauty. It was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in November 2002. The golden sandy beach of Broadsands at the estuary mouth is gentle surfing territory, ideal for the novice surfer!

The sand dunes extend nearly 4 miles along the coast to Saunton. In between the sand dunes are valleys known as slacks and these are marshy in wintertime, and home to many marsh herbs and creeping shrubs. The area, designated a UNESCO site, has been expanded to include the Northam Burrows, the Taw-Torridge estuary and Braunton Marshes.

Located on the buffer zone next to the Marsh of Braunton Burrows is the medieval historic Braunton Great Field, one of only two surviving Mediaeval Open Strip Field systems in the UK. This historic medieval field is still farmed today, and farmers continue to grow crops on narrow strips of land measuring one ""furrow long". It's a popular Devon historic attraction.

• Braunton Bed and Breakfast
• Holiday Cottages in Braunton
• Braunton Guest Houses

Clovelly, Bideford, Westward Ho! & Hartland

Clovelly is a picture postcard Devon magnet to visitors, carved into the cliffs of this far North stretch of the Devon coast, it has been a favourite Devon visitor spot for many years. Charles Kingsley, author of The Water Babies and Westward Ho (which he wrote whilst in Clovelly) spent his childhood here. Clovelly's narrow cobbled streets are built from pebbles hauled up from the beach, and add to it's charm and character. Old inns, craft shops and tea rooms line these narrow streets, along with fishmans cottages. Due to the sharp inclines of the cobbled streets donkeys have always been the main way of getting about, hence the famous Clovelly donkey present on many gifts and nic-nacks! High heels not recommended in Clovelly!

The Bideford area is well served for family entertainment and has a good choice of Devon all inclusive family holiday parks. There's lots of family attractions as well including the indoor playground area called Ewetopia! at the Big Sheep Family fun complex. There's a little passenger ferry here as well for pleasure boat trips which sails across the Torridge estuary to Instow, which has a great family sandy beach. The beach at Westward Ho! nearby is also great for families and much gentler wave wise than Croyde. The nearby Gnome Reserve and the Milky Way Theme Park offer further entertainment for families.

Westward Ho! Blue flag beach is extremely popular and you can see why. There a fabulous two mile stretch of sandy beach, with a protective pebble ridge and a great promenade. Nearby is the Northam Burrows Country Park as well which has about 1000 acres of green area to explore. There's a choice of Devon holiday accommodation in the village itself, including the all-inclusive family holiday hotspot, Braddicks Holiday Centre right on Westward Ho! seafront.

The South West Coast Path includes dramatic coastal walking, and you'll find no better than here around Hartland Point. The three mile walk from Hartland Quay to Hartland Point, with views across to Lundy Island is a must do for walkers. Other attractions in and around Hartland include a selection of charming villages nestled in green valleys. Hartland Point and surrounds is the perfect coastal walking base, with easy access to Cornwall, and there's a very good small shipwreck museum here as well!

• Clovelly Tourist Information
• Accommodation in Clovelly
• Bideford Accommodation