Woolacombe Favorite Tips by johngayton

Woolacombe's More Than Useful Tourist Office

Favorite thing: Whatever your query and whatever your requirements the Tourist Information Centre will be more than willing to assist. This is situated in a very visible location on the Esplanade and so is easy to find. The knowledgeable and helpful local staff can assist with finding accommodation, transport queries and advice on things to do. There are plenty of freebie leaflets and maps as well as a variety of local guidebooks for sale. The small gift shop offers a range of locally-produced bits and bobs as well as postcards and also offers internet access.

Not only all this but there's even a bowl of water out front for thirsty dogs!

Here's the website Woolacombe TIC

If You Really Must Take Your Car...

Favorite thing: ...expect to pay!

Woolacombe unfortunately does attract a lot of day visitors during the summer who want to drive there. OK, I understand that for the whole family day-out at the beach you do need to haul all the beach paraphernalia: tents, wind breaks, towels, swimwear, picnic baskets & etc. etc.

The resort is well provided with car parks but these will cost you about 5 GBP per visit - HA! that's the price of two pints of beer at Captain Jack's!!

Whilst this might seem expensive the revenues are used to maintain the town, its parks, public facilities and its beaches. So for the price of a couple of pints it's not that expensive at all!!

The advantage of being in an AONB

Favorite thing: AONB is the acronynm of the non-governmental National Association for Areas of Outstanding National Beauty. As the name suggests this a group formed specifically for the protection and promotion of some of the most spectacular landscapes of England and Wales. The members are mostly representatives from local authorities working together with the common aim of preventing overdevelopment of these natural treasures whilst simultaneously improving public access to them in a sustainable manner.

The whole of the North Devon coast is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and here at Woolacombe you can see how the organisation benefits both the local community and the enjoyment of the area by visitors.

For instance: the car park charges mentioned in the above tip are used to maintain the off-road footpaths, keep the beaches clean and the town tidy. There are planning restrictions which allow only developments in keeping with the area and so the town keeps its character.

The couple of pics here tell the story better than I can with words - note the horses grazing in front of the modern hotel on pic #2!

You can lead a horse to water...

Favorite thing: ...but if you want to take it to the beach - get permission! I'm not sure where to get permission but I would assume there's a department of the local council that deals with Horse's Accesses ;)

As a total digression - I came across a lovely quote the other day in a book by Lee Child: "There's more horse's asses in the world than there are horses."

Eyeball HQ - Internet Access and Pre-surf Tanning!

Favorite thing: Eyeball Surfcheck is a local website for surfers which provides surf info (along with webcams) for most of the North Devon surf places (? - I'm sure there is a more hip term than "surf places" but I'm not a surfer). Their HQ is here in Woolacombe and offers a pleasant little internet cafe, a range of surfwear and even has stand-up tanning booths!

I don't know how much the internet access is but the tanning booths are 50 pence a minute (not that I used them seeing as the sun was out!).

Eyeball HQ is on Barton Road, opposite Captain Jack's pub.