REGION:
SOUTHWEST UK
1HR 10MIN FLIGHT FROM OR 5HR DRIVE FROM LONDON
YEAR-ROUND SURF
BEST FOR FAMILIES APR-OCT
ALL LEVELS, EXCELLENT SURF SCHOOLS
REGION:
SOUTHWEST UK
1HR 10MIN FLIGHT OR 5HR DRIVE FROM LONDON
YEAR-ROUND SURF
BEST FOR FAMILIES APR-OCT
ALL LEVELS, EXCELLENT SURF SCHOOLS
CORNWALL FAMILY SURF TRAVEL GUIDE
FAMILY BEACH LIFE, FUN WAVES AND A COOL SURFING SCENE
With stylish self-catering surf pads and family beach hotels, Cornwall is the ideal destination to yo-yo between the waves, the sand and beachside facilities. The UK’s surfing hub, here you can surf under the tutelage of experts or chill out surfside. High-spec equipment ensures you’re toasty in the water whatever the weather, while getting to grips with surfing faster then ever. Plus there are plenty of family attractions for flat days and rainy days.
Cornwall Holiday Highlights
- Sandy beaches and expert surf schools
- High-tech equipment and warm wetsuits
- Designer family beach accommodation
- Easy access for the whole family – including the dog and grandparents
- Surfside restaurants, cafés and amenities
- Family attractions for flat days and rainy days
Cornwall Overview
The home of Family Surf Co, Cornwall is proof that the UK rivals the world’s top destinations for a family surfing holiday. All you need is a wetsuit and swanky surfside accommodation, which are in plentiful supply. The unofficial surfing capital of Newquay is where many of the local pros cut their teeth, but Cornwall’s stunning coastline is littered with beach breaks and reefs for all levels of surfers. Plus there are surf schools aplenty, good quality surfing kit for hire, lifeguarded beaches, mellow summer waves and a thriving family beach scene. No wonder it’s one of our favourite spots for a family surf trip.
What with high-tech kit, warm wetsuits, expert instructors and creature comforts to come home to, you don’t need to rely on summer weather to enjoy surfing in Cornwall. In fact, the best swells are in spring and autumn, when the beaches and line-ups are less crowded, and accommodation is a little cheaper, too. Aside from the surf, Cornwall is blessed with incredible scenery for all sorts of family adventures from wild walks to watersports, and an array of family-friendly attractions from the mega-star Eden Project to white-knuckle theme parks.
Featured Cornwall Surf Trips
QUICK FACTS ABOUT Cornwall AS A FAMILY SURF DESTINATION
Getting there: Fly direct from London, Ireland, Germany, Portugal and Spain. If you want to pack the boards, the grandparents and the dog in too, driving from London takes around 5 hours.
Getting around: With Cornwall Airport Newquay being 2 minutes’ drive from Watergate Bay and just 10 minutes’ from the surfing capital of Newquay, going on a surfing holiday to Cornwall couldn’t be easier. Drive or hire a car if you want to explore, but if you base yourself in Newquay you’ve got everything you need in walking distance.
Surf season: Year-round, with the best swells in spring and autumn. September to December is our favourite season as the swells are consistent, the line-ups quieter, and the water still warm from the summer sun.
Surfing level: Beginner to intermediate/ advanced.
Climate: Av temperature 10-17C (winter-summer).
Wetsuit: 3/2mm summer months, 4/3mm spring and autumn, 5/4mm with hood and boots in winter.
Time zone: GMT
Currency: UK£
Family Surf Co says:
Hayley Lawrence
Cornwall is our home and where all our children have grown up surfing – from toddlers to teenagers. Whatever the conditions, there’s always a wave to be found, and there’s a really supportive, family-friendly beach vibe here, along with expert surf schools on many of the beaches.
Cornwall is such an easy place to come on surfing holiday with your family, with stylish accommodation beside the waves for all budgets – whether you’re looking for an all-inclusive surf and spa hotel, or a self-catering holiday close the beach.
Read on to discover the best locations to surf, play, eat and stay on your family surfing holiday in Cornwall.
