Why
Padstow?

We’re local people who live the North Cornwall lifestyle all year round. We can’t wait to share the best of Padstow with you, and are brimming with ideas and inspiration to make your holidays here memorable.

Kite flying on the beach near Padstow

Crabbing off the harbour wall and high tide swims off the steps at ‘Chidley Pumps’ beach. Mini-golf with sea views, then shopping for Cornish fudge and seaside souvenirs. Cornish pasties or fish and chips with your feet dangling off the quayside. Kite flying, bike riding, and bucket-and-spade days. Padstow is made for classic seaside holidays with sandy toes, ice cream, wheeling gulls, boat trips and beach days.

Loads of options for eating out in foodie Padstow

It’s no secret that Padstow is somewhat of a gastronomic hotspot that lures foodies from far and wide. From Stein’s signature Seafood Restaurant and Cookery School, to Ainsworth’s stable of award-winning eateries, you can dine out on some of the finest food in the UK.

But don’t just head to the big names for a bite to eat. Plenty of Padstow’s cafés and restaurants pack their menus with the same lip-smacking ingredients from land and sea – try Ben’s Crib Box for breakfast baps, Cherry Trees for coffee and cake by the harbour, Prawn on the Lawn for the best of the local catch, and Broad Street Burgers if you don’t fancy a fish-biased menu.

Aerial view of Trevone beach near Padstow

There’s nowhere else like Padstow with access to so many beaches just by stepping outside of your holiday cottage. Skip beyond the harbour to the sandy expanse of St George’s Cove, take the ferry steps to soak up the view at Chidley Pumps, or stroll along the coast path for a paddle and picnic on the powder-white Hawker’s Cove.

Venture further to the pristine shores of Trevone, Harlyn, Mother Ivey’s or one of the other Seven Bays. Or hop on the foot ferry to Rock beach and ramble along the coast path to dreamy Daymer Bay.

Biking on the Camel Trail

Beach walks, the South West Coast Path, The Camel Trail and the Saint’s Way… Padstow is at the heart of a web of wonderful walks. Saunter from beach to beach, strike out to blow holes, sea caves and craggy cliffs, or hike from coast to coast in the footsteps of pilgrims. Just don’t forget your hiking boots. This is a walker’s paradise.  

Fancy going faster than your feet can take you? Padstow marks the start of The Camel Trail – a traffic-free cycle route that wends along the Camel Estuary to the rolling Bodmin Moor. Hire a bike and peddle to your heart’s content, pausing for cream teas, pub fare and even wine tasting on route.

Then there are water-bound adventures galore, from boat rides, paddleboarding, water skiing and wake surfing, to wild swims and coasteering in craggy coves.

Fishing boat returning to Padstow along the Camel estuary

Padstow isn’t just home to a pretty harbour. It’s where fishermen toil, boat engines rumble and gulls swirl in every season. Soak up the briny air and seafaring heritage, or hop on a boat trip to catch your own dinner and see the treasures of Cornwall’s coastline.

Padstow’s past lives in the historic walls of old fishermen’s cottages, chapels and the mighty Prideaux Place stately home and deer park. Not forgetting traditional events such as May Day’s Obby Oss, and welcoming harbourside inns where locals and visitors gather beside roaring log fires.

With all this diversity comes a huge range of accommodation to suit different types of holidays, and different types of people. Whether you’re looking for a cosy fisherman’s cottage or a swanky harbour apartment, a big beach house or a rambling country pile, we know the perfect getaway for you and the best ways to make the most of the area when you get there.