Braunton Tourist Information

The pretty village of Braunton in North Devon’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is around 5 miles west of Barnstaple and sits close to spectacular beaches around Croyde Bay, popular with surfers and families. Braunton Burrows, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve near the village is the largest sand dune system in England and Braunton Marsh is rich in marshland plants and wildlife. The many fine holiday cottages, B&Bs and camping and caravan parks in the area afford easy access onto the South West Coast Path. Braunton is the perfect base for family beach holidays, surfing weekends, romantic getaways and walking and wildlife watching breaks.

The Cascades Tropical Adventure Pool in Braunton is a popular family indoor attraction complete with a 230ft water slide, and the village sits at the start of the Tarka Trail, a walking and cycling trail following the path of a disused railway line for 30 miles from Braunton to Meeth. Traffic free and flat, the Tarka Trail is ideal for family cycling and walking, and is just one of many local trails around the village. Sea kayaking, surfing, fishing and golf are all popular in the Braunton area and you’ll find two championship golf courses at Saunton Golf Club just 3 miles from the village.

Beaches & Surfing

Access a choice of some of North Devon’s most beautiful beaches from Braunton village including Crow Point right at the southern end of Braunton Burrows. Crow Point marks the spot where the River Taw estuary meets the sea and is accessible via a toll road running along the edge of Braunton Marsh. The closest beach to Braunton is the magnificent three mile long Saunton Sands Beach flanked by Braunton Burrows sand dunes. Facilities at the northern end of Saunton Sands include a cafe, beach huts, parking and a restaurant. The great surfing beaches of Saunton, Putsborough, Woolacombe and Croyde all surround Braunton, making the village incredibly popular for surfing breaks and holidays. Numerous surfing champions herald from the area and you’ll find a wide choice of surf shops and surfing tuition available in Braunton and Saunton as well as the Museum of British Surfing in the Caen Street Car Park area.

Braunton Burrows Sand Dunes

Braunton Burrows are so called because you’ll notice when you visit the large numbers of rabbit burrows in the area. Rabbit grazing keeps the turf short and cropped. The Burrows are celebrated for their diverse plant life. Over 400 recorded species of vascular plants have been found here. The sand dunes extend nearly 4 miles along the coast to Saunton. Find out more at the free entry Braunton Countryside Centre at Caen Street Car Park with a unique design based on a cattle shelter or linhay from the Braunton marshes. In between the sand dunes are valleys known as slacks and these are marshy in wintertime, and home to many marsh herbs and creeping shrubs. Braunton Burrows sits within the UNESCO designated North Devon Biosphere Reserve and has been expanded to include the Northam Burrows, the Taw-Torridge estuary and Braunton Marshes.