Saunton Sands

From Barnstaple it's a 20-minute drive; from Braunton village, about 15 minutes. A single-track approach road feeds the large paid car park at the north end — budget around £8 per day. Be warned: that single road causes severe tailbacks in August, so arrive before 9am or after 5pm to avoid sitting in traffic for the better part of your morning. A National Trust ferry crossing takes just 6 minutes and offers an alternative way in.

The dunes themselves are the main event: Braunton Burrows, just 0.5km from the beach, is England's largest sand dune system and part of the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, with rare flora and fauna worth exploring on the marked trails. History buffs can seek out the remains of a Matilda tank from World War II at 1.7km, and a Hawker Hunter jet at 3.1km — both are unusual finds in a coastal landscape. Five kilometres away, Croyde Beach offers a classic sheltered bay popular with shortboarders and bodyboarders if you want to compare Devon's surf spots. The historic market town of Barnstaple, 14km inland, has a Victorian pannier market worth an afternoon.

For fish and chips, Squires is the local favourite at 4.8km — a Devon staple after a long beach walk. Meraki Pizza Co is at the same distance if you want something different, and Woolacombe Bay Pizza is 9km away for a post-surf evening option. There are no food outlets on the beach face itself, so bring supplies if you're planning a full day.

The Woolacombe Bay Hotel at 9km is the area's most established option, with direct access to the North Devon coast. Closer in, The Pines (8.2km) and Tantons Hotel (8.5km) offer smaller, more local stays. The Rocks and Parade House, both around 9km, round out a solid range of choices without needing to go far.

The beach's cinematic flat perspective is best captured at low tide from the north end, where the golden sand stretches uninterrupted to the horizon with no buildings in frame — early morning light before the daytrippers arrive is ideal. The dune ridges of Braunton Burrows at 0.5km provide elevated angles looking back across the beach toward the Taw-Torridge estuary at the south end, especially striking in late afternoon.

Rip currents are present at Saunton Sands — do not enter the water outside of flagged zones, and only swim between the flags when lifeguards are on duty. The Braunton Burrows dune system is a protected UNESCO reserve: stay strictly on marked paths and keep off the dunes themselves — no vehicles are permitted on them under any circumstances. In August, the access road can back up badly; the before-9am or after-5pm rule is not a suggestion, it's the difference between a good day and a wasted one. Avoid visiting November through February — exposed Atlantic conditions, winter storms, and strong winds make the beach uncomfortable and the water genuinely dangerous.