Croyde Flat Access: Buggy and Wheelchair Friendly Beaches and Walks

Short answer: Croyde Beach has the shortest approach from car park to sand of any beach around here. Baggy Point has a lower inland trail for anyone who does not want the cliff path. Saunton Sands has contactless parking and a level approach. Putsborough and the coves involve steps.

Croyde is small, which helps

The one advantage Croyde has over its neighbours is scale. The bay is compact, the car parks sit close to the sand, and you are not facing the long descent that Woolacombe or Ilfracombe throw at you. The village itself is one street on fairly level ground.

Getting onto the beach

Croyde Beach has a short walk from the car parks to the sand. Once you are on it, time a visit for a falling tide — the water goes a long way out here and firm wet sand is far more manageable with wheels than the soft dry sand higher up. That single decision does more for a flat-access day than anything else.

The walk that works

Baggy Point is the standout, because it has a genuine alternative for anyone less able. The main coastal route runs narrow and close to the cliff edge, but there is a lower inland path that still gives you views of both the sea and the countryside without the exposure. Reviewers specifically flag it as the option for people who cannot manage the climb. The car park has toilets and a café.

Saunton Sands

Five minutes south and worth the drive. Contactless parking without needing an app, a level approach, a café, shop and surf shop on site, and three miles of open sand backed by dunes. Dogs are allowed all year here, unlike Croyde in summer. The car park closes when full on bank holidays, so arrive before ten.

What to rule out

• Putsborough — its own car park, but steps down to the sand and single-track lanes in.
• Baggy Point's upper cliff route — narrow and right on the edge in places.
• The Downend clifftop café is reached from its own car park, but the cove below is not accessible.

Eating

Cafe Croyde Bay above the bay has its own parking and level access, and is dog friendly. Billy Budds has a large sun-trap garden at the back with plenty of room. The Thatch is the best pub in the village but is a warren of small rooms — charming, and tight with a pram.