Enjoy Amazing Walks During Your Stay at Surf Bay
Surf Bay Holiday Park is ideally located for beach and activity holidays, here we provide you with three great walks, one accessed easily from the park and the other two are well worth the drive. Experience the natural beauty of North Devon, a low cost day out and you can really enjoy what many miss, stunning scenery, spectacular views and unique wildlife. Enjoy one of these three great walks during your stay at Surf Bay, fantastic self catering holidays in Devon with the beach and the coastal path right on your door step.
The South West Coastal Path
The South West Coastal path stretches the entire coast from Minehead in North Somerset, across Exmoor and North Devon through the coastline of Cornwall and then South Devon and South Dorset all the way to Poole. Guess what? It is free to enjoy and totally stunning. If you miss a walk on the North Devon section of the coastal path then you have missed a real treat.
The coastal path is easily accessible from our holiday parks in North Devon, it actually runs along the pebble ridge and then through the beachside of Westward Ho! venturing west and on to the sunset, a stunning walk that takes you along coastal and inland paths towards Buck’s Mills with superb coastal and countryside scenery along the way. The walk to Buck’s Mills is just over 5 miles, a moderate walk and you can stop for a meal at the Hoops Inn for refreshments along the way. The Hoops Inn comes very highly recommended, it has always had an excellent reputation for quality and traditional foods and a warm welcome.
There are some other stunning walks along the coastal path, the only cost is parking and fuel to get there. Two of our favourites are from easily accessible locations.
Morte Point to Bull Point
The first is completely stunning, an absolute must if you love spectacular scenery, a moderate walk, probably not ideal for children under 5 but great for older kids and will definitely burn off some calories. Park your car in the main car park in the centre of Mortehoe, very reasonable and opposite the newsagents. Turn left and cross the road to follow the road to the old cemetery alongside the Church and the Ship Aground pub. As soon as you venture down the lane towards the old cemetery, the scenery opens up and is breathtaking with a series of footpaths that cross Morte Point. Here, you will need to head away from Woolacombe beach that you can see in the distance to the south. It is always worth stopping at the top of the ridge of Morte Point to take in the scenery, definitely one of the finest views in the country.
As you go over the ridge, the footpaths tend to amalgamate to run alongside the cliff edge past Rockham Bay with a series of ups and downs along the National Trust maintained headland, the natural beauty of the sea, wildlife and fauna of this area is stunning and eventually, you will end up at Bull Point Lighthouse. Unless you have a family of very avid walkers, it is probably time to turn inland, take the road at the side of the lighthouse and follow it all the way to the centre of Mortehoe village, a beautiful wood lined road with views over towards Lee and Ilfracombe in the distance. On your return to Mortehoe, enjoy some great food in one of the three pubs and if you want to save money and grab a snack instead, the local shop and newsagents are well provisioned.
Ilfracombe to Lee Bay
This one is for the more adventurous, definitely not a walk if you suffer from vertigo as the views over the sheer drop cliff edges literally can take your breath away. If you love spectacular scenery, this walk is great. If you head down to the Theatre parking or Tunnels Beaches parking in Ilfracombe, you will find a selection of car parks here. The easiest point to start the walk is actually from the theatre itself where there is a path with the gardens to your left hand side that starts the ascent. The walk is very easy to follow, just keep the sea to your right and follow your nose.
The walk starts uphill and that continues for a while, there are some steps as you join the cliff path and the views are spectacular. You can view Worms Head and the coastline of West Glamorgan in South Wales on a clear day, you may also be lucky enough to spot a porpoise or seal, they are common in the area as are the sea birds that live on the cliff edges. The walk is challenging and will definitely keep you fit, worth it if you want to enjoy the view and as you reach the top, it evens out and becomes a lot easier.
The route does then flow through farmland and through the back of private properties, you may encounter the odd cow and definitely some sheep. There are beautiful views as you approach Lee Bay with Bull Point in the distance and Lundy Island on the horizon. Lee is actually a very pretty village, unspoilt as there is only one road down to the rocky and pebble beach where you will find a tea room that serves great ice creams. If you need a lunch, follow the main road through the centre of the village to the Grampus, a pub full of character that serves food and local ales.