A week in Watergate Bay, Cornwall
I spent a lovely week in Watergate Bay, Cornwall, last April with my husband and small dog. I’ve finally finished sorting and editing my photos from the trip, so thought I’d put together a little outline of what we did and where we went.
It was a much-needed break in the middle of an ongoing stressful situation, so I was seeking out quiet and calm and as much seaside and nature time as I could get. I adore sandy beaches, sand dunes, and pottering along the beach with my camera in hand. Also the peace and quiet of coastal paths and their spectacular sweeping views. We also tried to have some car-free days, and didn’t want to drive too far on the other days. So if this sounds like your cup of tea, read on :)
The beach at Watergate bay
Where we stayed
We stayed in one of the Waves apartments with Beach Retreats (not sponsored). We’ve stayed here quite a few times before as the location is fantastic (literally right next to the beach and coastal paths), the price is very reasonable, and they have quite a few dog-friendly options. There are also lots of options for eating out if you’re feeling lazy, although we mostly self-catered as we were on a tight budget.
Driving from Sussex to Cornwall
It’s a long old drive, but always totally worth it. I recommend stocking up on podcasts or a good audiobook to help pass the time and keep you alert. We always usually stop off at Montacute House in Somerset for a decent break and a chance to properly stretch our legs and give Misty (our dog) a bit of a walk. It was looking especially beautiful on the day we visited, as there were tulips galore and the Wisteria was out, so thought you might like to see some photos. It’s always a bonus to get my camera out before we hit Cornwall!
Day 1 - Cliff path walk to Newquay
Our first day was very grey and drizzly, so we’d planned to have a quick dog walk and then go to the supermarket to stock up on food for the week. So I headed out with just my poo-bag bag and my iPhone. We started out on the cliff path towards Newquay and just kept going. It was so lovely to be out on the cliff tops, despite the grey weather, so we ditched the supermarket plans and just kept walking.
Watergate Bay viewed from the cliff path on a brighter day
The route takes in lots of beaches along the way. You start with fantastic views of Watergate Bay, then a while later pass Whipsiderry Beach (lots of steps down) before arriving in Porth. We stopped off at Roo’s Beach in Porth for a light lunch. It’s a fabulous place with a coffee hut serving snacks, and a beautifully curated clothing and lifestyle store, and a plant shed. Not what you’d expect to find right next to a beach!
After Porth, you pass Lusty Glaze beach - this is privately owned, but usually open to the public. Again, there are lots of steps down, so we just admired it from above. The cliff tops were covered in pink Sea Thrift and what I think was wild garlic and looked so pretty.
We passed a couple more smaller beaches before arriving in Newquay town centre. We had a lovely coffee from Grounded and then headed over to Fistral beach, well known for its great surf. At this point, we were feeling pretty knackered, so decided to get the bus back to Watergate Bay, which took no time at all. All in all, a lovely day, despite the drizzly greyness.
Day 2 - Holywell Bay
Holywell is a beautiful sandy beach, the other side of Newquay, and only a short drive away. It has an extensive sand dune system that runs behind the beach. It’s basically my idea of heaven! We spent a very happy day here, pottering along the beach, hunting for shells and paddling in the waves, and then meandering through the sand dunes, looking for the best viewpoints and photo opportunities.
There are no facilities on the beach itself, so you need to head back to the road near the car park (National Trust) to find the public toilets in the village. There is also a pub, which I think serves food. We took a packed lunch with us and enjoyed the best views on the beach.
Day 3 - Cliff path walk to Mawgan Porth > Bedruthan Steps > Porthcothan
Mawgan Porth beach, viewed from the cliff path from Watergate Bay
This was another lovely serendipitous day, heading in the opposite direction to Newquay. We’d planned to do a cliff path walk to Mawgan Porth beach, and then just see how we felt. It was a gorgeous day, so we just kept going. It had been a long time since we’d visited the Bedruthan Steps, so we continued on to see the views. Unfortunately you can’t access the beach at the moment, but the views from the cliff path are stunning. After this, we continued on some more to reach Porthcothan Bay, another lovely small sandy beach.
