
Holywell Bay
This wide bay of golden sand fringed by grassy dunes is a beach for all seasons — storm watching in winter and kicking back with a book in the summer while children play in the trickling stream. If you want to venture out onto the water, there’s surf and bodyboard hire from Holywell Bay School and Surf and Cornwall Surf Academy. At low tide you can explore the amazing Holywell Cave (keep an eye on the tide) and see the wreck of an old Argentinian coaster SS Francia, which hit the rocks in 1917. Taking a picnic up onto the dunes for sunset is the perfect end to the day.
Lifeguarded? Mid May-end of Sept
Dog-friendly? Yes, all year round

Porth Joke
Known locally as Polly Joke, this small cove halfway between Crantock and Holywell is a quieter alternative to some of Newquay’s bigger, more crowded beaches. It’s a 20-minute walk from the National Trust carpark in Crantock but it’s an easy, flat amble through pretty fields down to the sand. There’s a stream running down the beach, ideal for sandcastle builders and dogs, who are welcome on the beach all year round. Make sure you bring a picnic with you as there are no facilities on the beach. Come in early summer for carpets of red poppies and yellow marigolds on the West Pentire headland.
Lifeguarded? No
Dog-friendly? Yes, all year round

Crantock
The River Gannel flows from the approach to Newquay right around the outskirts of the town and out into the Gannel Estuary before reaching the sea. Here, there is an idyllic beach that sits either side of the river as it makes its way down the sand to meet the sea. Crantock is a great place for kids, who can play under the watchful eye of the lifeguards
Lifeguarded? Mid May-end of Sept
Dog-friendly? Yes, all year round