Wild Swimming, Seal Spotting, and Sunset Cruises: Summer on the North Devon Coast

Summer on the North Devon coast has a particular quality. The sea turns clear and almost turquoise on calm days. The cliffs are alive with nesting seabirds. The evenings go on for ever, and the light over the Bristol Channel at dusk is something that people come back to year after year.
Here’s a guide to the best of what this coast has to offer in the summer months.

Wild Swimming: Where and How

North Devon has some of the finest wild swimming in England. The coves along the coast — some accessible only by boat or by a significant walk down the coastal path — offer cold, clear Atlantic water and a sense of solitude that the main beaches can’t provide.
Tunnels Beaches in Ilfracombe is a good introduction: tidal pools that are accessible and managed, with changing facilities. Further along the coast, places like Rockham Bay, Lee Bay, and the coves east of Watermouth are known to locals and worth seeking out.
Always check tidal conditions and currents before entering the sea in unfamiliar locations. The tidal range on the North Devon coast is among the highest in the world.

Seal Spotting

The grey seal colonies on the rocks along this stretch of coast are accessible by boat in a way they’re not from land. On a good day, you’ll find dozens of seals hauled out on ledges below the cliff faces, with pups in autumn.
From the Ilfracombe Princess, we regularly pass within a respectful distance of these colonies — close enough for a genuinely memorable view, not so close as to disturb the animals.
Seals are present year-round, but autumn is when the pup season adds an extra dimension to any trip.

Sunset Cruises

The light on the North Devon coast in the hour before sunset, particularly in summer, is extraordinary. The cliffs turn copper, the sea changes colour every minute, and Wales is often visible across the channel.
We run evening cruises in the summer season. Check our schedule for upcoming departures, or enquire about a private charter if you want the sunset to yourselves.