Croyde Sand Dunes

The dunes at Croyde stretch back from the beach in proper golden ridges, held together by marram grass and the kind of fragile coastal ecosystem you can actually see working. Walk inland from the sand and you're navigating a maze of dunes that shift and reshape themselves with the seasons - it's genuinely wild for somewhere so accessible from Braunton.

This is a geology lesson made physical. The dunes form a buffer between the beach and the land, and locals take them seriously - there are paths marked out specifically so visitors don't trample the grass systems that hold everything together. Respect that, and you've got a brilliant spot for a beach walk with a bit more texture than the usual flat sand.

Families with younger kids get maybe 45 minutes of genuine entertainment scrambling about before it all feels repetitive. Walkers and photography types will spend longer, especially at sunset when the light catches the dune faces properly. Adults who enjoy a bit of coastal ecology will find it interesting; those just after a swim and ice cream might find it underwhelming on its own.

It's free to access, naturally. Allow an hour if you're doing the full experience - walk through the dunes, loop back along the beach, grab a coffee. Pair it with nearby Golden Sands Touring Park or the campsites clustered around Croyde itself, and you've got a proper base for exploring this stretch of North Devon. The dunes work best on a quiet weekday; summer weekends get busy, and the paths get worn.