The best place for rock pooling in North Devon. For us has to be Croyde Bay. We have visited several times and always come away having had a lovely couple of hours. And most importantly the boys always find something. Which is the most important thing when it comes to rock pooling right? But before you go there are some things that you should think about to make sure you have the best trip possible.
Best Place for Rock Pooling in North Devon
Before you decide to visit I would check the tide times. Although Croyde has a lovely expanse of golden sand which is entertainment in itself. If your kids are set on rock pooling then you want to make sure the tide is on its way out. The Met Office will give you tide times as well as weather forecasts. Just type in Croyde Bay to the search bar and scroll down for the tide times. Although you would still be able to see the rocks when the tide is in, for ease and safety you want it when the tide has turned.
My second tip is to wear good waterproof shoes! Unlike other rock pooling locations, we have visited Croyde is mainly formed of slate. It is a unique landscape and fun to explore. But as slate forms in big sheets that move over time, it can be very uneven and difficult to navigate in places. The boys are aged 8 and 5 and had no problem moving around when we last visited and loved the challenge of scrambling over the rocks.
Because of its unique formation, there is everything from thin shallow gullies to larger pools that come up to the knees. It is also a large area so even if others are also exploring there is plenty of spots to go around.
What did we find?
On our last trip, we found some mudskippers in the deeper pools which were a good five inches long. The boys liked to marvel at their different markings. Since they were quite large we felt it wasn’t fair to keep them in a bucket for any period of time. So after a quick look and a photo, we popped them straight back into the pool we caught them in.
The boys were all fascinated by sea lice we found. Okay, so not the most photogenic sea creature but interesting nonetheless. As an adult, I haven’t actually seen them before. We found them normally sunbathing in the little gullies. We also found shrimp and some crabs. But even just walking over the rocks there are limpets and anemones to look at. On our visit last year we even managed to find some sea glass including this beautiful heart-shaped piece.
Useful Information
If you are not staying in Croyde then you will be pleased to know there is a large carpark by the bay. It is easy to find if you need more information it can be found here. Croyde itself is a lovely village with an ice cream shop, souvenir shop, tea room and several places to eat. Although looking for rock pooling may bring you to Croyde it is so much more and a wonderful location for a family staycation.
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9 Responses
What a great location for for Rock pooling, looks like your boys loved it!
Devon is so beautiful and definitely one of the best places to go rockpooling! Can’t wait for the weather to improve and hit the coast for some rockpooling fun.
This really looks fun to do and something my kids would have loved when they were little. I will suggest they do this with our grandchildren who I think would enjoy this as well.
This looks so much fun! I am really an advocate of outdoor activities
I’ve never experienced rock pooling, but this looks so fun! Hopefully I get to try this one day with my family.
Seems like a great place to go pooling. I would love to go with my family, thanks for the inspiration!
That is so so cool!!! I’ve never heard of rock pooling before, super cool!!! I would love to try it.
So cool, I didn’t even know what rock pooling was! Now I’d love to check this out!
I didn’t even know that rock pooling was a thing. This was a delight to read.