Newquay, Britain’s Surfing Capital

There’s much more to Newquay than being just a surfers’ paradise.

Boasting some of the best beaches and surfing in Britain, Newquay is one of Cornwall’s premier holiday sites. Unsurprisingly, it has now obtained a reputation for being England’s surfing capital but there’s much more to Newquay than being just a surfers’ paradise.  You can swim, build sandcastles or walk the coastal path and enjoy the breathtaking views.

Beach lovers will want to head to Fistral Beach – this is in fact the best known surfing beach offering fast, hollow waves for surfers. Another popular beach in Newquay is Watergate Bay although this beach is more suited to beginner surfers. Beginners may also want to try Crantock Beach with its wide stretches of golden sand sheltered by tufted dunes. There are numerous places in Newquay to hire surfing equipment and surf schools are also available for those who come only to ride the waves.

Food & Drink In Newquay

As you would expect, Newquay offers a wide variety of cuisine options for just about every pallet. Local specialities include cream teas & Cornish pasties offered by the many tea rooms & bakeries. Cornish ice-cream is also very rich and creamy to taste. Newquay is also well known for its seafood and has a huge range of international cuisine restaurants from Indian and Chinese to Mexican and Italian. One thing’s for sure, when your visit to Newquay is over you’ll probably have to start a strict diet!

The Blue Reef Aquarium

If you’re interested in tropical marine life then a visit to the Newquay Blue Reef Aquarium is a must – one of the highlights is a fascinating underwater tunnel that visitors can walk through while witnessing the marine animals swim around in their natural habitats.

Other Things To Do In Newquay

As well as its fabulous beaches, Newquay is a holiday paradise for families.  There’s something for everyone here, including the nearby theme parks of Springfields Fun Park and Crealy Adventure Park, Dairyland Farm World and the Lappa Valley Railway. Trenance Gardens has a lovely boating lake, indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a bowling green.

Newquay has a good zoo containing a wide varierty of animals over 10 acres of land. Also popular (especially with children) is Newquay Water World – containing a tropical pool, simulation waterfall and volcanos and even state of the art gym facilities for adults. Intrepid thrill-seekers can get a buzz of adrenaline at the Lusty Glaze Adventure Centre.

Other activity based entertainment include pool, snooker, bowling and a range of other sports and activities. Looking for something a little different? Try the Tunnels Through Time museum (a very novel way of looking at and learning about the past).

Golfers who fancy chasing a ball around acres of turf will enjoy the scenic course overlooking Fistral Beach. And if you’re not having a good game, you can always blame it on the stunning scenery.

Fishing – this is one of the most popular activities in England – at Newquay there are some excellent opportunities for a wide range of fishing from fly-fishing to deep sea fishing.

Newquay Accommodation

Whether you’re looking for Newquay cottage holidays, surf lodges, bed and breakfast places, self-catering accommodation, caravan parks or luxury hotels, Newquay has a large range of accommodation to suit all budget types.

Close to Newquay is the town of Bodmin – once the capital of Cornwall, it’s now an elegant little market town well worth a visit.

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Thinking about taking a Holiday in Devon and Cornwall?

England’s “West Country” has charm, scenery and better weather!

Cornwall – the English Riviera?

On the very south-western tip of England lies the beautiful county of Cornwall. With a delightful mix of superb beaches (among the best in Britain), outstanding scenery and charming towns, villages and cities, this county has something to offer everyone for their holiday in Cornwall.

Despite the wealth of attractions & scenic beauty on offer, Cornwall has many affordable holiday cottages, hotels, B&Bs & guesthouses to suit the budgets of all holidaymakers.

Cornwall is also Britain’s premier surfing capital– not surprising given that it enjoys the best weather anywhere in the country. It also has some of the cleanest beaches and attracts visitors by the millions every year.

Whether it’s lazing on lovely white beaches, ambling along wonderful sub-tropical gardens or exploring quiet, picture-perfect fishing villages you’re after, you’ll find it all when you visit Cornwall.

The famous King Arthur is also believed to have come from Cornwall, in a small town called Tintagel. Cornish history is mystical, ancient and highly fascinating. The many delightful towns and villages are often named after the Christian missionaries that have influenced them.

Like your food and drink? Cornish pubs are known for offering good hearty foods and your choice of flavoursome ales. And let’s not forget the “Cornish pastie” – a tasty must-have  meat pie that must be experienced when visiting Cornwall.

But the good news is that you don’t have to eat Cornish pasties throughout your entire holiday in Cornwall.  With its wide expanses of coastline, there’s plenty of seafood here and the celebrity chefs have arrived as well.  Whether you prefer French cuisine, Mediterranean or modern cooking, there’s plenty to choose from.  Rick Stein alone has four restaurants in Padstow and a pub in St. Merryn.  I once saw this man barbeque a piece of moonfish on the beach and it looked so delicious that the memory has stayed with me to this day.

Holidays In Devon

Devon is famously known to offer the traveller a feast of splendid scenery, lovely beaches and pretty harbour towns. Popular destinations within Devon include Plymouth, Torbay and Dartmoor National Park.

Devon is also a walkers paradise, and like neighbouring Cornwall is one of the most popular holiday destinations within the United Kingdom. And it’s very easy to see why – lush pastures break out into spectacular coastlines, making Devon a Mecca for those hunting for a taste of quaint old England.

