Cornwall · Where to stay · Bude
North Cornwall's surf town — a small grid of streets between two big beaches, with a tidal sea pool, a working canal, and some of the most consistent Atlantic surf in the county.
Photograph — Mycreativesideunleashed / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Bude · North Coast
Bude sits in the far north-east corner of Cornwall, closer in temperament to the rugged Atlantic coast of north Devon than to the gentler estuary towns further south. The town itself is small — a compact grid of streets between the harbour, the canal and the bay — with two main beaches (Summerleaze and Crooklets) and a famous sea pool carved into the rocks at the south end. Where you stay decides whether you wake up to surf, to dunes, or to a quiet inland village.
The wider Bude area is best understood as a coastline rather than a town: a string of bays running south to Widemouth, Crackington and beyond, and the National Trust beaches to the north (Sandymouth, Northcott Mouth). Self-catering options spread along this whole coast. The further you go from Bude town proper, the more rural and the cheaper the rentals become — and the more dependent you are on a car.
The town centre between the canal and Summerleaze Beach — walking distance to The Barrel café, Life's a Beach restaurant, the sea pool and the harbour. Self-catering here is mostly Victorian terraced houses converted into holiday flats, with parking available but sometimes contested in August. The Summerleaze sea pool is one of Cornwall's classic family swims. Best base for a car-light holiday.
Families wanting walkable beach access, surfers, town-centre amenities
Just north of Bude town — Crooklets is the surf-school beach with a lifeguard hut and a beach café (The Boathouse); Northcott Mouth a wilder National Trust beach beyond. Self-catering here is mostly modern apartments and houses overlooking the dunes. Walk into Bude in ten minutes along the cliff path. Slightly quieter than the town centre with arguably better surf access.
Surfers, families wanting beach without town noise
Three miles south of Bude, a wide flat surf beach with two carparks, a beach café and an excellent beginner-friendly break. Self-catering at Widemouth tends to be detached holiday houses set back from the beach in residential cul-de-sacs, plus a holiday park (Cornish Coasts) and a clifftop hotel. Quieter than Bude proper; car needed for dinner unless you're prepared for a long walk.
Surfers, families with their own car, beach-led holidays
Eight miles south of Bude — a small cove with the highest sea cliffs in Cornwall (High Cliff at 223m), a single pub (Coombe Barton Inn), and a clutch of self-catering cottages tucked into the valley. Far quieter than Bude itself, with proper coast path walking from the door. Drive to Bude for restaurants and shops; otherwise this is rural Cornwall at its most dramatic.
Walkers, photographers, quiet coastal escapes
Two villages a couple of miles inland from Bude — Marhamchurch with the canal running through it, Stratton with the King's Arms pub and a working community. Self-catering here is mostly thatched cottages and converted barns at meaningfully lower prices than the coast. Drive into Bude in five minutes for the beach and the food scene; sleep in proper country quiet.
Longer self-catering breaks, value-conscious families, dog walkers
Plan your trip
Pair Bude with the rest of the county — north coast to south, in a considered three-day route.
Read the itinerary