Big adventures lie just beyond the horizon. The pull of Putsborough, with its gentle sand and wild waves, should be enough to excite beach boys and girls. Do it properly through Active Escape, with coasteering, stand-up paddleboarding, coastal rafting and adventure courses. Drop our name for a price drop.
Most local beaches have a surf-hire hut for both wetsuits and boards, and would-be surfers can enjoy individual, private family or group lessons from Croyde Surf Academy, run from a bright blue bus. Croyde, Woolacombe and Saunton beaches provide lifeguards between 10am and 4pm.
Hire electric bikes from us and wend your way along the winding lanes, or tackle the famous Tarka Trail. Ride horses from Roylands or Woolacombe. Head to Exmoor Zoo to meet black leopards, marmosets and mongooses. Or check out Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinousaur Park for wolves, primates, meerkats and animatronic dinos.
Ride from the highest railway station in Southern England, with a steam journey from Woody Bay. Meet a family of friendly alpacas down the road at Mullacott. Paint pots at Waves in Woolacombe. Or head to Ruda Holiday Park in Croyde for a pool with slides and a lazy river.
Bracing North Devon, with its gorse-covered headland thrashed by the Atlantic rollers, is often overlooked by those racing to the commercial hot spots of Cornwall. But that’s a mistake. This coastline falls into the best-kept secret category. The pick of it is just a short stroll away: award-winning Putsborough Beach, with its rock pools and sunsets.
Get the most from the coast with coasteering, stand-up paddleboarding, rafting and adventure courses with Active Escapes. Or learn to ride the waves with Croyde Surf Academy, run from a bright blue bus. Or if you’d rather stay relatively dry, try a sea-fishing trip from Ilfracombe.
Hire electric bikes on-site, ride horses from Roylands, or chill out at the Source Spa and Pool at Saunton Sands Hotel. Swing your clubs at Saunton Golf Club, Morethoe and Woolacombe or Ilfracombe, all within 20 minutes. Hike the coastal path or tackle the Tarka Trail, the longest traffic-free cycle route in the UK.
Slow the pace at Clovelly Court Gardens, a classic example of a Victorian walled kitchen garden. Buy organic fruit and veg and taste the difference at teatime. Shopping? Barnstaple’s the place for high-street labels, while South Molton buzzes with crafty independents and Bideford’s alive with antiques.
