The beaches around Newquay

On this page I have included the other Newquay area beaches - Crantock, The Gannel, Porth, Lusty Glaze, Watergate and Whipsiderry.

Crantock

Situated to the west of Fistral is the quaint village of Crantock. A leisurely walk from the village will take you to the beach which is backed by sand dunes and is also where the River Gannel meets the sea. It is advisable to bathe on the left hand side of the beach due to the strong currents eminating from the river.

The Gannel

The firm expanse of the sandy river bed exposed at low tide is good for beach games and picnics but is not ideal for swimming due to the river currents. The Newquay bank can be reached at low tide by a wooden footbridge which brings you out on to the Trenance Boating Lake end of Gannel road. A passenger ferry takes you across at high tide to the Fern Pit Cafe on Riverside Crescent.

The photographs above belong to Oliver Howes and are used with his permission. Please check out Oliver's website - http://www.oliverscornwall.co.uk/ - this is a wonderful guide to Cornwall and some of Devon.

Porth

This beach can get very crowded during the high season as it is level with the road and has a car park on the beach. Porth Island is on the eastern side of the beach and is linked to the mainland via a footbridge. There is a spectacular blow hole here and when the sea is rough the sight of the spray is amazing.

Lusty Glaze

This is a privately owned beach. Activities such as lifeguard training and abseiling take place here.

Whipsiderry

Accessed via the steps from the clifftop or at low tide by walking round Porth Island, this beaches' name is derived from old mining terms 'whips' and 'derrick'.

Watergate Bay

Watergate is home to the UK's only ski resort based on a beach. This is one of Newquay's most famous surfing beaches and you can join the West Coast Surfari Surf School where experts can guide you through your paces. As well as surfing activities such as land yachting, paragliding and body boarding take place here.

Much more detail about this wonderful bay can be found at www.watergatebay.co.uk

Click here to return to the main Newquay beaches.