The Off-Season Appeal of Croyde Beach
Struggling into damp neoprene on a crisp November morning might not sound like everyone's idea of a perfect weekend, but in Croyde, north-west Devon, it's part of the magic. On the second day of our wintry escape, my husband Mark and I wrestled with my super-thick wetsuit, eventually winning the battle to emerge into a silver-blue sea completely empty save for ourselves.
The white-crested waves rolled in, broiling and foaming, rocketing us forward towards the pristine, empty swathe of sand. For once, there were no other boarders to dodge, no surfers whisking past in the lineup. The experience was both exhilarating and extraordinary - though admittedly rather cold.
Discovering Croyde Beyond Summer
Croyde has long been a family favourite, but visiting in November felt like something of a gamble. The village has developed a reputation as something of a ghost town during the off-season, with numerous second homes and holiday rentals staying dark from October through April. However, when an unexpected email arrived from Endless Summer Beach House offering a 20% discount on winter stays, it seemed the ideal 30th birthday treat for my nephew Ben.
Together with his girlfriend Tasha, best mate Rob, and my sister Caroline, we decided to take the plunge and discover what off-season Croyde truly has to offer. When Mark and I first arrived, the sky surprised us with its unexpected blue hue, prompting us to pull on our wetsuits and head straight for the sea.
One of Croyde's enduring joys is how little it changes. The dunes separating the beach from the village remain strictly protected, preserving both from the development that has affected nearby resorts like Westward Ho! and Woolacombe. The fields flanking the dunes teemed with rabbits grazing quietly, scattering in white-tailed flashes as we passed.
Embracing the Winter Atmosphere
Initially, the deserted beach felt strange, but seeing it free of windbreaks, ballgames and pop-up tents revealed its raw, natural beauty in even more dramatic fashion. It's no wonder the place becomes overrun during summer months, when the sea froths with hundreds of bodyboarders and surfers beneath billowing red and yellow lifeguard flags.
Today offered nothing but sky and sea: a jagged patch of blue above the long curve of Hartland Point, with a curtain of misty rain slowly dissolving Lundy Island into the flint-grey wash of the ocean. Later, when I popped into the village for bread, the narrow main street appeared almost as deserted as the beach.
The Saltrock surfwear shop stood open, as did The Hub, beloved by Ben for its lemon crunch ice-cream and by all of us for their pasties. The Post Office showed distinct signs of life, as did The Thatch pub, but otherwise most establishments remained closed until spring. Strolling back, I reflected on how summer visits involve 15-minute queues for ice-cream, with the Post Office running out of fresh bread by 9.30am.
Not everything remained shrouded in silence. When we headed to The Thatch for Friday night dinner, the place buzzed with energy and was packed with customers - though I suspected almost everyone else was local. The food proved fantastic as ever: crisp salt and pepper squid followed by a Balinese seafood curry, tangy with lemongrass and galangal, served with coconut sambal that amounted to the best dish I'd eaten out all year. The boys even found room for banoffee pie and apple tart.
Unexpected Winter Delights
Plenty of other signs of life emerged during our stay. On Saturday, we drove 15 minutes to Braunton for the annual firework display, discovering pretty lanes we never knew existed - we usually don't venture much further than the car park and Co-op. It felt lovely to experience the area as it truly exists, with summer's flummery and frenetic pace stripped away.
During walks to the beach, the few people we passed offered smiles and friendly greetings - a shared delight in having Croyde's gorgeous dunes and coastline almost entirely to ourselves. Coming away out of season brought additional benefits: we didn't expect good weather, so a sunny Saturday felt like an absolute boon.
When rain poured all day Sunday, we pulled on wet weather gear and strode out around Baggy Point, where the sea - now a palette of steel, platinum and foaming white - proved just as spectacular as under blue skies. Once darkness fell, we played board games, watched old films, and ate hearty curries and bolognese - with none of the usual squabbling over why the barbecue wouldn't light or whether sausages were properly cooked.
Beyond the Ghost Town Reputation
The problem with labelling places like Croyde as "ghost towns" during off-season is that it deters visitors - exactly what our seaside resorts need most. While the village remained quiet, it was far from dead. Frankly, when you visit with a group, you create your own atmosphere anyway.
By the time we packed our cars on Monday lunchtime - another off-season bonus being that accommodation owners often show more flexibility about arrival and departure times - we were already discussing booking a return visit next November. Some might call Croyde a ghost town, but it contained all the spirit we needed for an early winter break.
Endless Summer Beach House, which sleeps 10, starts from £920 for a three-night break. For a 15% discount on four-night stays or longer until March 2026, use the code EndlessSummer15.
