On the northern coast of Cornwall, England you’ll find the small fishing port of Padstow. Padstow is famous for its history, excellent restaurants and pretty seaside atmosphere. Padstow’s harbour is a big draw and is featured on most postcards of the town. In the harbour are many traditional fishing boats and pleasure crafts that bob in the water and the various quayside restaurants and pubs only add to the holiday feeling in Padstow. The town is hugely popular with tourists who come not just from all over the UK but also further afield from places such as Germany and The Netherlands. English celebrity chefs Rick Stein and Paul Ainsworth have established restaurants in the town which has further boosted Padstow’s reputation as a place to enjoy good food and relax! Keep reading to find out more about this pretty seaside town!
Where to stay
Padstow is home to various types of accommodation including luxury hotels, bed and breakfasts and hostels for surfers and young people. They tend to get busy during the summer months and accommodation is often hard to find. Perhaps a better idea than staying in a crowded hotel is to rent your own holiday cottage or apartment. Wimdu have a wide selection of holiday accommodation in Padstow to suit all requirements – check out our offers today!Fun Facts
- The famous lines ‘They shall not grow old, as we that are left to grow old’ were written by Laurence Binyon by Padstow in 1914.
- Padstow’s Doom Bar is not a pub but a dangerous stretch of sand in the sea responsible for many shipwrecks!
- Fans of chef Rick Stein have dubbed Padstow ‘Padstein’ in his honour!
- Cornwall’s coastline is the longest in Britain – it’s 433 miles long!
- There are more than 75,000 cows in Cornwall!
Things to see and do in Padstow
Padstow is the perfect English seaside town with excellent nearby beaches, restaurants and walking opportunities along the coast and inland. There are also some good attractions that are worth checking out too. The National Lobster Hatchery, which is located on the South Quay in Padstow is a natural lobster hatchery breeds the animal in a safe environment relieve the strain on the surrounding sea. Prideaux Place is a 400 year old beautiful stately home perched on the hill above Padstow. It’s a place where you can get a fascinating glimpse into what life used to be like in the house and the immaculately preserved gardens are a pleasure to walk around. Padstow Lifeboat Station is located on the edge of Padstow and is open daily to the public – you can admire the boats and learn about day to day life for the people that run that station. Padstow’s treacherous surrounding coastline has claimed the lives of many sailors whose ships have run aground near Padstow and the lifeboat service continues to play an important role in the community. Boat trips run from Padstow harbour and you can be taken on tours of the coast where it’s possible to see seals and dolphins! You can learn more about what is on offer in Padstow and local events on during your stay at Padstow Tourist Information Centre – it’s your one stop shop for everything you need to know about Padstow!Beach life
The beaches in and around Padstow are excellent and attract many surfers who come for the excellent waves! Harlyn Bay Surf School is located by the picturesque Harlyn Bay and specialises in standup paddleboarding, coasteering and surfing and runs excellent lessons and tutorials to teach interested parties the basic! Treyarnon Bay is a stunning beach located near to Padstow and is well loved by locals and visitors alike. The rock pools are particularly excellent around Treyarnon Bay and the vast stretches of sandy a safe water make it an ideal beach for families. Constantine Beach is also recommended and is no known by many people so you’ll more than likely have the beach to yourself!Getting Around
Padstow is best reached by road and lies on the A30 road close to the city of Exeter. The M5 motorway connects Cornwall with Bristol, Cheltenham and beyond. Padstow and the surrounding area should be explored with the aid of a car – public transport is limited in the surrounding countryside and you won’t be able to be able to explore as much as you’d like to. Padstow’s nearest airport is Newquay International Airport which has daily flights to London airports Stansted, Gatwick and Luton. The nearest train station is Bodmin Parkway and there are bus connections between Bodmin and Padstow. Getting around Padstow is easy as the town is small and compact – you won’t need to avail of public transport 
