Padstow
LanwethenekA bay for everyday
Made famous by Rick Stein over the last 30 years or so, there’s much more to Padstow than just great places to eat. It’s still a working harbour, it’s surrounded by glorious beaches, and offers a base to explore the Camel estuary.
A bay for everyday
Enjoy a fun filled day out on one of the many beaches in the Padstow area. If you want golden sand, this is the place to come, from the tidal beaches at Hawker’s Cove to the long strands at Harlyn and Treyarnon. Hop on the ferry and explore Rock or Daymer Bay or take the surf boards to Constantine Bay.
You’re on holiday, if you just want to relax and sunbathe all day, do, but there’s plenty of activities on hand to stop you getting bored. At low tide explore the rock pools or build sandcastles, For the more adventurous, learn to surf at a local surf school, or grab a mask and snorkel and see what lurks below the water.
Dine in style
Padstow is known country-wide for the quality of its food and dining, and for good reason. The opening of Rick Stein’s first restaurant here in the 1970s was the start of a dining boom which led to Paul Ainsworth at Number 6 being awarded its first Michelin Star in 2013.
But it’s not all fine restaurants; there's cafes, bistros, tapas bars, cosy tearooms and a handful of welcoming pubs all dotted around the harbour. And there’s always Cornish pasties and traditional fish and chips if you fancy a quick take-away, just watch out for the gulls!
The Doom Bar
The mouth of the Camel Estuary is known and feared by many seafarers for the notorious Doom Bar. This is a sandbar that can move depending on the currents, especially after storms. Until the 20th Century, access to the safety of the estuary was under the cliffs of Stepper Point, but this could mean loss of wind for the sailing ships of the time, and many were lost in gales.
In the early 20th century, the bar shifted considerably but with continuous dredging a safe channel has been created, but it can still catch some sailors out. Latest estimates claim over 600 craft have been wrecked on the Doom Bar, the last in 2020.
Cornish folklore relates that the bar was created by a mermaid as a dying curse on the harbour after being shot by a local man. The poet Sir John Betjeman wrote his version of the story saying that the mermaid fell in love with a local man and could not bear to live without him. Eventually she tried to lure him beneath the waves and his only means of escape was to shoot her.
Things to do
Sorry, no results.
A pretty harbour with lively streets and a thriving foodie scene, situated on one of the most beautiful stretches of coast in Britain? Padstow is a must-visit.
Plan your trip
Everything you need to know to plan your perfect trip to Padstow
From the M5 follow the A30 to Bodmin, Turn off here and head through the town taking the A389 towards Wadebridge. Here you will join the A39 passing over the river and past the Royal Cornwall Showground.
Shortly after this take a right turn onto the A389 again and follow signs to Padstow. (Please note this route is not suitable for HGV's or large caravans/motorhomes)
In the main season there is a large carpark on the edge of Padstow, which is approx a 10 minute walk into town. There are other carparks, including down on the quayside, but these fill up early in the season.
Padstow is served by local bus services from Newquay, Wadebridge and Bodmin.
The nearest National Express stop is at Bodmin.
There hasn't been a train stop at Padstow since 1967. The route of the railway is now the popular Camel Trail.
The nearest mainline railway station is Bodmin Parkway from where you can get a bus to Padstow.
Newquay Airport is only 12 miles away from Padstow and the Newquay bus stops there on route.
- CALL TO ACTION
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.
Bring some Cornish cheer to your inbox.
Visit Cornwall sends weekly e-newsletters providing the latest news, offers and holiday inspiration plus the chance to win VIP and luxury holidays.
Follow us
Stay in touch via social media for all the latest news, offers and attractions. We'd hate for you to miss out!
We use cookies to personalise content and ads and to analyse our traffic. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. (Privacy Policy)