Short answer: Baggy Point is free for National Trust members and £10 if not, and it is the best thing to do here. The beach costs nothing. Cafe Croyde Bay does generous all-day breakfasts at fair prices, and Billy Budds' portions mean the price makes sense once the food arrives.
There are no paid attractions in Croyde. That sounds like a limitation and it is actually the budget's friend — the beach, the dunes and the headland are all free, and the only unavoidable cost is parking. Get that right and fifty pounds goes a long way here.
Every option is paid. The Baggy Point National Trust car park is £10 for non-members and free for members, which makes membership worth having if you visit north Devon regularly. Bring coins for the beach car park machine — it does not reliably take cards and the signal for the app is poor.
Baggy Point is the standout. A full loop is about two and a half miles with Lundy visible on a clear day, manageable with children from around seven, and with a lower inland path for anyone who does not want the cliff edge. The car park has toilets and a café.
Croyde Beach itself costs nothing once you are parked, and the tide goes a long way out, which effectively doubles the beach. Rock pools at one end. Saunton Sands, five minutes south, is three miles of open sand with contactless parking and dogs allowed all year.
Cafe Croyde Bay above the bay does all-day breakfasts with portions reviewers describe as spot on and prices that are fair for the position. Billy Budds looks expensive on the menu until the food arrives — the portions are large enough that the prices make sense, and there is a big sun-trap garden.
The Beach Cafe and Sunset Bar at Downend does coffee and crab sandwiches by day, and it has the best sunset seat in Croyde, which is free to enjoy with a drink in hand.
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