Croyde Bay

Croyde is the classic north-Devon surf bowl — a compact horseshoe of firm golden sand between two rocky headlands, backed by dunes and consistently peeling waves. The beach foreshore is Crown Estate, so take-off from the sand below the high-water line is defensible, but note that Baggy Point, the dramatic whaleback headland to the north, is National Trust, which bans take-off and landing from its land; keep your launch on the beach and simply overfly at height if you want the point in frame. The village car parks are private and fill fast. For pilots this is a superb but demanding spot: onshore south-westerlies bring turbulence off the headlands and salt spray, and in summer the water is packed with surfers and bodyboarders you must stay well clear of. Come at dawn or out of season for empty sand, long shadows across the ripples and a clean line-up of sets rolling in. There is no nearby FRZ — Exeter is over 60km away. Winter swells make the most dramatic footage; check tide times, as the beach shrinks markedly at high water.