Watergate Bay

We thought that Watergate Bay in Cornwall was worth its own page on our website, because it has so much to offer. Watergate Bay is a few miles to the east of Newquay, but is away from the hustle and bustle and has the perfect combination of a great beach (perfect for families, for walkers, and of course for surfers), an outstanding hotel, quality self-catering, a renowned Jamie Oliver restaurant, a pub or two, and easy access. Watergate Bay is a nice place to visit any time of year. In the summer, the beach is ideal for long, lazy days in the Cornwall sun. And in the quieter months, there are lovely beach walks, comfy accommodation, and nice places to eat and drink.

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Special Feature:

Watergate Bay - a resort for all tastes, and all seasons

The centrepiece of Watergate Bay is its two-mile expanse of sandy beach, surrounded by spectacular cliffs. The beach is a mecca for surfers. Experienced surf addicts need no introduction, but for beginners there is a surf school on the beach where you can book lessons and hire your gear. The beach is popular in the summer - but big enough to absorb the numbers without it ever feeling crowded. And in the winter (our favourite time to visit) you'll feel that you have the beach to yourself - just to walk and enjoy the spectacular waves crashing in to the shore.

Watergate Bay is home to the Extreme Academy, offering professional instruction in all sorts of beach-based sports including surfing, kite-surfing, and more. Click here for more information on the Extreme Academy on the beach at Watergate Bay.

Sleeping at Watergate Bay

Watergate Bay's centrepiece hotel is The Hotel at Watergate Bay. The Hotel has been owned by the same family for many years, but has received massive investment in recent times to create a stylish beach resort hotel with comfy rooms and quality facilities to suit singles, couples and families. The best rooms face the beach, are beautifully decorated, and even have free-standing baths in front of French windows overlooking the sands. But there is a wide range of more economical rooms too.

Alternatively, if self catering is more your thing, you might want to check out Beachcombers Apartments, which are also just a stone's throw from the beach. The apartments are well furnished, and include balconies and sea views.

The Hotel at Watergate Bay

Beachcombers Apartments

Eating at Watergate Bay

For real "foodies", there is only one restaurant at Watergate Bay - the Jamie Oliver inspired Fifteen Cornwall. Fifteen Cornwall is a cool, contemporary restaurant, overlooking the beach, serving the finest of local food to the highest standards thanks to an inspired group of trainee chefs from disadvantaged backgrounds, ably supervised by experienced chefs who are there to ensure that Jamie Oliver's exacting standards are achieved and exceeded. It's not cheap - but you'll get a memorable dinner (or lunch). Alternatively, if you'd like a taste of the Fifteen experience but you're on a budget, just call in for breakfast (fab bacon sarnis and more).

The menus at Fifteen Cornwall change daily, but you can see some sample menus by clicking here.

If you'd like to eat at Watergate Bay, but are looking for something more economical, there are plenty of other choices. The Hotel at Watergate Bay has a contemporary bar overlooking the beach, with a choice of delicious light meals (the sandwiches are huge and splendid). Or there's the Beach Hut, a beach bar overlooking Watergate Bay serving quality burgers, salads, desserts and other lovely things at reasonable prices. And there are a couple of other bars just close by too, serving good pub food in relaxed surroundings.

Getting to Watergate Bay

Of course you can drive to Watergate Bay. It's any easy 15 or 20 minutes from the A39 and A38 main arterial routes through Cornwall, just a few miles East of Newquay.

Or depending on where you are coming from, you could fly. Newquay Airport is just 1.5 miles from Watergate Bay. The main airline at Newquay Airport is Air Southwest, with frequent year-round flights from London Gatwick, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle, Bristol, Cork and Dublin. There are a couple of other airlines too - visit the Newquay Airport website for more information.

The train is another option. You can take the train to Newquay, and get a cab from there.

If you are flying down, or taking the train, you could hire a car when you get here. But it may not be necessary, as Watergate Bay is a short cab-ride from the airport, and has everything you need for a great short break in Cornwall (and it's another short cab-ride to Newquay if you want the bright lights!).