Countryside views and carpets of pink Sea Thrift on the cliff path walk from Watergate Bay to Mawgan Porth
There are lots of facilities and several places to eat in Mawgan Porth. You’ll also find a cafe and toilets at the Bedruthan Steps. By the time we arrived in Porthcothan, the little beach shop was closed. Thankfully there were public toilets, although you had to pay to use them, so make sure you take some coins with you!
Pink Sea Thrift on the cliff tops near the Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall
Cliff path to Porthcothan beach, Cornwall
Porthcothan Bay, Cornwall
Day 4 - Gwithian and Godrevy
Gwithian is probably my favourite of all the Cornwall beaches and is about a 45 minute drive from Watergate Bay. We’ve stayed here many times before, but I still had to squeeze in a visit. You can never have too much Gwithian! It’s a beautiful large sandy beach (or collection of several beaches) with a sand dune system running behind it. You have Godrevy lighthouse on one side and views over to St. Ives on the other.
Looking towards St. Ives from the sand dunes at Gwithian Towans Beach, Cornwall
There are always lots of photo opportunities here, so I’ll happily spend the day wandering around with my camera, framing the sea through the sand dunes, and the lighthouse with a beautiful bit of sea thrift in front, or some lovely reflections of the sky on the sand.
There are some lovely walks around the headland at Godrevy too and you’ll often see seals here. There’s also a good National Trust cafe at Godrevy. But our favourite spot for coffee and snacks is the Hungry Horsebox van you’ll find on the beach at Gwithian - and you can’t beat the views!
Hungry Horsebox coffee van on Gwithian Sands beach, Cornwall
Unfortunately, this particular day we visited was very cold and windy and quite grey, so I didn’t get many photographs. I’ve included a few photos here from some other years so you can see the full splendour of the beach! You could also have a read of my 5 beautiful places to visit from Gwithian Sands blog post for more photos and ideas.
Day 5 - Cliff path walk from Holywell > Polly Joke > Crantock and back
Gull Rocks. Holywell Bay from the sand dunes
We headed back to Holywell again, this time for a day of cliff path walking. We started out in the sand dunes, but quickly climbed up to the cliff tops for some wonderful views. Our first stop was Polly Joke (also called Porth Joke), a small beach off the beaten track, but really the journey to get there was the main event. The scenery is just so beautiful. We continued on to find Crantock beach, which we’d never visited before. There were some incredible sand dunes there. We weren’t sure of the path, so ended up sliding down a really high sand bank to the beach.
Polly Joke (Porth Joke) Beach from the cliff path
Crantock Beach, Cornwall from the cliff path
Crantock Beach, Cornwall
Misty rolling in the soft sand in the dunes on the way down to Crantock Beach, Cornwall
I remember having a lovely paddle in a particularly warm patch of water - bliss! There are facilities at Crantock and a fabulous Army van on the beach serving coffee and cakes and ice cream. We spent quite a bit of time lazing on the beach, before heading back on the cliff path to Holywell. Another thoroughly lovely day.
Cargo Coffee Army Van on Crantock Beach, Cornwall
Day 6 - Chapel Porth beach > Porthtowan beach > St. Agnes Head
Looking back to Chapel Porth beach from Porthtowan beach at low tide
Chapel Porth is another lovely sandy beach in the care of the National Trust, about a 40-minute drive from Watergate Bay. We’ve visited many times before, and usually manage to arrive when the tide is high and the beach is covered. This time, however, we timed it perfectly and there was a large stretch of sand. We ended up walking along the beach to nearby Porthtowan beach, paddling in the waves along the way, and then walked back along the coast path, getting the best of both worlds.
From Chapel Porth, we then climbed up onto the cliff path again and headed to the tin mines at St. Agnes. There are some fantastic views along the way and the tin mines perched on the edge of the cliff are very photogenic. We also saw a Cornish Chough - a rare bird - so felt very privileged.
So that’s it. A thoroughly lovely week, exploring the areas near Watergate Bay. If you’d like to read more, have a browse through the related blog posts below about Cornwall and Devon, or click the button below to browse some more photos of Cornwall - I’ve amassed rather a lot over the years.
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