Tucked between the ever-popular North Cornish towns of Padstow and Newquay, the sleepier coastal village of Mawgan Porth makes for a slower and quieter bucket-and-spade break away, perfect for younger families.
By Kim Jones
Sheltered by high cliffs, there’s plenty of beach to play on, plus rockpools to dip into, caves to explore, a waterfall to duck and dive in and a stream running down the length of one side of the beach that’s perfect for little feet to splash in.
Feeling more adventurous, dude? Sign up to the beach surf school in the village that offers lessons from beginners upwards.
No need to pack a sandy picnic if you don’t want to either. Just across a quiet road from the beach there’s a restaurant, pub, café and fish and chip shop to satisfy hungry appetites, plus some shops to browse.
Catch
Trundle straight off the beach when you’ve still got sand between your toes to this relaxed seafood restaurant opposite the sands of Mawgan Porth. It serves up a deliciously fresh menu of seafood – from crab to mackerel, mussels to squid – all locally caught. And of course there’s always the catch of the day to consider.
The Beach Hut at Watergate Bay
A busy, bustling beach hangout with sandy floors and sunny service, at The Beach Hut you can expect burgers and seafood plus sprinklings of Mexican and Asian influences. There’s an outside balcony to sit on that overlooks the beach and you can walk off their generous portions on the large sandy strip of Watergate Bay beach afterwards.
Lewinnick Lodge
Perched proudly on the edge of the Pentire Headland, near Newquay, Lewinnick Lodge offers up sublime sea views. Choose from the informal bar area, the more dressy restaurant or sit on the balcony outside when the sun shines. The menu is classic brasserie-style – think slow-cooked pork belly burger, steaks, risottos or fish cakes – and look out for daily gluten-free specials too.
Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm, near Newquay
This family-run farm makes award-winning ciders – and you can take a guided tour of the factory and bottling plant plus tractor rides through their orchards. The kids will love the horses and peacocks and mum and dad can enjoy a tipple or two. Round off the day with a homemade Cornish cream tea. Entry is free but there’s a charge for tours.
Cycle The Camel Trail
Hire a bike in Padstow and mosey along this traffic free and level route to Wadebridge (5.5 miles) taking in lovely views of the Camel estuary.
St.Eval Kart Circuit
Who knew the UK’s largest UK’s Karting circuit for kids was in Cornwall? A huge 1.2 km track will keep them happy – and for accelerated extra fun, adults can race against the kids.
Panorama from Beach Retreats
Putting the ‘wow’ into your break in Cornwall, this architect-designed two storey glass-fronted house sits high up on the cliffs above Mawgan Porth surveying the serene scenery. Bedrooms of this luxury property are on the lower floor overlooking a large sea-facing garden. The hallway rises up majestically, featuring a haute mosaic design of blue glass fish leading up to the bright and airy top floor open-plan living area that benefits from the view that this house gets its name from – a peaceful panorama of farmland and rolling hills leading to the sea. The Beach Retreat house sleeps 12 people, with six bedrooms –
the master has an ensuite bathroom and there are a further two bathrooms for other guests. There’s a ‘teens’ room where they can hide away and the open-plan upstairs south-facing space features two living areas, one with a TV and the other with a log-burner as well as a spacious dining area and kitchen. A balcony makes the perfect place to kick back and relax with breakfast or a chilled glass as the sun goes down. If you’re not already completely lulled by your idyllic surroundings, there’s the option to unwind with a private family yoga session with a Vinyasa Flow yoga expert in the gardens overlooking the sea.
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