From beautiful beaches and coastal walks, to delicious food and fun activities, my guide will make your weekend in Newquay extra special!
My relationship with Newquay began when I was 17 years old. My mum booked a family holiday to the town (probably after much nagging from me!) and we spent a week enjoying beach days, shopping in the hippie clothing stores and a few day trips. I loved the youthful feel of the town.
Since then, I’ve returned again and again to explore the region’s rocky cliffs and beaches. I’ve even spent a few days enjoying live music at Boardmasters Festival – one of the biggest events in the town’s summer calendar.
This part of North Cornwall is a beautiful place for a holiday. Whether you’re travelling in a couple or taking the whole family, there’s plenty to keep you busy. There are several stunning beaches, including several famous surf spots. There’s great food along the coastline, with its plethora of fresh seafood arriving daily.
I also love how many activities you have on the doorstep. If you’re into water sports, you could go kayaking or coasteering. Perhaps you’d rather play a round of golf…or crazy golf, or simply throw on a pair of trainers and head off on a walk.
My favourite things to do in Newquay revolve around its beaches and coastline. I love the different perspectives you get as you traverse the cliffs and headlands, following the South West Coast Path. When we visited in the summer, bright red poppies and sea herbs framed the views over the cliffs. It was absolutely gorgeous!
On this trip, we only spent a few days in North Cornwall. So, I decided this post should cover enough activities for a weekend in Newquay. If you’re only nipping down for 48-hours, you’ll find lots of ideas to keep you busy (and a few options to choose from!)
We had our 15-month-old toddler in tow. A keen traveller, beach scavenger and sand eater, he also seemed to adore our family getaway. I’ll add a few travel tips into this guide in case you’re also visiting Newquay with kids.
A Weekend Guide To Newquay
Visit Fistral Beach
The most famous surf beach in the UK, Fistral Beach is where you’ll find the biggest waves in Newquay. But, you really don’t need to be a surfer to appreciate this spot’s natural beauty. It’s a wide beach, with a vast tidal range.
At one end you’ll find SeaSpray Fistral (a great spot for coffee / brunch) and at the other you’ll find the main Fistral Beach complex with various restaurants and shops. In the distance you’ll spot the 5* Headland Hotel – an impressive building with a great spa (if you have a little extra time to spare!)
Our toddler adored walking along the sand, splashing in the water and chasing after the many dogs (who were enjoying a similar afternoon!)
We didn’t surf this time, but this is one of the best places in the country to catch some waves. You can hire boards all over Newquay, or book a lesson to find your feet.
Inside the main complex are several restaurants, all with amazing views. There’s smart seafood spot The Fish House, Rick Stein Fistral, and popular pizza spot The Stable. We didn’t squeeze in a meal here, but if we had more time, we definitely would have tried The Fish House. The dishes on the menu sounded very tasty!
Walk to the lookout on Newquay headland
If you’re spending the weekend in Newquay, you simply have to stroll across the cliffs to the white monument on the headland. This spot is located out on a peninsular, around from the Headland Hotel on one side and Newquay Harbour, Towan Beach and the town centre on the other.
The views from up there are utterly spectacular. We were lucky with a sunshine-filled afternoon, but even on a blustery day in the cooler months, you’ll get some epic views.
Enjoy the shops in town
Are you looking for rainy day activities in Newquay? How about a spot of shopping. Mooch along Fore Street and you’ll be amazed by how many independent stores there are selling everything from clothing and gifts, to artworks and sweet treats.
I loved looking around the surf stores, such as Smile and Sunny Days. They were filled with colourful summery outfits, with vibrant prints, as well as casual hoodies and sweatshirts, ideal for cooler evenings on the beach.
Another store that caught my attention this time was The Good Lyfe – an ethical and zero-waste store with lots of beautiful hand-made items. I also enjoyed looking at items made by talented locals in Cornish Makers. I even picked up a couple of pretty silver rings there! What a lovely memory to take home from our trip.
Walk from Newquay to Crantock
So, you’re planning to spend the weekend in Newquay? Well, I’d recommend spending one of your days on a long walk along the cliffs. Our favourite local walk is the route from Newquay to Crantock. We’ve just published a full walking guide to this route over on the Great British Bucket List.
In brief, this route takes you from Fistral Beach, over the cliffs past Lewinnick Lodge, out along the headland, and then across the Gannel Estuary either with a ferry (a very small boat!) or across the footbridge. Here, you’ll be on Crantock Beach, where you’ll have options to enjoy some beach time, explore the dunes, walk up to Crantock Village or continue along the South West Coast Path.
We couldn’t have picked a better day for this walk. We had slightly cooler weather in the morning, which transformed into a gorgeous day with blue skies and sunshine by the afternoon. For keen photographers like us, we were in our element!
We stopped for lunch at C-Bay Bar + Bistro an upmarket restaurant in the Crantock Bay complex. We also treated ourselves to tasty ice creams from Jam Jar Kitchen in Crantock Village.
For the full guide to this walk, click here.
Stay in a beautiful holiday cottage
A huge part of what made our weekend in Newquay enjoyable was our accommodation. We booked Samphire, a four-bedroom holiday home via Aspects Holidays. This large house is ideal for a big group or a family. There are four spacious bedrooms (one with bunk beds), a big kitchen with everything you could need for cooking, a comfortable lounge and a small garden with patio seating.