SURF: WHERE TO GO FOR YOUR FAMILY SURF HOLIDAY IN Cornwall
Home to the UK’s surfing capital of Newquay, Cornwall’s stunning coastline is littered with beach breaks. With surf schools aplenty, good quality surfing kit for hire, lifeguarded beaches, mellow summer waves and a thriving family beach scene, it’s one of our favourite spots for a family surf trip. While the North Coast is best known for consistent waves, we also know some quality breaks on the South Coast that are perfect for beginners and stormy weather.
Some of our Favourite Surf Spots in Cornwall
Newquay
Where better to start than the UK’s unofficial surfing capital. Newquay’s reputation rides on its littering of consistent surf breaks teamed with a laidback beach lifestyle. The town’s long been famous for its surf-by-day, party-by night attitude, but more recently its bars and clubs are being dwarfed by trendy brunch spots and swanky eateries overlooking the waves.
Fistral Beach, Newquay
Many of Cornwall’s pro surfers have cut their teeth on Fistral’s world-class waves. As well as a line-up of left and right hand peaks that work on most tides, it’s also home to the legendary big wave ‘Cribbar’, which breaks on an offshore reef when conditions prevail. There are plenty of peaks for all abilities to spread out along the beach, and it’s also well endowed with surf schools, hire outlets and surfside eateries, with easy parking, to boot. Doing its best to emulate Australian beach life, it’s no wonder that Fistral is a magnet for surfers from far and wide.
Towan and Great Western, Newquay
Linked at low tide, Newquay’s most central duo of beaches are safe, sandy and easily accessible from town. With no shortage of surf schools and beachside attractions, it comes as no surprise that they lure the crowds; especially when storm swells and south-westerlies mess up the surrounding beaches.
Tolcarne, Newquay
Accessed via steps and a slipway from the eastern end of town, Tolcarne is home to the famous ‘Wedge’ – a steep and hollow, high-tide wave favoured by bodyboarders. Boasting sugary sands backed by beach huts, a bar and restaurant, and a multi-activity centre, what more could you need?
Surf spots around Newquay
Follow the trail of surfboard-topped traffic out of Newquay in either direction and you’ll find a string of dreamy surf beaches where the waves march in to meet white, pillowy sands.
Mawgan Porth
A short hop north of Newquay and just two minute’s from Cornwall’s only airport, Mawgan Porth’s sandy runway is a swell magnet that breaks on all tides. Whether you want to catch green waves or practise on the white water, book a session with one of Cornwall’s best-loved surf schools – Kingsurf. Between surfs you can stock up on picnic supplies, fill up on fish, chips and ice cream, and kit yourself with everything you need for a day at the beach from the surfside stores.
Watergate Bay
One of the most popular and consistent surf spots on the outskirts of Newquay, the rolling waves at Watergate Bay are perfect for longboarders, beginners and all levels of surfers. A two-mile stretch of golden sand with peaks galore, it’s also home to a surf school, wave-side eateries that welcome sandy feet and sandy paws, and a swanky restaurant if you fancy donning your glad rags after a day in the sea.
Crantock Beach
A pebble’s throw from the bustle of Newquay’s beaches, Crantock boasts a huge National Trust carpark for easy access to its vast expanse of dune-backed waves. A winner with families, there’s everything you need from an award-winning surf school (SUP and bodyboarding also available), to a beach kiosk dishing up coffees, snacks and Cornish ice cream.
West CORNWALL surf spots
Porthtowan
With easy parking, beachside amenities and peaks that work on all tides, Porthtowan is a popular spot with all levels of surfers. It can be a punchy break, but as the tide drops you can shift onto the (sometimes) more mellow waves at the southern end. Tris Surf Shop has been in town since ’72, so it’s our go-to for lessons, gear and advice. And once you’ve got spaghetti arms and can surf no more, head to the iconic Blue Bar for a surf-side pint and a legendary burger.
