NORTH DEVON: SURFING THE COLD WATERS

We decided to move outside our comfort zone; also from warm sandy beaches and 30C sea water temperature to 7C outside temperature to enjoy surfing in the cold waters and make a short trip north Devon. Devon, reaching from the Bristol Channel in the north to the English Channel in the south is part of South West England, bounded by Cornwall to the west, Somerset to the northeast, and Dorset to the east.

North Devon is breathtakingly beautiful; picturesque villages dotted with thatched cottages, rugged terrain, traditional hedged fields with wind sculptured trees, steep sided wooded combes and woodland that runs right to the cliff edges and of course golden sand beaches that provide the best surf in the UK. In fact, it is designated as an “AONB” (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

We picked the town of Woolacombe, which is nothing short of idyllic. Recently voted best beach in Britain, this three mile stretch of golden sand can be found between the headlands of Baggy Point and Morte Point, backed by sand dunes and with views across the ocean to Lundy Island.

What to Wear

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Where to Stay

The Watersmeet Hotel in Woolacombe has stunning sea views across the waters of Woolacombe Bay. The hotel overlooks Combesgate Beach and North Devon’s rugged coastline with its own private steps down to the sandy beach.You can also catch waves right in front of the hotel during low tide.

Where to Eat

Also paid a visit to the neighboring town “Ilfracombe” (pronunced as /ˈɪlfrəkum/ ) for lunch.Hele Billys is an excellent seafood restaurant you should not miss. Owners Diana and Tony are a genuine and passionate couple who are doing a fantastic job.

You can take the coastal path from Hele Billy’s restaurant to all the way to Woolacombe if you like. It would take you about 2 hours to walk back. We only walked backed to Ilfracombe bay to enjoy the stunning sea views from the top.