page_title: Woolacombe
section_title: Geology and wildlife
hierarchical_section_title: Woolacombe / Geology and wildlife
caption_attribution_description: English: Woolacombe beach, as seen from the main car park.
context_page_description: Woolacombe is a seaside resort on the coast of North Devon, England, which lies at the mouth of a valley in the parish of Mortehoe. The beach is 3 miles long, sandy, gently sloping and faces the Atlantic Ocean near the western limit of the Bristol Channel.
  It is a popular destination for surfing and family holidays and is part of the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The beach has been managed by Parkin Estates Ltd for over half a century and has over the years continuously been recognised as one of the best beaches in Europe. It won the title of Britain's Best Beach in the "Coast Magazine Awards 2012" and was awarded the same prize of Britain's Best Beach in 2015 by TripAdvisor, also ranking in their polls as 4th in Europe and 13th best in the world. The beach water quality is monitored regularly by the environment agency and meets its highest standards.
context_section_description: Woolacombe lies within the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is renowned for its dramatic coastal cliffs and landscape. Due to Atlantic waves, the swell is at somewhat large and very clean making it a great benefit for surfing.
  The beach also is flanked by sloping sand dunes which are popular for climbing on, and can be observed undergoing biological succession - The dunes are becoming populated by marram grass and sea spurge at the top of the dunes.
  Right across from the beach, there are panoramic views of Lundy Island. Woolacombe has the benefit of low cliffs at either end of the beach which are home to the rare maritime heathland as well as sand dunes behind the beach. Much of the countryside close to the village is owned and cared for by the National Trust. The coast itself is part of the North Devon Voluntary Marine Conservation Area because of its diverse and rare species.
caption: Woolacombe Beach and the sea, as seen from the main car park
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