Ocean Backpackers is big enough to accommodate your extended family & friends offering up to 35 beds in a mixture of family rooms and dorms some with ensuite facilities. With excellent Self-catering facilities and a really comfortable communal living space with games, books and a TV and somewhere to dry wet clothes, you can really make yourself at home.

The Winter months are quieter but can be just as beautiful for walking, with dramatic seascapes, vast sandy beaches and cosy pubs, as well as beach saunas and bracing sea dips in Saunton and Putsborough. Ilfracombe also has a very popular annual Christmas day harbour swim/dip (weather & conditions permitting) in aid of the RLNI. There is a designated swimming area at Larkstone and Hele Bay offers further great swimming for open water enthusiasts all year round.

Situated in the Harbour area of Ilfracombe Ocean Backpackers Independent hostel is the perfect base from which to explore the most magnificent beaches this area has to offer. North Devon is now a designated World Surfing Reserve, alongside other iconic protected surfing locations around the world, and home to a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The majestic sandy Beaches of Woolacombe, Croyde and Saunton Sands are all short car or bus ride away.

Based in the picturesque harbour are of Ilfracombe, Ocean Backpackers is surrounded by a dramatic landscape and sits on the edge of Exmoor National Park, a designated National Landscape (formally AONB)

The Southwest Coast Path runs through the town and is best walked between March and October. And if your preferred method of transport is two wheels, then you’ll be interested to know that the National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 27, the 99-mile Devon Coast to Coast route from Ilfracombe to Plymouth, combines the beaches and estuaries of North Devon with the lush green valleys of West Country rivers. Many sections are traffic-free and flat, making them ideal for families or less experienced cyclists.

Ilfracombe boasts burgeoning arts scene and is brimming with Artists and galleries selling work to suit all budgets.

Ilfracombe is also home to Verity, a stainless steel and bronze statue created by Damien Hirst. The 20-metre-tall sculpture stands on the pier at the entrance to the harbour in Ilfracombe, looking out over the Bristol Channel towards South Wales.

Overlooking Verity and the historic harbour, is St Nicholas’ Chapel
Is perched on Lantern Hill. Reported to be the oldest working lighthouse in the country, it was first built in the 14th Century and was named St Nicholas after the patron saint of sailors.Dating back to 1321 the chapel was built as a place of worship for the seafarers of Ilfracombe living and working around the harbour.

lfracombe offers several options for wild swimming, a unique one is Larkstone Cove. Best at high tide this is open for swimming, with a buoyed area protecting it from the working harbor. Close by on the harbour is the cool, clean and friendly Ocean Backpackers Hostel. With excellent facilities for groups, families and solo travellers, the hostel welcomes guests on a budget who enjoy a chat with like minded souls and have a love of the great outdoors!

Ilfracombe, on the rugged North Devon coast, is a hidden gem for wild swimming enthusiasts. With its sheltered coves, dramatic cliffs, and fresh sea air, the town offers fantastic opportunities to dive into the wild blue.
Tucked between Rapparee and the working harbour, Larkstone Cove is the jewel of Ilfracombe’s open-water scene. With buoy-marked swimming zones that keep you safe from fishing vessels and commercial traffic, it’s ideal for dips any time the tide allows. The Ilfracombe Watersports Hub, located right on the cove, supports activities like open-water coaching, SUP, and kayaking.
Just a short walk from Larkstone, Raperee cove is a charming pebble-and-rock cove sits beneath Hillsborough cliff. It can disappear on high tides, so timing is everything—but when it’s accessible, the calm waters and historic setting make it perfect for a peaceful swim
At the outskirts of Ilfracombe, Hele Bay is accessible via a beachside café and car park. A mix of sand, rock, and tidal pools, the bay offers sheltered sea swimming, a calm spot for snorkeling, and a pleasant view to match.
A short hike from the town leads you to White Pebble beach a secluded stony cove framed by quartz beaches. Be prepared for a decent walk back up, but once there, your reward is peaceful wild swimming and dramatic coastal views
If you are new to open water of simply wish to improve your stoke, confidence or knowledge Coastal Swim Coaching is Ilfracombe’s premier open-water swim coaching outfit. Led by Terri and Allie—both STA Level 2 open-water coaches with beach lifeguard training—they design sessions that build confidence in the water while emphasizing safety and skilled
Ilfracombe delivers a rich wild swimming experience with its sheltered coves, coaching expertise, and vibrant water-focused community. Whether you’re seeking a guided dip or training for long-distance swims, coastal coaching here will help you grow both confidence and skill—against a backdrop of North Devon’s stunning coastline.