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Woolacombe, UK

Stay in Woolacombe: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of Woolacombe

All 14 on Woolacombe's map

Watch this spot We email you when Woolacombe is worth the trip.

Woolacombe , Sandy Beach
Woolacombe. Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Woolacombe

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (277°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (97°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 20). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 9°C in February, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 18°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, February, March and April, with about 1 good days in 7; in June, July and August, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Woolacombe, 0.1 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 5 surf spots.

Water about 16°C: 3/2 wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 17 h 20 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to EXT, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB).

    See flights ORD → EXT · Skyscanner from about £385 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 50 from the airport to Woolacombe, 109 km.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in WoolacombeAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in Woolacombe · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Woolacombe · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Woolacombe on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct161 ft8 shollow24kJ13°C
Mon 19Oct212 ft13 shollow68kJ13°C
Tue 20Oct342 ft10 shollow85kJ13°C
Wed 21Oct164 ft10 smushy262kJ12°C
Thu 22Oct365 ft8 scrumbling274kJ14°C
Fri 23Oct95 ft11 smushy504kJ11°C
Sat 24Oct315 ft8 smushy257kJ13°C
Sun 25Oct42 ft10 smushy49kJ13°C
Mon 26Oct124 ft10 smushy241kJ13°C
Tue 27Oct31 ft13 smushy32kJ13°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Fly ORD to EXT, changing at DUB, then 1h 50 by road. About 17h 20 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 18 of 80.

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Woolacombe

    Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 9 kn (16 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 14 of 80.

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Surf Woolacombe

    Best 10:00 to 13:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 8 kn (15 km/h).

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Fly ORD to EXT, changing at DUB, then 1h 50 by road. About 17h 20 door to door

The plan picks the best of 2 spots near Woolacombe each day: Coombesgate Beach, Woolacombe.

The trip from Woolacombe, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,115–£2,080 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to EXT, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag£385–£805
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£105–£175
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£250–£420
Food7 days eating out£240–£445
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£100–£170
Total£1,115–£2,080

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near Woolacombe

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation; food hygiene ratings from the Food Standards Agency (Open Government Licence). Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.