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03 June 2019 / Written by Rachel

8 Reasons to visit Newquay

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8 Reasons to visit Newquay

Our favourite seaside town is spoilt with things to do, cliff top walks, golden sandy surf beaches, cute intimate cafes and the coolest independent shops.

You can go and have a wild night out or enjoy a few beachside cocktails with family and friends.

It really has it all and you canโ€™t escape the dramatic coastal views.

So if youโ€™re joining us on one of our coaching weekends in Newquay this year, why not check out the rest of what Newquay has to offerโ€ฆ

Here are our top 8 reasons to visit Newquay:

The views and the walks

As we mentioned above, you canโ€™t escape that gorgeous rugged coastline. There are plenty of National Trust walks to do that involve either a drink or a cream tea at the top of the headland. Check out the Lewinnick Lodge or the Headland Hotel for the best views!

The Cafe Culture

Newquay knows how to do good coffee! From cute cafรฉs with home-made cakes to the staple โ€˜avoโ€™ on toast. Go check out our favourite places such as The Jam Jar Cafe, The Box & Barber and the Pavillion Bakery. Newquayโ€™s cafรฉs are super friendly and will make you feel at home in no time.

The Activities

Stand up paddleboarding, surfing, coasteering, fishing, kayaking, bodyboarding, yoga, horse riding on the beach, and the list goes on! Newquay Activity Centre offers over 40 different activities to tire you and, or family out. But if you fancy something more mellow, check out the Yoga Garden schedule for a more relaxing yoga experience.

If youโ€™re keen to try surfing for the first time, our private surf lessons are a great introduction, or you can join one of our Newquay surf weekends for group coaching.

The Independent Stores

We are so proud of Newquayโ€™s locals who have not only created awesome independent stores in a seasonal surf town but for the local community who shop all year around and support them! It is whatโ€™s changing Newquay to an all year round top destination. We have plastic free shops like โ€˜The Good Lyfeโ€™, traditional surf shops like โ€˜Watershedโ€™ and โ€˜Sunset Surfโ€™ and cool boutiques like โ€˜MMWโ€™. We definitely have one of the best shopping experiences in Cornwall!

The Surf

Fistral, Towan, Great Western, Tolcarne, Watergate, Mawgan Porth, the list goes on and on. There are plenty of beaches to choose from and a wave that suits every level of surfer. Some of beaches are hidden away and offer shelter from the wind and some beaches are open to all the elements which pick up swell even when itโ€™s small. It doesnโ€™t matter what watercraft you ride, youโ€™ll find some waves somewhere. Our Newquay beaches are pretty consistent and you can normally find an uncrowded peak somewhere.

For those keen to push their surfing further, check out our Newquay coaching weekends or take the plunge with our Intensive Surf Instructor Course.

Nights out & good food!

Newquay is riddled with amazing restaurants serving up the freshest food. 90% of them come with a sunset view too. Our perfect night out is a game of pitch and putt followed by Mexican food at โ€˜Gilmoresโ€™ or head over to โ€˜The Stableโ€™ for pizza and a cider for the best sunset view in Newquay. Then stroll on up to โ€˜Tom Thumbโ€™ for great cocktails all night long. If youโ€™re not surfing in the morning maybe even dance the night away at โ€˜The Dead Famousโ€™. Be warned, youโ€™ll struggle to leave.

Cheap Flights from London to Newquay

You can be living the Newquay dream in just 1 hours flight. A flight from London is as little as ยฃ60! This is a complete game changer for Newquay and makes it incredibly easy to come and go, better than being stuck on the M5 for hours. For those who prefer to drive, the A30 has never been slicker since the latest road works! TWO LANES ALL THE WAY BABY!

US, Jokes. Kinda, not joking…

Of course you should come and visit Women + Waves. We not only want to get you hooked on surfing but we also like you to experience our little wonderland of Newquay. We make sure that when you arrive you have a stress free weekend and we plan the weekend so there is no thinking involved, meaning you can relax and surf as much as possible. This way you know that you are experiencing the very best of Newquay!

A few more reasons why Newquay is one of a kind:

  • Dog Friendly, I hope you like dogs as itโ€™s the most dog friendly place youโ€™ve ever been. You almost feel left out if you donโ€™t have a pooch by your side.

  • Family Friendly, There are loads to do with the family such as, The Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay Zoo, Newquay Activity Centre, feeding the ducks at the Boating Lake, Dairy Land, cinema, skate parks, swimming pools and loads more! If you want something active together, try our Waterwomen Programme which is perfect for mums, daughters and friends who want to surf together.

  • Boardmasters & The Great Estate Festival, Florence & The Machine along with Wu-Tang Clan are headlining this year at Boardmasters and we think it will be the best one yet. Hurry up and book your tickets for the 7-11th August for the busiest yet most exciting week in Cornwall. For Cornwallโ€™s coolest and most unique festival for all the family check out The Great Estate Festival!

  • Incredible Community, A small but powerful community. Not clicky, just friendly!

  • Cornish Pasties, Of course. Say no more! Newquay makes the best pasties to suit your diet! Vegan, Gluten free, Meat or Veggie weโ€™ve got you covered.

  • Fish and Chips, It doesnโ€™t get any fresher when itโ€™s just come out of the harbour!

  • The beauty, Maybe weโ€™re biased but we think itโ€™s one of the most sublime places in the world.

If you like the sound of the above and want to join us on one of our Women + Waves Surf Coaching Weekends, we would love to show you its wonders whilst you learn to surf.

For structured progression in Newquay, take a look at our Progressor Surfer Programme too.

We hope to see you down here soon!

Author

Rachel

Rachel Murphy, founder of Women + Waves, was born and raised in Cornwall and discovered her passion for surfing at 14 during work experience at a local surf school. After years of coaching and working in the surf travel industry, she launched Women + Waves to carve out space for women in surfing.