Mill Rock

Mill Rock juts out of the sand just north of Woolacombe, and it's one of those spots that barely registers on the radar until you're actually standing there. It's a proper chunk of geology - a dark rock formation that dominates the beach at low tide, surrounded by pools and channels of water that drain as the sea pulls back.

What you're really coming for is the walk around it. The beach itself is wide and golden, but Mill Rock gives you something to aim for, something to explore. Kids will spend an hour poking about in the rock pools, hunting for crabs and anemones. Adults get decent views back along Woolacombe's curve of sand, and on a clear day you can see right down the coast. It's free, it's accessible from the beach, and there's no entrance gate or opening hours to worry about - just turn up when the tide's right.

If you're camping at Golden Sands or any of the other parks clustered around Woolacombe, this is a fifteen-minute walk from your pitch. Combine it with the main beach itself - which has all the usual seaside amenities - and you've got a decent morning sorted. The rock pools are best explored an hour or two after low tide, when the water starts trickling back in. Go in summer if you want reliable weather, though spring tides offer the most dramatic reveals of what's underneath.