Widemouth Bay (pronounced "Widmuth" locally) is a broad open beach three miles south of Bude, facing directly into the Atlantic swell. It is the better surfing beach in the area — more exposed than Summerleaze, with more consistent and larger waves, and a sand bottom that produces reliable breaks. Several surf schools operate from the beach car park in summer, and the bay is popular with both beginners (at the milder southern end) and more experienced surfers (at the northern end where the waves are bigger).
The beach is long and wide enough that it never feels as crowded as comparable surf beaches in Cornwall. The cliffs on either side of the bay are accessible on the South West Coast Path. The car park is large and the beach café adequate. At low tide the sand extends far enough to walk the full length of the bay; the rocks at the southern end expose excellent rock pools.