Image: Adam Gibbard, Visit Cornwall CIC.
Try
An activity is a great way of connecting to nature and exploring places during your stay in Cornwall. Take the opportunity to try something you’ve never done before.
Learn to
SURF
Image: Adam Gibbard, Visit Cornwall CIC.
The seaside town of Bude plays a big part in the surfing community due to the popular surrounding beaches.
West facing Summerleaze and Crooklets in the town itself work on all tides and hold swells up to around eight feet. North of Bude, Northcott Mouth, Sandymouth and Duckpool are also very popular for surfing.
Most cottages and apartments face the sea at Widemouth Bay, this is a world famous surfing beach located a couple of miles south of Bude.
Surf Schools
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Big Blue Surf School
Summerleaze Beach Car Park, 2 miles away
Looking to learn or improve your surfing, Big Blue Surf School has been teaching people to surf for over 20 years.
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Sandymouth Surf School
Sandymouth Beach, 7 miles away
Based at Sandymouth Beach on the North Cornwall coast near the Devon border, offers lessons for all standards.
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Bude Surfing Experience
Summerleaze Beach, 2 miles away
Progress your surfing by joining our daily surf lessons on Summerleaze Beach – for all ages or book a private surf lesson for individuals or couples.
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OA Surf Club
Widemouth Bay car park, 2 miles away
We specialise in working on sessions with small groups so there is an excellent student to instructor ratio and that guarantees more 1:1 coaching. If you are looking to surf for the first time or even to improve your technique with a surf lesson then OA Surf Club is the perfect place to learn.
Stand up Paddle boarding
Explore the rivers and canals of Bude with Stand Up Paddle Boarding.
Guided Walking, Trail running and Cycling
Training as a wilderness guide deep in the forests of Finland and leading guided walks all over Europe and the US. David now leads guided walks, cycles and trail runs in North Cornwall and Devon from April to October.
Guided Tours
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Electric Bike Tours
Explore a multitude of really incredible places which we will visit on our journey, all linked together on sleepy country lanes with very little traffic
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Guided Walks
Routes traverse along wild clifftops, through seldom travelled hidden valleys, to remote secluded coves. Not only is there the spectacular scenery but the area offers a fascinating history of piracy, shipwrecks and smugglers
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Trail Running
Get out on some stunning and spectacular coastal trails with an experienced ultra-marathon running wilderness guide. Runs of all distances and difficult can be arranged, from shorter 10km loops through gentle woodland, to epic multi-day coast path adventures.
Golf.
Bude Golf Course - image: Matt Jessop, Visit Cornwall CIC.
Wooldown Holiday Cottages are ideally situated to try out a wide range of golf courses, there are six within a twenty mile distance.
Bude Golf Club crosses the town centre and to the edge of the coastline and is more suited towards the experienced golfer. For a more relaxed course, Ivyleaf, located between Bude and Kilkhampton just off the A39 has some truly spectacular views.
Bude & North Cornwall Golf Club
The course is situated close to the town and offers players of all abilities a rare opportunity to experience an old-style links with many blind shots and fast undulating greens.
Bude, EX23 8DA - 2 miles away.
Ivyleaf Golf Course and Driving Range
A hilltop situation set in an area of outstanding natural beauty overlooks an incredible vista of the North Cornish coast
Bude, EX23 9LD - 3 miles away.
Holsworthy Golf Club
Late Victorian country house with garden and wooded estate.
Holsworthy, EX22 6LP - 10 miles away.
Launceston Golf Club
Launceston Golf Club is a friendly members club and a great venue for a days golf in Cornwall.
Launceston, PL15 8HF - 14 miles away.
Bowood Park
Set in 230 acres of rolling hills and woodland.
Lanteglos, PL32 9RF - 17 miles away.
Trethorne
The Golf Club is situated right on the Devon and Cornwall border, on the edge of Launceston. Award winning golf course with breathtaking views.
Launceston, PL15 8QE - 20 miles away.
The Point at Polzeath
The 18 hole golf course has stunning views out over Hayle Bay and Pentire Point.
Polzeath, PL27 6QT - 27 miles away.
Lanhydrock Golf Club
Hidden in a sheltered wooded valley in Bodmin, Cornwall, Lanhydrock Hotel and Golf Club is one of the finest 18 hole golf courses in the South West.
Bodmin, PL30 5AQ - 30 miles away.
St Enodoc
On the North Cornwall coast overlooking the Camel Estuary.
Rock, PL27 6LD - 30 miles away.
Trevose Golf & Country Club
Cornwall’s Trevose Golf and Country Club offers three golf courses, catering for golfers of all standards.
Padstow, PL28 8JB - 36 miles away.
Kayaking and Open Canoeing.
Bude's canal provides a safe area for beginners to start and can progress onto the harbour area of Summerleaze Bay which allows for more adventure. The open ocean is perfect for more challenging Sea Kayaking expeditions, please be aware strong currents can be unpredictable and so is not suitable for novices without knowledge of the tides.
Open canoeing provides a much more relaxed and sophisticated way of discovering Bude's canal system, whether solo or padding with two in a boat.
The Tamar Lakes (9 miles from Wooldown) in Kilkhampton are a safe way to learn this popular sport.
Abseiling and Rock Climbing.
The North Cornish coastline provides a variety of heights of climb, ranging from 30 to 400 feet while covering all levels of difficulty. Popular locations include Compass Point, Maer cliffs and Northcott Mouth.
Fishing.
Coarse fishing.
Bude canal provides a well stocked supply of carp, roach, rudd, dace, perch, tench, gudgeon and bream which can be accessed by a number of purpose built fishing platforms. It runs from the sea lock and at the other end is open to the rivers Neet and Strat, from which trout, dace or eel may also be occasionally caught.
An Environment Agency Rod License that can be obtained from a Post Office is required along with a Day Permit which can only be obtained from the Crescent Post Office (opposite the Bude Tourist Information Centre).
Post Office (Rod Fishing License) →
Royal Mail (The Crescent Post Office) →
Upper Tamar Lake is well stocked with carp to the mid 30lb range with a good number of fish over 20lbs. The Upper Tamar Lake is ideal for coarse anglers, day permits available from the fishing kiosk on site. It is open all year day and night.
SW Lakes: Upper Tamar Lake →
Lower Tamar Lake requires competent fishing due to the weedy conditions at the moment, check the link below for further info.
Fly fishing.
The River Neet offers free fishing, from the sea mouth to the Rugby club.
The Weir Cafe & Bistro’s fishing lake (just 20 minutes walk from Wooldown)
Whalesborough Lake
Whalesborough lake has 19 purpose built fishing platforms, including disabled platforms and all weather access paths have recently been installed.
Marhamchurch, EX23 0JD - 1 mile away.
Bude Canal Angling Association
Mill Leat Trout Fishery
1.5 acre fishery stocked with brown and rainbow trout. It is situated in Devon and half a mile of fishing on the River Waldon is available.
Holsworthy, EX22 7AY - 14 miles away.
Crowdy Lake
Free wilderness brown trout fishing for wild fish from the bank. Anglers must have a valid Environment Agency Rod Licence (non-migratory).
Camelford, PL32 9XJ - 17 miles away.
Roadford Lake
Set in the rolling Devon hills on the edge of Dartmoor, Roadford offers more than 700 acres of Brown Trout fishing to explore by boat or bank.
Lifton, Devon, PL16 0RL - 20 miles away.
Beach and sea fishing.
Allowing for all year round fishing from the local beaches and rocks catches of bass, codling, flat fish, mackerel, whiting and dogfish can be possible.