Woolacombe at Christmas: The Lights Switch On and What Stays Open

Short answer: Woolacombe is a seasonal village and a good deal of it closes in winter. Captain Jacks is one of the few places open right through. The reason to come is the beach: three miles of sand with the dog restrictions lifted and almost nobody on it.

2026 dates: switch-on and event dates are added here as organisers confirm them. Check locally before travelling — small-town events are announced late and move.

Come for the beach, not the village

Be straight about this. Woolacombe is a summer village and a good deal of it shuts or cuts back sharply from October. What does not change is the three miles of sand, and in December you will have most of it to yourself with the summer dog zoning lifted entirely.

A Boxing Day or New Year walk the length of Woolacombe beach is one of the better things this coast offers, and it is free.

The lights

The village switch-on is a small local event rather than a spectacle — a gathering, a countdown, something for children. Worth going to if you are staying nearby, not worth a long drive. Up in Mortehoe the same applies on a smaller scale still.

What stays open

Captain Jacks is the reliable one — reviewers specifically note it as one of only a couple of eateries in Woolacombe open during the winter season, with a sun-trap garden that works even in January. Dog friendly, with a small car park at the rear.

The Jube, set back on South Street, is the best-rated pub in the village and takes dogs inside. The Barn above the beach is the big one and busy when it is open. Check the Tides Inn before walking up — it closes some days out of season.

Mortehoe in winter

The headland village is the better half of Woolacombe in December. Town Farmhouse does the cream teas, though opening days vary out of season — one reviewer notes that if the listing says closed, it is still worth ringing. The Chichester Arms and the Ship Aground are both there, and the Ship closes Mondays for much of the year.

Mortehoe Museum is free with a donation box and is the obvious indoor half hour when the weather turns.

The winter walks

• Morte Point — seals on the rocks below for much of the year, benches along the route.
• Bull Point Lighthouse — a mile and a half each way on a track rather than a cliff path.
• The full beach, village end to Putsborough and back — a genuine two hours.
• Barricane at low tide — the best rock pools within walking distance.

Practical

Parking is far easier than in summer and the car parks rarely fill. The weather is wet and windy rather than cold — take waterproofs rather than a heavy coat. And check opening times by phone rather than trusting listings, which are least reliable in winter.