Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall, South West England

Date: 2010.08.24 | Category: Been there, Places to go, Review 5 star | Tags: Cornwall,Fistral Beach,Newquay,South West England

One word comes to mind when thinking of Fistral Beach in Newquay, Cornwall… surfing.  Fistral Beach is the home of British surfing, with the British Surfing Association based there, and so is a must for surfers of all experiences and levels.

Before I go any further, if surfing conjures up images of Hawaii and young athletic people riding the waves… don’t be put off.  Fistral, particularly during the summer months, is the haven of the family amateur surfer, body boarder and the swimmer.  In fact with the RNLI Lifeguards present throught the summer months, keeping order and keeping you safe, Fistral Beach is a great place to take the family for safe water fun.

Fistral Beach has a car park above it, but you will need to get there early or be lucky to find a space.  If not, there are a plenty of car parks in the town which are not too long a  walk away.  However, we always tried the car park first, if we were not lucky with a space then we dropped all our stuff and the passengers off and then went to park the car.

Fistral itself is a large, generally flat, sandy beach.  It will get busy in the summer holidays when the sun is out but you can usually find yourself somewhere to sit.  We found our beach tent invaluable in securing a little bit of space and, more importantly, to help us find our way back to our stuff after being in the sea!

The facilities at Fistral are very good, there are toilets and showers (50p token required) as well as a cafe and shops over looking the beach.  The food is not the cheapest – £2 for chips – but all in all, the facilities make it far easier to spend the day at the beach.

So the surfing and bodyboarding.  Well the summer swells are not the best time of year for the serious surfer – it is much better in the Autumn – but it is a good time for beginner as there are usually good waves to learn and practice on.  As you would imagine there are a number of BSA approved surf schools that operate on Fistral Beach and lessons for a half day tend to be around £30.  It is well worth having a lesson at the beginning of your holiday to teach you the techniques and the safety basics nad then you can spend the rest of the holiday refining your technique. Surf lessons are appropriate for people of all ages – from 8 to 78, so there are no excuses not to give it a go!

Your surf school will provide everything you need for your lesson – including boards and wetsuits – you just need to remember your swimming costume, a towel and the sunscreen (even on cloudy days)!  If you don’t want the lesson but don’t have the equipment, there are plenty of places on the beach or nearby that you can hire surf equipment including the wetsuits.

Whether you are swimming, surfing or bodyboarding, there are specific areas for you to be in on the sea and the RNLI Lifeguards keep it well organised, meaning you can feel safe whatever you are doing.

Newquay town centre is only a short walk from the beach and so at the end of the day it is easy to head for a bar or pub for a drink to celebrate your success!

Where to stay?

• Self catering and cottages in Newquay, Cornwall, South West England
• Holiday parks in Newquay, Cornwall, South West England
• Lodges in Newquay, Cornwall, South West England
• B&B’s in Newquay, Cornwall, South West England
• Hotels in Newquay, Cornwall, South West England

Summary

• Suitable for Family: 5 stars
• Beach and surf: 5 stars
• Beach facilities (toilets/showers): 4 stars
• Cafe/food: 4 stars
• Safety: 5 stars (RNLI Lifeguards during season)
• OVERALL: 5 STARS

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