St Ives Bay, Hayle
The three miles of golden sands yawning from Hayle’s rivermouth to the iconic Godrevy lighthouse is known as St Ives Bay, and a haven for surfers of all levels. While Godrevy and Gwithian attract masses of surfers, we prefer the slightly more mellow peaks a bit further down the beach at Mexico Towans. Here you’ve got a giant sand dune to roll down, Sandy Acres surf school and hire to make sure you’re well equipped for the waves, and a kiosk selling coffee and snacks to reward you after the calf-busting walk from the shoreline.
SENNEN COVE, nr Land’s End
White sand, crashing waves and surfside restaurants – Sennen Cove has got it all. Catching the brunt of the Atlantic swell it’s a popular surf spot, and you can often find a wave here when no other spots on the north coast are working. Add to that Blue Flag water quality, easy parking, a lifeboat station and a surf school run by British pros, and it’s a great location to enjoy the waves on the wilder side of Cornwall.
South Cornwall Surf Spots
PRAA SANDS
When north-easterly winds are messing up the north coast beaches, Praa Sands is our favourite break. It’s best at mid-tide and can get a bit sucky at high – but when you’re not catching waves it’s the perfect spot to build sandcastles, soak up the scenery from the South West Coast Path surf and make the most of the shore-side facilities – from water sports hire to a cool beach bar overlooking the waves.
WHITSAND BAY
While the south coast isn’t renowned for its surf, when the swell wraps around the tip of the rugged Rame Peninsula, Whitsand Bay’s four miles of golden sands are blessed with plenty of peaks where surfers can get their fill. If you need equipment or lessons, tap up the Adventure Bay surf school, and if the waves are flat you can take the plunge on a thrilling coasteering trip instead.
NORTH CORNWALL surf spots
Polzeath
This sandy swathe beckons surfers of all levels, and with a carpark bang on the sand it’s no wonder that it’s a popular spot for direct access to the waves. If you need instruction there are sand-side surf schools ready to oblige, as well as an abundance of places to fuel up without taking your eye off the waves. A cracking spot for beginners; or, if you’re looking for a quieter peak, nudge up towards to New Polzeath as the tide ebbs.
Widemouth Bay
Join the convoy of V-Dubs cruising up the Atlantic Highway with boards strapped to the roof, and you’ll eventually arrive at this popular, west-facing beach break on the outskirts of Bude. With a mix of lefts, rights, sand-bottomed and reef, there are waves for everyone. Plus there’s a beachfront car park, and an excellent surf school run by a former surfing champ.
Featured Cornwall Surf Trips
PLAY: THINGS TO DO ON A FAMILY SURFING HOLIDAY IN Cornwall
You can’t trust the sun to shine everyday in Cornwall. However, you can don a wetsuit or wrap up and enjoy beach life, coastal walks and rockpool rambles in any weather. Or, there’s plenty to do if you don’t fancy surfing in the rain: play lighthouse keeper on the Lizard, spot ships from the National Maritime Museum Cornwall or delve into the underwater world at the Blue Reef Aquarium. When you book a holiday with Family Surf Co. we’ll send you a personalised family sightseeing guide to Cornwall.
EAT: FOOD & DRINK FOR ALL THE FAMILY IN Cornwall
While pasties and ice cream are still part of a quintessential Cornish beach holiday, Cornwall’s undergone a foodie revolution in recent years. Now you can feast on delicious seasonal ingredients in swanky seafront restaurants that welcome sandy feet and crazy kids. Menus are built to stoke your energy before and after surf sessions – from fresh smoothies and superfood salads, to juicy burgers and just-caught seafood.
STAY: FAMILY-FRIENDLY SURF HOTELS AND ACCOMMODATION IN Cornwall
From stylish self-catering surf pads to family beach hotels with spas and surf schools, Cornwall offers an array of family surfing accommodation for all ages and budgets.
THE WRAP: Cornwall is an Easy and Gentle Introduction to Family Surf Travel
If you’re looking for a family surfing holiday to closer to home, Cornwall is the ideal location for a beach break. Before you head off on far-flung surf travels with your family, it’s the perfect location to learn to surf while enjoying stylish beach life, and is also accessible for a surfing weekender or shorter break between your family surf travels abroad.
For further inspiration, see this video from our surfing adventures in Cornwall over the years.
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