Newquay
TewynblustriWhere life is always well-lived
Perched on Cornwall’s Atlantic Coast and bordered by several miles of golden beaches, it’s no wonder Newquay is one of the nation’s favourite seaside towns. It’s a place for the entire family to relax and enjoy a proper holiday out on the beach.
Plenty of places to eat and drink
The last few years have seen Newquay blossom as a destination for lovers of good food, with restaurants such as Rick Steins’ Fistral taking advantage of the beachside views and fresh-caught fish to serve a classic seaside meal whilst watching the surf. But it’s not all fish, there’s any number of eateries located all over the town, serving everything from Cornish pasties to fish and chips, international cuisine and much, much more.
The surfing capital of Britain
If you find yourself wishing you could surf, but have never got round to it, then there’s no better time to learn than when in Newquay. There are multiple surf schools all across the town, taking on skill levels from learner to expert. If surfing’s not quite your cup of tea, there’s plenty of other watersports to learn—including kite surfing, Stand up paddle boarding, windsurfing and wave skiing
It’s no secret that one of Newquay’s greatest features is its beaches. There’s a different beach for every day of the week, with an array of activities at each one. From Fistral where Britain’s greatest surfing events are very often held, to the family friendly Towan Beach right in the centre of town, or the outlying beaches at Crantock and Watergate Bay.
A History of Newquay
A new quay was built where the protected harbour still sits at the western end of Towan Beach in the mid 15th century, so giving the town its name. It remained little more than a fishing village for 400 years or so, until the railway arrived in 1876, at which time it ran all the way to the South Pier and out to the now isolated jetty.
Hotels soon developed with the Headland Hotel opening in the summer of 1900. It catered for those with money, its lavishly decorated rooms unrivalled in Cornwall. By the 1960s Newquay had become a popular family resort with guest houses, here, there and everywhere. Holiday parks sprang up in the countryside nearby, including Hendra which opened in the early 1970s.
By the millennium Newquay had got itself a bit of a reputation as the party capital of the south-west and many were put off visiting by the behaviour of a few. Thankfully most of that sort of thing has stopped, though you can still come to Newquay and have a good time, which is what a holiday is all about.
Newquay's already lively atmosphere is given a huge boost by its annual festivals and events, the biggest probably being the Boardmasters Festival, a combination of surfing and music that attracts not only some of the world’s best surfers, but also top bands and singers from across the globe. Away from that, there are fish festivals, beer festivals, open air theatre and a host of other events packed into the year.
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Things to do
Away from the beaches and the surf, there’s no shortage of other attractions in the area. Newquay Zoo is conveniently located near the centre of Newquay and has a host of exotic animals to see. There’s an aquarium, a cinema, skate park, boating lake, fun for all the family at Lappa Valley and the National Trust’s Trerice Manor a short distance out of town. There are all forms of golf from crazy to challenging, and none of Cornwall’s other great attractions are too far away.
Hundreds of attractions and restaurants, a beach for every day of the week, and to top it all off, it’s all wrapped up in the most incredible coastal scenery. Newquay is a seaside town that you just wouldn’t want to miss.
Plan your trip
Everything you need to know to plan your perfect trip to Newquay
Cornwall Airport Newquay is five miles (8km) north-east of Newquay and is served by the Newquay to Padstow bus service (Number 56). The international airport offers daily, all year round services from a number of British airports and a handful of European destinations.
Coming by car, from the end of the M5 at Exeter follow the A30 to Cornwall and then take the A392 to the village of Quintrell Downs. For the eastern side of town turn right here onto the A3058, but for the western side carry straight on across the roundabout.
Newquay has a mixture of Cornwall Council run car parks and privately run car parks, all are normally ‘pay and display’. Detailed information such as location maps, postcodes, charges and conditions for Cornwall Council run car parks are on their website.
In 2022 Newquay Park and Ride 2022 opened on the western outskirts of the town. You can park for free in a field off the roundabout near Hendra Holiday Park and then catch the 21 Go Cornwall Bus into Newquay.
Newquay train station is in the centre of town not far from Great Western Beach and is served by a branchline from Par. Par Station is just outside St Austell on the Cornish mainline, which connects Penzance to the rest of England, including London Paddington.
