Sandy Mouth Beach

The walk down to Sandy Mouth takes you through a proper steep-sided valley, all golden cliffs and scrappy coastal vegetation, before spitting you out onto a wide, sandy beach that feels genuinely remote despite being just outside Bude. It's the kind of place where the sand actually stays put - not blown away like you get at some beaches - and the rock formations at either end give you something to explore beyond the usual seaside lounging.

This is walkers' territory, frankly. The valley descent is manageable but not trivial, and you'll want decent shoes. Families with young kids might find the walk a bit much, though once you're down there the beach itself is forgiving - gentle gradient, good for paddling, and those rock pools are genuinely interesting. Surfers rate it because the break here is consistent, and it doesn't get rammed like Widemouth Beach nearby.

You can easily spend two to three hours here without getting bored. The cliffs are worth photographing, and if the light's right in late afternoon, they turn almost copper-coloured. Best time to visit is probably May through September when the weather cooperates, though autumn swells bring the surfers flooding in.

If you're staying at Wooda Farm Holiday Park, you're literally minutes away - it's the obvious base for this stretch of coast. Atlantic Horizons near Crooklets is slightly further but still reasonable for a morning outing. The beach is free, naturally, and there are no facilities down there, so bring what you need.