While enjoying a holiday in Devon, be sure to experience the wonderfully rugged coastline scenery. Devon is also blessed with some stunning countryside – charming narrow little roads amble on for miles with nothing but lush greenery and flora that offers a myriad of explosive colours during the summertime. Driving through these single-lane roads is an experience like no other – arrive in a Devon town that’s dotted with picture perfect thatched cottages and enjoy a cream tea and scone in one of the many tea-shops.

Devon offers the traveller a classic English village experience – and there are many great country cottages, hotels, self-catering accommodation, B&Bs and many more types of accommodation to cater to the needs of both the luxury traveller and budget conscious back-packer.

Like Cornwall, many famous chefs have found their way to Devon and if you want to treat yourself to some fine cuisine there’s even a restaurant here with one Michelin star.

Devon also offers some of the best year-round weather to be found anywhere in the UK. Temperatures in January (when the rest of the country is shivering) average a maximum of 9 degrees.

If you enjoy coasts & estuaries then a holiday in Devon will delight you – the estuaries (such as the Teign) also attract many species of migratory birds.

So, what do you think?

Surfing and diving in Cornwall

Surfing and Diving in Cornwall:

Cornwall is fast being recognised as one of the premier surfing and diving locations within the UK. This is due to the multiple of good beach resorts such as Newquay, Bude and Perranporth to name a few.

Cornwall also has a huge stretch of coastline, more so than along any other part of England. This means that Cornwall as a diving location has naturally evolved, and now offers excellent prospects for those wanting to surf as well as do some diving in Cornwall.

Diving in Cornwall

Diving facilities within Cornwall are first class. There are several B.S.A.C clubs littered all around Cornwall. You can learn to dive at one of their many dive schools.  The following locations all have major dive operators present:

• St Ives
• Hayle
• Looe
• Falmouth
• Penzance
• St Keverne

Dive boats are also available, notably in Newquay.

The months of July to October are by far the best months to go diving. It’s possible to see sharks, whales and dolphins during these peak times. Despite this, a lot of surfing still takes place between October to June (low season) where the temperature can vary from 6 to 17 degrees.

Surfing in Corwall

Newquay is also highly popular with surfers – in fact Newquay Fistral and Watergate Bay hold surfing championships each year, where surfers from all corners of the globe come to participate. Following are some of the competitions that bring local and overseas surfers to the area in summer:

• English National Surfing Championships
• BLU Midsummer Classic
• Extreme Academy Midsummer Classic Surf Competition
• UK Surf Rowers League Summer Series
• Surf Relief UK Festivals

It’s possible to hire out surfing equipment as required including boards and wetsuits. Novice surfers can head to Towan or Tolcarne as the beaches here are somewhat more sheltered and allow a safer place for amateurs and beginners to practice their surfing. Local surf schools provide tuition and it’s also possible to book Cornwall surfing holidays or join surfing camps if you intend to spend a lot of time on the board!

There are accommodation to cater for all styles and budgets in Cornwall, making this an attractive dive and surf destination, not to mention the good food and great pubs and fantastic scenery.

Anyone else have feelings about this?

St Ives – a thriving artistic community

Wonderful, sandy beaches, narrow cobbled streets and a delightful harbour area

This magical little corner of Cornwall offers wonderful, sandy beaches and a delightful harbour area.  You can lose yourself in the maze of narrow cobbled streets with flower-filled courtyards and alleyways bursting with galleries, craft and clothing shops,  cafes and artists studios – an absolute joy for those wanting to discover “Classic Old England”.

But what St Ives is internationally renowned for is the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden and Tate St Ives.

St Ives has very strong historical ties to the arts community – and testament to this can be found at the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. Just a few of the famous 20th century artists from St Ives include Barbara Hepworth, John Wells and Ben Nicholson. Those interested in art will also want to check out the Tate St Ives Museum, part of the Tate Gallery in London.  Opened in 1993, Tate St. Ives is perhaps the flagship of Cornish art.

What else is there in St Ives

Art aside there’s plenty for the general tourist too – fine, sandy beaches and a myriad of wonderful shops and restaurants make this a first class destination for those wanting to see the very best that Cornwall has to offer.

As you would expect, the good stretches of beach here makes it another popular location for surfers. Porthmeor Beach, on the town’s western edge, is the pick of the bunch being famous for powerful surf and yet is ideal for non-surfers of all ages as well. Watch the surfers ride the waves at Porthmeor Beach – or get in there yourself and give it a go!

Porthminster Beach, on the town’s eastern edge, is more sheltered and has perfect conditions for family groups. Other good beaches in St Ives include Porthgwidden, Porth Kidney Sands and Windasea.

Boats still fill the harbour and Smeaton’s Pier is still the preserve of the town’s fishing community, although fishing no longer dominates the quays.  Watch fishermen bring in their catch which are sold to some of the finest restaurants.

No holiday is complete without good food and here at St Ives there’s a range of excellent restaurants, cafes and traditional pubs catering for all tastes.  Chill out with a drink or splash out on the culinary delights at one of the top restaurants around the harbour, looking out at the fishing boats and clear water.

St Ives is a good base for a Cornwall holiday.  This little town offers a large selection of outdoor activities including birdwatching, fishing, golf, sailing and surfing.  From here you can also explore Land’s End, Penzance, St. Michael’s Mount or make trips to the Isles of Scilly.

There are lots of accommodation options to suit the budgets of all holidaymakers ranging from guest houses with fabulous sea views, charming four-star B&B, hotels or touring caravan parks.

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