Newquay is part of the National Express and Megabus network and the Bus Station is on Manor Road, just off the town centre.
Local direct bus services run from Truro, Padstow, and St Austell, but most buses to and from destinations further than 15miles (22km) will involve changes, for example Newquay to St Ives or Falmouth involve changing at Truro.
In 2022 Newquay Park and Ride 2022 opened on the western outskirts of the town. You can park for free in a field off the roundabout near Hendra Holiday Park and then catch the 21 Go Cornwall Bus into Newquay.
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Travel to Cornwall by train
GWR operate high speed train services frequently from London Paddington station including the Night Riviera Sleeper Service to Penzance. There are also direct trains daily from Bristol and beyond. More info from: nationalrail.co.uk
Once in Cornwall, there's a great rail network for getting around the county, ideal for when the roads are busy in the summer. Give the driver a rest and grab a cheap day return to St Ives or Looe. Sit back and enjoy the scenery on the Tamar Valley Line or head to the beach at Newquay or Falmouth. For more info, go to Great Scenic Railways
For National Rail enquiries telephone 08457 484950
The First Group co-ordinate bus services from many Cornish stations.
Park-and-ride schemes run in season at Liskeard (for Looe) and St Erth (for St. Ives).
Travel to Cornwall by road
It takes less than five hours to get from London to the heart of Cornwall by either train or car. Drive along the M4 motorway from London, or M6 from Manchester, and then the M5 to Exeter and finally either the A30, that is mostly dual carriageway, or the A38 passing Plymouth and Saltash into South East Cornwall. Alternatively if you enter Cornwall from North Devon, there is the scenic A39 Atlantic Highway running through Bude, which you can join from Junction 27 on the M5. Due to the high volume of traffic on Cornwall's roads during the summer months the main routes can become congested especially at weekends. Travelling overnight or outside peak rush hours is recommended to avoid long delays.
- To plan your journey use the AA Route Planner for a tailor made travel plan with timings and mileage
- For information on possible delays or roadwork's throughout the UK or in Cornwall visit Traffic Watch
- Travelling to Cornwall with a caravan? Check out our Caravan Towing guide
PLEASE BE AWARE. Sat-Navs can lead you to some wonderful places in Cornwall, many of them down narrow country lanes with high hedges and few reversing points. If you are not sure...don't go on. Better to turn around and find another route than end up lost in the middle of nowhere.
Travel to Cornwall by coach and bus
National Express operate a full service into Cornwall as far as Penzance, Megabuss also go to a few towns including Newquay and Falmouth.
Coach travel times from London or Birmingham to the city of Truro are around 7-8 hours
Many tour operators offer coach holidays to Cornwall, contact your local travel agent for details.
For information on public transport, including local bus timetables, once you are in Cornwall, Click here.
To plan your journey in advance, journey planning websites such as Traveline South West can be useful.
If you are bringing a coach to Cornwall, did you know Cornwall Council now offers a weekly coach rover ticket. This is available for all car parks where coaches are permitted and costs £15 for 24 hours or £50 for 7 days and £35 for 4 days. These can be obtained by creating an account to use the ZatPermit system.
Travel to Cornwall by air
Flying to Cornwall can offer an attractive alternative to the long and sometimes frustrating journey by train or car.
Newquay Airport is served by a variety of routes from across the UK and beyond. For more information, please visit the Cornwall Airport Newquay Website or call +44 (0)1637 860600 or e-mail Info@newquaycornwallairport.com
The Airport offers year-round onward connectivity to the Isles of Scilly with Skybus.
Exeter Airport is also withing easy reach of Cornwall via the A30 and A38.
Travel to Cornwall by ferry Travelling across the Channel from France to the UK can take as little time as 35 minutes on the Eurotunnel from Calais to Folkestone and just 1 hour and 20 minutes on one of the ferry services between France and Dover.
Plymouth is the closest ferry port to Cornwall, being just across the River Tamar. Brittany Ferries offer services from Roscoff in France and Santander in Northern Spain into Plymouth as well as further services from France and Spain into Portsmouth and Poole.
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