The décor is stylish with a few beachy touches. Some of the bathrooms are very on trend too – one brings the Bali vibes with its black walls and wooden accents.
I thought it was excellent how set up this home was for families with children. The kitchen has cutlery, cups and bowls for little ones. It was also simple to book a high chair and a travel cot for our toddler. Everything was waiting for us when we checked in. This peace of mind makes a huge difference as a parent.
One of the best things about Samphire? The fact you’re only a 5-minute walk to the steps down to Fistral Beach. It’s so convenient for beach days or cliff walks. Plus, it’s just a 10 – 15 minute walk into town.
You can read more about our stay at Samphire in this review. Or, take a look at other properties available in the region via Aspects Holidays.
Go for tea and cake at the Fern Pit Café
If you’re staying in Newquay, you’ll have plenty of great options for tea and cake on the doorstep. But, I think I’ve found the place with the best view.
Just a 15-20-minute walk from Fistral Beach is the Fern Pit Café – a real hidden gem in the area. This café is perched on top of the cliffs, overlooking the Gannel Estuary. In fact, the steps from the café take you directly to the estuary’s ferry and footbridge.
The café itself has seating on different levels, with a feeling of a secret garden. There’s also a lovely terrace with ocean views, plus an indoor restaurant for days when the weather isn’t playing ball.
There’s a large menu of breakfast and brunch options, a range of cakes and pastries, ice cream, soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. If we didn’t have a toddler clambering around, trying to pet every dog in the café, we would have stayed here for hours admiring the view!
Play crazy golf in Newquay
Anyone who knows about my relationship with Macca will know that crazy golf is one of our favourite activities. We’ve played courses all over the world, and let’s just say, it gets pretty competitive! When we arrived in Newquay, I was still flying high from an epic win in Florida in March! Now, it was time to see if he could level the scores in Newquay.
We headed to Trenance Crazy Golf which is located inside Trenance Leisure Park (where you’ll also find Newquay Zoo). The 18-hole course is challenging, with no bells and whistles. No windmills, novelty dinosaurs or pirate chests. This was to be a game of skill.
The scores were pretty even for the first part of the game, then Macca edged a small lead, before I snatched it back in the last few holes. A brilliant course, very competitive and it took around an hour to get around, which felt like good value too.
Drive to Perranporth for a different type of beach day
The Cornish coastline is dotted with charming villages and beach towns. One of my personal favourites is Perranporth. This town is just a 20-minute drive from Newquay and is home to a huge beach, as well as Chapel Rock. This rock once housed a chapel, and is engulfed as the tide rolls in. It’s paradise for little ones, with rock pools, lots of sand and even a little stream to play in.
If you fancy exploring more of the coastline on your weekend in Newquay, I’d 100% recommend a trip here. We spent an afternoon enjoying a pub lunch in town, walking along the shore, grabbing a drink at the beach bar and taking photos of the views. There’s a small high street in Perranporth too, ideal if you’re looking for gifts, beach toys or some tasty Cornish ice cream!
Catch the Gannel Ferry
If you do decide to walk beyond Fistral Beach around the coastline, you’re likely to reach the Gannel Estuary. Separating the East Pentire headland from Crantock Beach, this estuary fills up as the tide rolls in. There’s a small footbridge which you can use to cross the river at low tide (you should be able to use it 3 hours either side of low water).
However, at high tide, you’ll need to hop on board the small ferry boat to take you the 150 or so metres. This service runs from 9.30am to 6pm from the end of May until mid-September. There’s a small charge for the service (£1.50 for adults when I visited). We thought it was a cute and quirky addition to our trip. It’s a really fun adventure for kids too.
Ride on the Little Western Railway
If you’re spending the weekend in Newquay with children, you absolutely have to take a ride on the Little Western Railway. This miniature ride-on train is located in Trenance Leisure Park and is super cute!
There’s a small circular track, passing through gardens and a tunnel. Kids absolutely love it, and we relished the opportunity to take our toddler on board!
Have fish and chips on the beach
What would a weekend in Newquay be without fish and chips on the beach? We picked ours up from The Harbour Chippy and then drove to Fistral Beach to find the perfect spot for dinner.
There’s something so British about this tradition! Of eating slightly soggy, vinegar-drenched chips and crisp battered fish, with the sound of the sea and the occasional fear of a swooping seagull. It was as magical as ever, and I think it’s an absolute must for your Newquay itinerary!
I hope this guide helps you plan a great weekend in Newquay. It’s such a beautiful part of Cornwall with so much to do, I’m sure you’ll have a fab time. If you have any questions, you can always drop me a message.
A big thanks to Aspects Holidays for inviting me to explore this lovely region in the South West of England. As always, all opinions are my own.
If you’re looking for any more help planning your trip to Cornwall, don’t miss my other guides:
- My Favourite Restaurants In Padstow, Cornwall
- 13 Best Things To Do In North Cornwall
- How To Spend The Ultimate Weekend In Newquay, Cornwall
- 8 Amazing Places To Go Glamping In Devon And Cornwall
- 7 Beautiful Places To Visit In Cornwall For Couples
- 9 Cornwall Cottages With Swimming Pools – Perfect For An English Summer Holiday
- 8 Amazing Large Holiday Homes In Cornwall
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