Guide: North Coast of Cornwall
Ok so it’s no secret we love Cornwall. Come rain or shine, we’ve loved exploring the area over the years. From the heather-carpeted clifftop walks to the wild waters, there’s an array of activities for the whole family. Enroll the little ones in a surf lesson while you watch from a beach café or brave a plunge in the local tidal pool. The choice is aplenty.
As we’ve spent much of our time bobbing along the North Coast, we’ve started with our suggestions for this area below.
St Agnes
Porthtowan
Porthtowan
Porthtowan
Eat
Lula Shack
Situated on Hayle Harbour’s North Quay, Lula is open all day offering a ‘fresh fusion of Cornish, New Orleans creole and Floridian crab-shack spice.’ Think slow cooked ribs through to fresh seafood. They also offer takeaway from the outside hatch for the perfect beach picnic.
Blue Bar
A local treasure- it doesn’t get much more laid-back than this place. Situated on the dunes of Porthtowan beach, it makes the ideal spot to refuel while watching the crashing waves. Also a great spot if you’re just looking for a drink in the summer. From burgers to tacos, we love that this place also includes vegan options.
Mount Pleasant Eco Park & Canteen
One of the best. Varied pop-ups throughout the summer and plant-based guru, Canteen also on-site. Read more on this one here.
Chapel Porth Beach Café
The home of the famous Hedgehog ice cream with clotted cream and giant sandwiches, a great spot for pre-walk fuel!
Gurnard’s Head
This is one you cannot miss, seriously though it’s bright yellow so you really can’t miss it. We first found this gem when we dropped a random pin on the map and decided to explore the area. It’s a lovely, rugged area and is often very peaceful as it’s not one of the better known spots. After our walk we popped in for lunch and we’ve returned a few times again for dinner since. Described by themselves as a ‘dining-pub’, all the cosy comforts of a pub (roaring open fire etc) are combined with beautiful, curated food. Their menu is not long but boy is it mighty, sourced from local produce and suppliers.
Summer House
Created by Jamie-Lee and Ben Quinn (also the founder of the iconic Canteen), Summer House follows an ‘Earth, Surf and Turf’ approach to bring great food into the mainstream. Finely selected produce and a beautiful spot overlooking Perranporth beach make this spot unmissable at sunset.
Nancarrow Farm
Feasts are offered here all year round. Served on communal tables, the feast focuses on local produce with live music as the backdrop. We visited in the summer and enjoyed our feast via picnic basket, taking it away and tucking in inside their barn.
Pasties
Yes you can get these ALL over Cornwall, but a few of our favourites include St Agnes bakery (yay for the vegan options), Prima Bakeries and Etherington Farm Shop.
Sushea
Probably the best name in the game? All your Sushi needs in Newquay.
Ghenki
Home to one of our greatest Cornish memories- stop off on your way down to St Agnes beach and enjoy eating in their garden under the summer sun. Great for waffles and smoothie bowls.
The Tap House
Great food, cocktails and live music in St Agnes. What more do you need? Think Poke bowls, tacos and crab.
Sunset Surf at Gwithian beach
Perfect for a breakfast or coffee before you head down onto the beach and just opposite the car park, ideal.
Hub Box Truro
Award-winning burgers and all your crafted drinks needs, Hub Box offers an easy-going vibe and is great for larger families.
Porthtowan Beach Café
From burritos to tacos and buddha bowls, this is a great spot by Porthtowan beach for breakfast and lunch. Sustainable to the core and big on the local community and producers.
Seasmiths Fish and Chips
Are you really on a holiday by the sea in the UK if you haven’t had fish and chips? Order ahead online for your sustainably caught cod and haddock in Porthtowan.
St. Eia Wine Bar
Take a break from the often hectic St Ives and settle into this intimate bar, tucked away near Porthmeor beach. Carefully selected wines, beers and supper evenings.
Chapel Porth Beach Café
Gurnard’s Head
Ghenki
Stays and Spas
Tolcarne Beach Village
Read more on our post over here.
Mount Pleasant Eco Park
Read more on our post over here.
Bedruthan Hotel and Spa
Sister to the infamous Scarlet Spa, Bedruthan Hotel and Spa is situated on the clifftop above Mawgan Porth and is suitable for kids (which the Scarlet doesn’t allow). We opted for a package including a one night stay, dinner and a spa experience. We also added the Sensory Spa Garden to our stay which we would recommend. Think outdoor hot tubs and blazing fire pits.
Scarlet Spa Hotel and Spa
An eco escape exclusively for adults, the Scarlet focuses holistically on wellness and luxury. We only stayed for the day but opted for a package which included lunch and a massage. The treatment itself was great but we found that the organisation of the day could have been more clearly communicated, something we didn’t experience at Bedruthan.
Scarlet Spa
Scarlet Spa
Do
Surf & Swim
There are many many surf spots on the North Coast, it’s one of the factors that makes this area so great and popular with surfers. A few of our favourites include Porthtowan, Perranporth, Tolcarne, Gwithian and Hayle River Mouth.
If you’re looking for a swim, a peaceful one at that, there are some great tidal pools including Bude, Porthtowan, Kynance Cove and Chapel Rock (on Perranporth beach). Accompany your surf/swim with Yoga to stretch it out, over at the Limehouse.
Kynance Cove
St Ives
Bude
Perranporth
Porthtowan
Hayle River Mouth
Retreats
We haven’t booked a retreat here yet but we’d love to book Sophie Hellyer’s Rise Fierce retreat this summer. Rise Fierce consists of wild swims, yoga, breathwork and connection via powerful women’s circles.
Outdoor Cinema
During 2021, we visited Scorrier House in Truro for a drive-in cinema which was so much fun. They didn’t offer this last year but hopefully it will be back. We’d also love to try Watergate Bay drive-in which runs during the peak summer months.
Walking
If you follow us on Instagram, you may have seen us walking the South West Coastal Path from time to time. It’s hard to pick a favourite spot but we love the walk from Gurnard’s head down to the cliffs, as this was a special discovery for us, as well as the stretch by Wheal Coates- passing disused tin mines. Last but by no means least, Nanjizal is a very special spot.
Gurnard’s Head
Nanjizal
Nanjizal
Wheal Coates
Nanjizal
Sally’s Bottom
Koru Kayaking
Take to the water with an excursion organsied by Koru, we took ours over the other side on the Helford and stopped off at several private beaches but you can also join in at St Agnes.
Gardens
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Located in Pentewan and features 200 acres of beauty, lost in time since WW1 and only discovered again 30 years ago. The UK’s only outdoor jungle makes it feel like you’ve stepped into another world. Sunday roasts, theatre productions and supper events are all part of the magical experience here during summer.
Trebah
Rated amongst the 80 finest gardens in the world for a reason. The sub-tropical paradise even includes its own private beach, making the perfect ice cream spot after your walk. This place gets more and more special every time we visit, we’d definitely recommend visiting in the summer to see the Gunnera Passage.
The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Trebah