The village lies on the South West Coast Path near Baggy Point, which is owned by the National Trust.

Public services are provided by the North Devon District Council (NDDC) based in Barnstaple.

Since 1999, Croyde has hosted an annual surfing and music festival (GoldCoast Oceanfest) on the weekend closest to the summer solstice.

During the summer season, an outdoor market is held every Tuesday in a field off Moor Lane, past Ruda Holiday Park and heading towards Baggy Point.

Croyde is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Crideholde / Crideholda: Erchenbald from Robert, Count of Mortain.

During World War II, in 1943, the hamlet was commandeered by American soldiers who practised manoeuvres for the D-day landings.

Croyde has an Anglican church, St Mary Magdalene, and a Baptist chapel[2] which is open on Sundays at 11 am.

Sand underlies the land surface between the beach and the centre of Croyde village, 600 yards (550 m) to the east.

There is a reef break at the northern (Baggy Point) end of the beach that works for about 60 minutes during some high tides.

Due to this, rip currents are extremely strong especially near the rocks at either end of the beach or at low tide, even when there is only a small swell.