Get amongst the waves and enjoy these great Cornish surfing beaches
December 15th, 2015
Whilst in Cornwall it’s always best to enjoy the things that make this county truly great, whether that’s enjoying a delicious pasty or exploring some of the many heritage sights that are dotted throughout Cornwall. You should also take some time away from one of our many luxurious places to stay in Cornwall and wax up a surfboard, jump into the beautiful Atlantic Ocean and enjoy the waves.
The ocean is extremely dangerous even for experts so when going for a surf be sure to not go on your own, always let someone where you are going and if in doubt, don’t go out!
Here are some of our favourite beaches for beginners and why we love them.
Gwithian Beach
This beach seems remote, it’s situated between St. Agnes and St. Ives and an easier slightly tamer wave compared to the other beaches that surround it. You access the beach through the dunes where you can take in the lovely scenery before catching a wave. Surf hire is available daily from 10am-6pm and be sure to head to Sunset Surf Café after a day at the beach to refuel and sample some Cornish ales.
Harlyn Bay
This northern facing beach is a great place when the main spots have big swell and lots of wind, and is a beautiful little cove that has a carpark situated right next to it. The swell is always a little smaller here making it ideal for beginners and with it being 3 miles away from Padstow, it makes for the ideal place to sample some of the Cornish ocean’s tastiest dinners.
Polzeath
This is basically a Cornish version of Malibu; surfers have swarmed to this area for years with salty barefooted people roaming the streets becoming common place. You can see great views of this beach from the cliff top, where you can suss out the best place for you to surf. The waves vary here quite quickly and it’s not uncommon to see a variety of surf conditions throughout the day. Head to the Oystercatcher for a post surf meal, ales and live music.
Perranporth
In the summer this beach can at first look like chaos due to how busy it can be. Don’t be put off though, if you head here after high tide the beach gets dramatically bigger as the tide drops and south of the main beach you will find ‘Lushingtons’ which opens the beach up further where you will find many waves for beginners. A day here is almost always followed up with a visit to the Watering Hole Beach Bar to fill those empty stomachs.
Towan Beach
When people think of Newquay and surfing they automatically think Fistral, but if you follow the headland north you will come across Towan beach in the harbour next to the centre of Newquay. This is another beach to head to when the waves start to get bigger on the main breaks and provides a mellow left hand wave suitable for all levels. You may even bump into one of the neighbourhood seals that frequent the area.