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Life's a beach

Mawgan Porth

Mawgan Porth Holiday Cottages

Lying midway between Padstow and Newquay on the rugged north Cornish coast, our Mawgan Porth holiday cottages are moments from a beautiful west facing beach, stunning scenery, wonderful coastal walks, superb surfing on Mawgan Porth and surrounding beaches, and fabulous food from the area’s pubs, restaurants and cafes, as well as food markets selling local, seasonal and artisan produce.

With acres of soft golden sand flanked by rugged cliffs, a brilliant network of walking routes and crashing surf year round, Mawgan Porth ticks all the boxes for families, dog lovers, surfers, and ramblers. Whether you’re on holiday with your brood, your dog, your boots or your board, you won’t be short of things to do in and around Mawgan Porth.

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The mawgan porth guide

Fabulous food

From classic fish and chips eaten on the seawall to shellfish platters in award-winning restaurants, seafood lovers will be delighted by the choice on offer in and around Mawgan Porth. If seafood’s not your thing, find exquisitely cooked steaks, vegetarian dishes made from local, seasonal produce and pizzas to keep the kids happy! Mawgan Porth is also home to one of the best food markets selling local produce — Cornish Fresh, on the beachfront, stocks fresh bread, pastries and pasties, as well as cupboard staples, spirits and wine, and delicious stone baked takeaway pizzas

Mawgan Porth is less than ten miles from Padstow and hour from Newquay, so it’s just a short hop if you want a change of scene. Paul Ainsworth’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Paul Ainsworth at No. 6, is in the heart of Padstow, whilst seafood restaurant Emily Scott Food is just round the headland in Watergate Bay, a half-hour walk.

Along the coast just a short drive away at Harlyn, experience The Lobster Shed at The Pig Hotel for seriously tasty, fresh, local produce.

Surfers at Mawgan Porth beach near Forever Cornwall holiday cottages

Breathtaking beaches

Mawgan Porth makes the perfect base for a beach holiday. Sheltered by towering cliffs on either side, the family-friendly beach has lots of rock pools, caves to explore, and a huge stream flowing down the southern edge of the beach. It’s also covered by seasonal lifeguards, making swimming and surfing safe.

When you’re after a change of scene, head to Newquay, which has no fewer than ten superb beaches within eight miles of the town. Most are at least half a mile long with plenty of space to explore and play. Lifeguards cover most of these beaches from March through until September, and from the shore you’ll be able to watch the surfers harness the Atlantic rollers. Newquay is also home to every conceivable kind of water and sand-based sport you can think of, from paddleboarding and kitesurfing to sandboarding.

Spa at Mawgan Porth near Forever Cornwall holiday cottages

Clifftop pampering

With two award-winning spas perched on the cliffs above the village and beautiful turquoise sea lapping at the cliffs below, if it’s unwinding you’re after then Mawgan Porth is the perfect spot. Perched on the rugged clifftops is The Scarlet, a luxury adult-only eco retreat with clifftop hot tubs and natural reed pool. Also in Mawgan Porth, the family-friendly Bedruthan Hotel offers a back-to-nature spa experience with a sensory spa garden, sauna rituals and day spas, again looking over the beautiful expanse of Mawgan Porth.

Start the day with a stroll along the beach and an invigorating sea swim, or lace up your boots and take the footpath in either direction — north towards Constantine Bay or south to Newquay. Return to your retreat for a hot bath and a glass of wine while you watch the sun set, or tucked under a blanket in front of a woodburner. Bliss.

Beaches
Food & drink
Things to Do

Beaches

Mawgan Porth

You could spend the entire week at this brilliant lifeguarded beach and still crave more. As a family friendly option, you can’t beat it: dunes, rock pools, caves, and two surf schools minutes away — Waves Surf School and The Surf Club Cornwall both run beginner, group and private lessons throughout the year. It’s perfect for tiring dogs out in the winter months (there are no dog restrictions), and ideal for sandcastle building come summer. There’s even a stream that runs down the beach to the sea, perfect for little ones when the sea’s on the rough side.

Lifeguarded? Early May-end of Sept
Dog-friendly? Yes, all year round

Beach near holiday accommodation in Newquay by Forever Cornwall

Lusty Glaze

Lusty Glaze in Newquay is a little more secluded than its more famous neighbours, notably Fistral or Towan, but it is utterly beautiful. Sheltered by high cliffs, with a fabulous beach restaurant and atmospheric live music sundowner sessions during the summer, Lusty Glaze is a great choice. There’s also a brilliant activity centre on the beach, so whether you fancy surfing, abseiling or dodgeball, there’s something for everyone at this beach.

Lifeguarded? Early May-end of Sept
Dog-friendly? Yes, all year round

Watergate Bay

Watergate Bay is a vast, two-mile stretch of sand on the outskirts of Newquay. Popular with surfers, sun seekers and dog walkers, there’s plenty of room on this beach for everyone. A small village with the same name has formed around the beach, with three good restaurants, including Emily Scott Food – and plenty of surf schools, such as Blue Surf school. There is a car park near the beach, making for easy access.

