Kate W
20 June 2019
Renowned for some of the best surf in the country, endless wide sandy beaches and home to a breathtaking stretch of the South West Coast Path, we believe that the North Cornwall coast could be the best place in the UK for a seaside holiday.
Grab the bucket and spade and head to one of the countless sandy beaches dotted along the shoreline for a fun family day out. If you are searching for a place for everyone including the pup, pick out a dog-friendly beach where you can let your canine companion off the lead to race across the sand.
We have an excellent range of holiday homes, cottages and lodges scattered all along Cornwall’s dramatic coastline. It’s one of the UK’s most popular places for a holiday so don’t be the last one to discover our collection of cottages in North Cornwall. For more beaches, take a look at our ultimate beach guide, which also features some secret coves and beaches throughout Cornwall.
Are you a surfer looking for the best waves in the South West, a parent seeking out the ideal family getaway or a dog-owner hunting down a coastal retreat that takes pups?
Check out the list below and find a beach where you and your companions can enjoy your holiday.
Surf the shores of Fistral
Fistral Beach 🌊
🏆 Best surfer beaches
Easily the best-known beach to catch a wave and renowned among the surfing community, Fistral Beach has fantastic waves that roll in off the North Atlantic. Newquay itself has plenty of surfer schools and surfer shops to stop by, but be warned, this beach can get busy during the summer months due to its popularity. Definitely worth a visit for any surfer-enthusiasts out there.
The six-person Headland House is a Regency-style house with excellent views out over Fistral Beach; grab your surfboard and step straight onto the sand. Stay right by the beach in one of our Newquay cottages.
Widemouth Bay
🏆 Best surfer beaches
This massive sandy beach has loads of parking, a beach café, toilets and lifeguard cover during the summer months. It’s a great place for families as well as water sports' enthusiasts, and even allows dogs at the southern end of the beach!
The stylish seaside cottage of Gwelmor welcomes six humans and three dogs making it the perfect retreat by the sea. Take a look at our other holiday cottages in Bude.
Polzeath
🏆 Best surfer beaches
For a lesser-known beach, head to Polzeath - a delightful holiday resort 3 miles from Rock and across the estuary from Padstow. Aside from the excellent surf, there’s a surfside café, surf school and stylish restaurants where you can grab a bite at the end of a long day on the beach.
Just yards from the sand sits Polzeath Bluebird, a beachfront holiday home for four, ideal for a family group or adult group looking for a sea view retreat in Cornwall. Browse our other holiday homes in Polzeath.
Watergate Bay
🏆 Best surfer beaches
With a couple of surf schools, surf shops and Jamie Oliver’s stylish bistro, Fifteen Cornwall, there’s plenty to suit surfing enthusiasts. Excellent surf rolls in off the Atlantic onto this wide sandy beach and it’s just 3 miles from the surfing mecca that is Newquay.
Just 1.5 miles from Watergate Bay is the coastal holiday property of Trevarrian Ocean View. Stay in nearby Newquay for a surfing escape to Cornwall.
The beautiful cove of Lusty Glaze
Summerleaze Beach 🌞
🏆 Best family beaches
A wide sandy beach complete with sea water bathing pool, grassy dunes and the River Neet running by, Summerleaze Beach is a great location for families to while away their holiday. Bude centre isn’t far so you can pop into town and visit the shops or get a bite to eat at a café; there’s plenty of parking throughout town and lifeguards on duty throughout the summer.
The six-person cottage, Bag End, is a wonderful seaside cottage in Bude. Head to the coast by browsing our holiday homes in Bude.
Crackington Haven
🏆 Best family beaches
This shingle cove is protected by tall cliffs and, when the tide is out, it offers a wonderful stretch of sand for building sandcastles and discovering rock pools where you can search for sea life. There is lifeguard cover during the summer months and there are toilets, a café and a shop in the village behind the beach. Crackington Haven is a quiet and scenic place for a family holiday to North Cornwall.
Take the family away to The Coach House Glebe Farm, a holiday home for six that’s just 3 miles from Crackington Haven. Stay in a holiday cottage in Crackington Haven with the family.
Lusty Glaze
🏆 Best family beaches
A beautiful privately-owned beach that is fully open to the public, Lusty Glaze is a fantastic place for families to spend their days. A bar/restaurant sits behind the beach with views of the ocean and there’s an adventure centre which offers a great range of water sports and other beach activities for you to try – great fun for the kids!
Porth Beach House is actually located on the beach next door to Lusty Glaze, the family-friendly Porth Beach which is another great place for kids to enjoy their holiday. Split your time between getting involved in the water sports at Lusty Glaze and enjoying relaxed days at Porth Beach. Take a look at our other holiday cottages in Newquay.
Read our guide providing information on all the lifeguarded beaches in Cornwall, ideal for families visiting on a spring or summer holiday.
Let the pup race along the sand
Mexico Towans Beach 🐕
🏆 Best dog-friendly beaches
A fantastic 4-mile stretch of sandy beach, dogs are welcome on most of Mexico Towans but not all, so make sure you check restrictions before you go. There’s plenty of space for playful pups to run, jump and splash through the waves. It stretches from the mouth of the Hayle estuary out to the lighthouse at Godrevy Point so why not follow the coast path from one to the other: the perfect excuse for walkies?
The beachfront property of Villa Surfside is in a stunning location with excellent ocean views. Let the dog out straight onto the beach for their morning walkies. Discover more dog-friendly holiday cottages in Hayle.
Constantine Beach
🏆 Best dog-friendly beaches
This wide sandy stretch of beach is popular with families and surfers alike, and also welcomes canine companions year-round. It’s a great place for doggos to go splashing through the sea and get salty paws.
Stay in a holiday cottage in Padstow (4 miles away).
Crantock Beach
🏆 Best dog-friendly beaches
Don’t let the dog miss out on a trip to Newquay! Although many of Newquay’s beaches are dog-friendly, there are often restrictions - but not so at Crantock which has been reserved especially for canines who love to be by the sea! It’s 4 miles from the centre of Newquay so you can still pop into town and visit pet-friendly pubs.
A holiday home for four humans and two dogs on Cornwall’s north coast, The Palms is a great base for family, friends or a couple just 2.5 miles from Crantock Beach.
Take a look at our list of the best dog-friendly beaches throughout Cornwall for a few of our special favourites down on the south coast.
This gem of a beach exists at the very edge of Britain
Gwenver Beach 💎
🏆 Best beach for everyone
We’ve added this special hidden gem to the list as it’s just too good to miss. Yep, Gwenver Beach is great for surfers, families and dogs, indeed anyone and everyone is welcome here.
Quiet because there are few facilities, it does offer a lifeguard service over the summer months, making it a great spot for families to play in the shallows and surfers to head out and catch some waves.
This beach welcomes dogs year-round unlike neighbouring Sennen Beach which is another great spot for families and surfers. Both beaches are located just around the corner from the most westerly place in Britain: Land’s End.
See Hollyberry Barn At Banns Farm for a wonderful country escape for seven guests and three dogs, 4 miles from Gwenver Beach. Take a trip to the edge of our little island and browse our holiday cottages at Land’s End.
Discover Cornwall’s dramatic north coast on an unforgettable holiday to the South West. Browse our excellent selection of holiday homes, cottages and lodges in North Cornwall to find your ideal beachside hideaway.
Feeling inspired to visit every beach on Cornwall’s magnificent coast? Check out our ultimate guide to Cornwall’s beaches.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.