Croyde is a village on the west-facing coastline. The village lies on the South West Coast Path near to Baggy Point, which is owned by the National Trust. It lies within the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Croyde village and its beach faces the Atlantic Ocean near the western limit of the Bristol Channel.
Croyde Stream runs through the village, eventually leading to the beach. The centre of the village is roughly at the intersection of Hobbes' Hill, Jones' Hill and St. Mary's Road. At this spot, Croyde Bridge carries the road over the stream.
The village has several small campsites, a small retail area and two large holiday parks; Croyde Bay Holiday Resort (operated by UNISON) and Ruda Holiday Park, operated by Parkdean Resorts.
The past 30 years has seen large increases in younger-age visitors develop around surfing. The impact of tourism on the village has been varied. Some local landowners have benefited from the increased property prices. Tourism has helped to create jobs that were lost in agriculture. Local farming has declined, with former farmland converted into caravan sites and fields for seasonal camping. Like many seaside villages, the phenomenon of second homes has pushed house prices beyond the reach of most local people. There is little year-round employment, because tourism is seasonal, and most businesses are closed out of season.
The sandy 800m beach lies at the back of the sheltered Croyde Bay. A large dune system has formed past the high-tide mark. Sand underlies the land surface between the beach and the centre of Croyde village, 600 yards to the east. The beach forms the middle section of a trio of sandy beaches north of the Taw Estuary. Three-and-three-quarter-mile-long Saunton Sands is 2⁄3 mile to the south, and 1.8-mile-long Woolacombe Sands, divided into Putsborough and Woolacombe beaches, is 0.93 miles to the north.
Croyde is used for surfing; the rides are generally short as the waves tend to pitch up and break quickly. The beach is also steeper than either Woolacombe, Putsborough or Saunton Sands. Due to this, rip currents are extremely strong especially near the rocks at either end of the beach and at low tide, even when there is only a small swell. These currents present danger to the strongest of swimmers. Any bathing should be done within the lifeguard-patrolled area.
Croyde hosts an annual surfing and music festival (GoldCoast Oceanfest) on the weekend closest to the summer solstice.
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