The 10 best Newquay beaches

The ever-popular seaside town of Newquay on Cornwall’s north coast is celebrated for its many awesome surfing beaches and fun, laid-back vibe. Newquay has plenty of restaurants, shops and facilities, which makes it a fantastic destination for your next Cornish getaway.

Exploring everything from the ‘surf’s up’ shores of Fistral Beach to sheltered Towan Beach in town, and Whipsiderry Beach a short drive away, this guide will give you the lowdown on all you need to know for your Newquay holiday or beach day visit. And in the event you, your partner or family need a break from surfing and sandcastle building, no fear – there are lots of other activities to do in Newquay, including visiting Newquay Zoo, Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay or taking a scenic stroll along the South West Coast Path.

Our best beaches in Newquay guide will give you the heads-up on some of the top Newquay beaches, where to find them and where to park, facilities and lifeguard information, pup-friendliness and our recommendations of where to stay. So, feel free to sit back, relax and read on…

Skip to:

• Fistral Beach
• Great Western Beach
• Holywell Bay
• Lusty Glaze Beach
• Porth Beach
• Tolcarne Beach
• Towan Beach
• Crantock Beach
• Watergate Bay
• Whipsiderry Beach

Fistral Beach 

If the ocean courses through your veins and you’re an avid surfer, you’re probably already familiar with this popular beach which sits about half a mile west of the town. 

Probably the most celebrated of the Newquay beaches and beloved by the worldwide surfing community, Fistral Beach Newquay is a 750-metre-long, flat sandy beach and host of the annual Boardmasters week-long surf and music festival. Naturally, it’s an amazing location to take a surf lesson and as you would expect, there are several fantastic surf schools on hand to teach wannabe wave riders of all ages.  

Great Western Beach

You’ll find Great Western Beach Newquay a couple of minutes’ walk from the town centre, between Towan and Tolcarne beaches. This beach heralds a surfing legacy all of its own, as the sport rapidly gained popularity at this very beach back in the 1960s. 

This sparkling beach is backed by cliffs and is ideally positioned for those staying in the town itself. There’s a car park a couple of minutes away and a steep path down to the beach, though there is private disability access via the hotel there. Although it’s one of the quieter beaches in town, this sandy stretch is very popular with families, as it comes with plenty of facilities including a restaurant, ice-cream kiosk for the kids and you guessed it – a surf school! And there’s also a beach bar for a cooling, post-dip drink of your choice, as the sun goes down.

Holywell Bay

Some 5 miles out of town, this much quieter and dramatically beautiful beach, backed by grass dunes, is popular with surfers and bodyboarders, but at low tide, reveals streams and rock pools which make Holywell a fun place for pretty much everyone! 

If you’re feeling adventurous, St Cuthbert’s Cave (aka Holywell Cave) sits in the cliffs to the north-east end of Holywell Bay. The cave has a Holy Well (hence the beach name) and unique mineral formations, which can be explored at low tide (obviously be mindful of the incoming tide). There are also historical points of interest close by, including The Kelseys, a small headland showcasing the ruins of an Iron Age castle. The beach has facilities and a National Trust car park. To access the beach, you need to walk down a path which is uneven in places.

Lusty Glaze Beach

This smaller, private and horseshoe-shaped cove is close to the town centre and open to the public. You’ll find it situated around the headland just up from Newquay Beach and Tolcarne Beach nearer the town. 

The beautiful name is said to derive from the Cornish language, meaning ‘a place to view blue boats’. As a picturesque beauty-spot of golden sands and sea-vistas, Lusty Gaze Beach Newquay is super-popular for wedding ceremonies and other events and has its own cool and unique vibe. There is a beach complex with restaurant and toilets, and parking at the car park above. Be warned, there are quite a few steps down to the beach, but it’s worth it when you get there!   

Porth Beach

In the hamlet of Porth, just on the outskirts of town, you’ll find this award-winning, sandy and narrow beach with wonderfully clear waters. Its sheltered location makes it a good option for swimming when the tide’s coming in, as the beach nestles deep into the headland and as such, the waves roll in generally gentler than at some of the other beaches in Newquay. This also makes it ideal for bodyboarders and newbie surfers. 

