Beaches near Padstow

Map featuring Padstow beaches. Click on pins to view beach details

The beach guide has 13 beaches listed in and around the town of Padstow.

St George's Cove

St George's Cove is Padstow's closest beach at just over half a mile from the harbour. The beach gets its name from St George's Well, an ancient holy well/spring located in the lush vegetation that grows behind the beach.…
Harbour Cove

The wide sandy beach of Harbour Cove looks out over the mouth of the Camel Estuary. Backed by sand dunes and sitting in the lee of Stepper Point the beach here is sheltered from all but the strongest of breezes. At low tide…
Hawkers Cove

Situated at the mouth of the River Camel, near Padstow is Hawker's Cove beach. At low tide the beach forms an expanse of sand stretching almost 1.5 miles from the old lifeboat station and joining up with Harbour Cove. Despite…
Rock Beach

The village of Rock is located on the eastern shore of the Camel Estuary across the water from Padstow. It has a deserved reputation as an upmarket holiday destination and is popular with the yachting fraternity, not to…
Daymer Bay

Good sized stretch of sand bordered by dunes and sandhills. It is comparatively off the beaten track compared to it's neighbours, Rock and Polzeath which gives it a slightly more secluded feel. The beach is within the mouth…
Trevone Bay

Trevone is a popular beach with both surfers and families. The main beach is sandy inlet that is actually far deeper than it is wide. To either side of this expanse of golden sand are rocky ledges which are home to some…
Greenaways Beach

Tucked away in Trebetherick near Polzeath, Greenaways Beach is a hidden gem which is often overlooked because of neighbouring beaches like Daymer Bay and Rock beach. The little cove is only usable at lower tides and consists…
Newtrain Bay

Also known as 'Rocky Beach' this pretty much sums up Newtrain Bay. Apart from a few little patches of sand and shingle the beach here is almost entirely covered by a platform of low rocks. Among these rocks are some good…
Harlyn Bay

Harlyn is known for being a great family beach. Located in the lee of Trevose head and with a northerly aspect it is slightly more sheltered than some of its west facing neighbours. The wide crescent of yellow sand provides…
Polzeath Beach

The popularity of Polzeath has grown over recent years. This results from the combination of a beautiful sandy beach, laid back beach town feel and ideal conditions for learning to surf. The beach itself is enormous at low…
Epphaven Beach

Like its neighbour, Lundy Bay, the small beach of sand and rocks is only usable when the tide receeds. The beach is sheltered and to the west of it is the Lundy Hole, a hole in the cliff left by a collapsed sea cave, worth…
Lundy Bay

On the north coast of Cornwall is Lundy Bay, close to Polzeath and Port Isaac, it is a small sheltered rocky cove. The name is believed to come from the fact thta the cove faces Lundy Island in Devon some 80 miles away.…
Port Quin Beach

Port Quin Beach is an unspoilt cove facing the Atlantic Ocean that sits in a deep rocky inlet between Port Isaac and Polzeath. A narrow and sheltered cove with a rocky beach, it is only accessible at low tide when rock pools…

Padstow

Padstow was already a bustling little port of fishermen and boat-builders in the time of Elizabeth 1st. Nowadays the local fisherman supply the many fish restaurants which have recently become a major feature of the town. Today, Padstow’s harbour is also filled with pleasure boats of all descriptions. There is a regular ferry across the river to Rock (a.k.a. Little Chelsea!) , a village which has lately been all but taken over by the young and posh from London. Other vessels offer cruises around the bay. May Day in Padstow means the Hobby Hoss festival. This is an ancient form of the May Day celebrations welcoming the spring. In addition to the dancing hobby horse and his attendants, it also incorporated various old fertility rites. Part of the Camel Trail is now a cycle track converted from a disused railway track, running for five miles beside the river from Padstow to Wadebridge. This passes Pinkson Creek, an area frequented by curlews, egrets and many other species of birds. There are many attractive beaches and coves close to Padstow. One of these is Bedruthan Steps, said to be the stepping stones of an ancient giant. Constantine Bay is one of the best surfing beaches in the area, although bathing can be hazardous at times. The sand dunes and rock pools are attractive to young families.

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Padstow top beaches

Hawkers Cove