With a history as a fishing village that stretches back beyond the middle ages, Newquay has been a major tourist destination since the arrival of the first passenger trains in 1876. It grew steadily throughout the twentieth century and is now home to the widest range of attractions and events in England’s westernmost county.
Historic Fishing Port
Newquay’s historical roots remain, from the Huer’s Hut above Pigeon Cove where spotters would watch for shoals of pilchards that used to be the basis of the local economy to the still-active fishing harbour and the originally Edwardian Trenance Gardens overlooking the Gannel river valley.
But few would describe it as one of Cornwall’s quaint, historical towns. Newquay is modern and upbeat, a place for families and the young and young-at-heart to have fun and new experiences.
The Blue Reef Aquarium above Towan Beach and the Newquay Zoo have impressive collections of wildlife, both run educational programmes as well as being fun for families. The Tunnels Through Time in the town centre offers intriguing glimpses of Cornish farming and industrial history, and the nearby the Lappa Valley Steam Railway operates on one of the county’s oldest narrow-gauge mineral railway lines.
Tourist Attractions and Events
Waterworld, the Oasis waterpark, Dairyland Farm World, the Trenance Crazy Golf course, the Holywell Fun Park, the Wooden Waves skateboarding centre and a little further afield the St Eval Kart Circuit all offer a good time in safe, well maintained facilities.
Newquay offers a wide range of eating styles including Indian, Italian, French, Mexican, Thai and some fine English cuisine based on local produce. And the town has an active nightlife with its famous, sometimes infamous, stag and hen nights.
Every month has its special events, from the educational to the local, national and international surfing championships, the Newquay Fish Festival in September and the Christmas Festival with its arts, music, food and theatre programme.
The biggest event each year is the “Run to the Sun,” a three-day gathering of custom vehicle enthusiasts at the end of May. The Run to the Sun has grown from a modest start in 1987 to a major festival when VW Beetles and camper vans seem to take over the roads in and around the town and guest DJs, singers and comedians take over the bars and clubs.
Newquay, Surfing Capital
But for many visitors the best man-made attractions are still no match for the magnificent coastline in all its natural glory. Fistral is perhaps the best known of the ten beaches within easy reach of the town centre. This wonderful stretch of flat, open sand faces directly out towards the Atlantic Ocean where throughout the year the surfing community enjoys some of Britain’s most consistently rideable waves.
A short hike on the Coastal Footpath leads to the vast expanse of Perran Bay to the south, or to the similarly impressive Watergate Bay to the north, where the TV chef Jamie Oliver has set up his classy Fifteen Cornwall restaurant.
Getting There
Newquay is one of the most accessible towns in Cornwall. A few miles from the four-lane A30 trunk road, the town is also served by a railway with services direct to London. The airport has been steadily upgraded in recent years. Finally free from its military origins NQY now runs exclusively civil services. Already several airlines offer scheduled flights to UK and European destinations and the development plan promises more and easier connections.
Paul Lightfoot - I lived and worked in Asia for many years, managing and monitoring rural development projects for a living and using that experience to ...