Lifeguarded? Early May-end of Sep
Dog-friendly? Yes, all year round

Porth Beach

This sheltered stretch of sand is a ‘Seaside Award’ beach, a scheme which recognises beaches throughout the country that celebrate the quality and diversity of the coastline. There is lifeguard cover from mid-May to the end of September, and the wonderful Gwenna Teahouse cafe at one end of the beach, Porth is a perfect family friendly beach.

Lifeguarded? Mid May-end of Sep
Dog-friendly? Seasonal dog ban May-September

Food & drink

Fish Restaurant Mawgan Porth near to Forever Cornwall holiday cottages

Catch Seafood Bar and Grill

Book in for a glorious Sunday roast with a view, stroll in off the beach for a sandwich or book in for a supper with sunset views — the menu at this beachfront seafood bar revolves around fresh fish landed from the local dayboats. The Newquay Bay local lobster is drizzled in garlic butter and comes with sea-salted fries, and there’s an good range of vegetarian dishes too too, with things like of green olive linguine and kitchen garden green tacos on the menu. The large decked terrace just off the sand is the perfect spot for a Catch Kernow Spritz cocktail.

The Kitchen by the Beach

You’ll find this cool cafe at The Park, a beautiful site with a collection of places to stay, from luxury cabins and lodges to yurts and cottages, all tucked away behind Mawgan Porth beach. The bright, colourful, contemporary cafe has a Scandi feel and hosts pizza nights on Sunday evenings, as well as roasts on Sundays — popular so always book! It’s open for breakfast from 8.30 (the Full Cornish comes with local bacon and sausages) whilst dinner dishes include Newlyn fish and chips with chunky tartare sauce. It’s dog friendly, too, and you can watch people splashing in the pool through the picture windows on one side.

Beach Box Cafe

This beachfront cafe in Mawgan Porth is housed in a converted shipping container has been serving up tasty, wholesome food and drink since 2016. The menu includes smoothie bowls and freshly made breakfast baps using Cornish only ingredients, as well as delicious flatbreads, wraps and buddha bowls. They even serve their own freshly made ice cream. They offer a beach picnic delivery service to help you avoid queueing later in the day — order at the box with your beach location (they have a grid map of the beach to help them locate you) and they’ll deliver at your chosen time!

Local food in Mawgan Porth

Mawgan Porth is home to one of the best beachfront food markets, Cornish Fresh, which supports local suppliers and artisan food producers, from fresh bread, pastries and pasties, as well as pantry staples, spirits and wine, plus stone baked takeaway pizzas. It’s a great place to stock up on goodies to take home with you. Newquay is five miles away, and has farmers’ markets, breweries, food stores and bakeries.

Find out more about buying local in with our handy Local Food Guide to Newquay and Mawgan Porth.

Eating out in Newquay

One of the great things about staying in Mawgan Porth is being able to get to Newquay easily for eating out. Having long ago shed its reputation as Cornwall’s party capital, Newquay is now a culinary hotspot, with a number of award-winning seafood restaurants, wine clubs and cocktail bars, vineyards, quirky pop-ups, artisan bakeries and cafes, beachside food trucks and brilliant pubs in and around the town.

To find out where we recommend, take a look at our Newquay Guide for inspiration.

Things to Do

Bedruthan Steps

A 40-minute walk via the coastal footpath from Mawgan Porth will bring you to this National Trust area, a popular spot for stargazing. When the tide is out, you can walk among the giant cliff stacks and ponder the local legend of the giant, Bedruthan. The cliff stacks are said to be his stepping stones for a shortcut across the bay when the tide was in — and whatever the real story of how this dramatic formation came to be, they’re well worth a visit. Finish off your trip with a cream tea at this wonderful cafe overlooking the beach.

Newquay aquarium and zoo

Mawgan Porth may not seem a likely wildlife wonderland, but with Blue Reef Aquarium and Newquay Zoo just a few miles away, animal-lovers will be delighted at the opportunities to get up close and personal with some amazing species. From reef sharks to giant octopi, the aquarium has plenty to see and much more to learn — they do a huge amount for conservation. This is similar at Newquay Zoo, where the staff pride themselves on their dedication to conservation and their breeding programmes. Spot lions, sloths and monkeys at this family-friendly attraction.

Surf lesson in progress near Mawgan Porth holiday cottages by Forever Cornwall

Watergate Bay

Just around the headland from Mawgan Porth — an easy 45-minute walk on the coast path — is Watergate Bay, home to a huge expanse of sand and every conceivable kind of water and sand-based sport there is! From surfing and paddleboarding to kite surfing, kayaking, coasteering and boadyboarding, this two-mile stretch of golden sand has it all. And if you’d rather stay on dry land, why not race around the sand on a kite buggy or landboard? There a numerous places to eat on the beach, from Emily Scott’s Restaurant to more relaxed options, such as the Hangout, a converted shipping container tucked into the cliffs above.