At low tide, there is a river on one side and plenty of rock pools for little ones to explore. Porth Island headland to the east, above the beach, can be crossed onto via a footbridge and the site boasts an Iron Age fort. There is a car park opposite the beach, toilets and plenty of kiosks and cafes close to hand for snacks, including The Mermaid Inn on the beach.   

Tolcarne Beach

You can walk to this privately-owned, sandy beach from the town centre, so this is a fantastic option if you’re staying centrally and don’t want to get in the car (though access down to the beach is via 200 plus narrow steps from Cliff Road and a steep sloping road from Barrowfields clifftops at the north end). There’s a surf school and it’s a good spot for bodyboarding. 

At low tide, the beach joins neighbouring beaches Great Western and Lusty Glaze, but do check the incoming tide when walking round. There are pretty beach huts for hire at the back of Tolcarne beach and all of the essential facilities on-hand, which is sure to make Tolcarne Beach Newquay a hit with the crew.

Towan Beach   

This sheltered and sandy, central beach beside the harbour in town, is a good option for paddling little ones as the waves are generally smaller here than at other Newquay beaches and surfing is part restricted in summer. There’s a steep sloping road down to the beach via Beach Road or via some steep steps. 

You can hire a beach hut and, as you would expect, the beach can get pretty busy with holidaymakers. At low tide, Towan Beach Newquay connects to both Great Western and Tolcarne beaches. The harbour lies to the west, while on the opposite side of the beach atop a rocky outpost, sits exclusive holiday pad, ‘The Island’ – once owned by bright-spark, Alexander Lodge who invented the spark plug (sorry).

Crantock Beach

This wide, sandy beach stretches over 900 metres and sits at the mouth of the Gannel Estuary. It’s about 4-miles from Newquay and though it can get busy, it has a relaxed, away-from-it-all vibe. The River Gannel meanders through Crantock Beach which paddleboarders are sure to enjoy. 

When the tide’s out, there are plenty of rock pools which make this a super, family-friendly beach for little ones to splash about. There are sand dunes at the back of the beach (though these have become unstable and should be avoided). Above the dunes, are the Rushy Green grasslands, with lovely walks close to hand. At the far end of the beach, you’ll spy the headland, Pentire Point West and at the southern end, Piper’s Hole which is a cave-home to many seabirds and explorable at low tide.  

Watergate Bay Beach

A short 3-mile drive away from the beaches in Newquay, this stunning 2-mile cliff-backed beach is a firm favourite as it’s a bit further out from the main hustle and bustle of town. That said, the Atlantic swell here means it’s still a proper surfing and kitesurfing hotspot, with its own surf-school and various national surfing competitions hosted here. 

Though the beach is privately owned, it’s accessible at all times of day and there are refreshment options close at hand. Main access to the beach is via a sloped path (with a few steps), leading down from the car park.

Whipsiderry Beach

Whipsiderry Beach Newquay (well, close to Newquay) is a large, sandy cove which tends to be far quieter than other beaches in Newquay town, as it’s quite difficult to access (via very steep steps, which aren’t always open). There are also no facilities at this beach, so remember to pack a picnic and take your own refreshments. 

It’s a sheltered, expansive beach which at low tide reaches 600 metres, revealing rockpools and caves, and stretching to neighbouring Watergate Bay. If you decide to walk around that way take plenty of care, as the tide can easily come in and cut you off.

Newquay beaches map

 Find all the best beaches in Newquay mentioned above with the help of our handy map.

Stay with us in Newquay

Newquay has an abundance of picture-postcard beaches with all the amenities you could need in town. If you’re a surfer or you and/or the gang want to have a go riding the waves, or you prefer to relax with a book and take in the stunning surrounds on one of the beautiful Newquay beaches, this Cornwall hotspot may well be the holiday you need! If this sounds like you, we have a huge scope of accommodation offerings to peruse right here.