North Cornwall 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Part of the ‘Exploring Cornwall’ blog

North Cornwall offers dramatic coastlines, culinary delights and daredevil surf. It’s most definitely not for the faint-hearted and yet definitely for the foodies. We managed to squeeze in visits to surfy Newquay, pretty Padstow and the fisherman’s favourite, Port Isaac.

Newquay

Over the years, Newquay has earned itself the title of ‘Capital of the Surf Scene’, with surf dudes and dudettes coming from all over the world to witness the waves at Fistral Beach!

Everywhere you look there’s a surfer somewhere – whether in the water riding the waves, walking barefoot through the streets with their board tucked under their arm or part of a school of newbies mastering the art of reef riding. Many of the shops in Newquay are dedicated to the art as you’d expect, including the famous ‘Fat Willy’s Surf Shack’ brand that has been a Cornish staple since the 80s!

Rightly or wrongly, Newquay has also earned itself a reputation as a stag and hen do haven due to its raft of boozy bars offering 2-4-1’s and the numerous nightclubs that lace the (slightly tired) town centre. It’s the busiest of all Cornish towns in the summer months – after all, it’s so accessible too – it has its own airport.

But Newquay doesn’t have to be all surf scene and party central if that’s not your bag. There are actually some really lovely walks to be had too, with some of the most stunning views that will rival anywhere else in Cornwall. Venture up high onto the cliff tops and if you’re lucky, you may just spot a grey seal lapping up the sun on a rock below.

Newquay has also invested in some fancy hotels and holiday cottages that take advantage of the jaw-dropping views across the turquoise sea. TV chef, Rick Stein, has chosen Newquay to host one of his restaurants – this one with a takeaway option too. I mean, what is better than enjoying fancy fish and chips whilst sat on a sandy beach?

So next time some ‘wise old out-of-towner’ tells you to avoid “tacky Newquay” at all costs, take their advice with a pinch of (sea)salt. It is most definitely worthy of a day trip at the very least!

Tip: If you’re driving about in Cornwall, know that you have to pay to park almost everywhere and Newquay is one of the most expensive. If you aren’t in the habit of carrying spare change in the glove box, you’re likely to have to phone up or pay online. Save yourself some time and download the ‘RingGo’ and ‘Flowbird’ apps before you go. By setting accounts up in advance, you’ll save lots of time on the day.

Padstow

If we are saying that Newquay brings in the most crowds, I’d hazard a guess that Padstow comes a very close second. But unlike Newquay, Padstow is your ‘bit of posh’ in north Cornwall. It’s an old fishing port centred around a stunning harbour that looks over to Rock – a favourite home for the uber-rich, such as the other TV chef Gordon Ramsay who owns a mansion out there.

There are many who believe that Padstow has been ruined by too much tourism and I guess I can see how that would be for the locals. However, with my tourist head on, I felt that there was still a huge amount of charm about the place.

According to those who think Padstow is over-commercialised, two well known celebrity chefs are to blame – Rick Stein and his younger competitor, Paul Ainsworth. It’s a fair point; between them they must have the majority of Padstow in their portfolios – Ainsworth especially, who appears to have his name across multiple businesses, not solely seafood (see what I did there?). Yep, he has a number of AirBNBs by the looks of it too.

It would have been terribly rude of us not to sample some fine dining for ourselves whilst in Padstow and so we booked a table at Rick Steins Cafe (reserve a table well in advance to avoid missing out). Hand on heart, these were some of the best moules mariniere I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. My partner had the hake laksa which he said was awesome too. Oh – and try the Chalky’s Bite Belgium-style beer too. For those who remember, Chalky was Rick Stein’s sadly-departed dog. RIP Chalky!

Alongside the amazing eateries and holiday homes sit comfy cafes serving cream tea, gift shops, salty old pubs and – hurrah! – Cornish pasty shops! And who can resist the pretty pastel houses in the town itself, that exude seaside vibes?

I loved our trip to Padstow – spoiled or not – and it’s definitely a place I’ll be returning to in the future.

Port Isaac

Those of you who have seen the film ‘Fisherman’s Friends’ (and Fisherman’s Friends 2) – or watched the TV show ‘Doc Martin’ will no doubt already have heard of this famous Cornish fishing town, just a few miles from Padstow.

It’s definitely not huge, in fact rather small in comparison to Padstow – but it’s still attracts the tourists, fans and foodies (yes, like Padstow, Port Isaac has its own celeb chef in residence – two Michelin star Nathan Outlaw).

When we visited on a sunny-ish day in May, Port Isaac was relatively busy, so I can only imagine what it can get like in the high season – filled full of visitors keen to sample the fresh-from-the-sea lobsters, get a photo outside Doc Martin’s cottage and looking to catch a glimpse of a Hollywood backdrop!

If you find yourself in Port Isaac with nothing more than the intention of seeing yet another gorgeous Cornish harbour, you can expect to find a handful of craft shops, independent cafes and welcoming pubs. There’s also ‘Shellfish’ seafood market located in the fish cellars next to the harbour, where you can buy your own seafood to take home with you.

There is a lovely air of simple innocence about Port Isaac, paired perfectly with the salty sea air wafting in from the medieval harbour.

Tip: After you’ve eaten your weight in Cornish ice cream, you might fancy a leisurely stroll along the coastal path to Port Gaverne – where yet another stunning harbour awaits!