Are you looking for an amazing walk from Newquay? This beautiful route takes you from Newquay to Crantock and offers stunning views of the North Cornwall coastline.
When it comes to coastal walks, we’ve done our fair share. We’ve explored the gorgeous route across the cliffs from Eastbourne to Beachy Head and strolled along from the Somerset coast to Porlock Weir. We’ve done spectacular walks in North Wales, Norfolk, Essex and Kent. And now, it’s time to share one of our favourite routes in Cornwall.
This walk takes you from Fistral Beach in Newquay across the cliffs to Crantock. It shows you some of the finest scenery in North Cornwall, and offers some lovely food and drink stops too.
In the warmer months you’ll see white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. Meanwhile, tackle it in the cooler months and you’ll appreciate the rocky cliffs and choppy ocean. It’s a great route in every season, so long as you dress for the weather!
If you’re planning a holiday to Newquay, definitely add this beautiful walk to your itinerary.
Contents:
Newquay To Crantock Circular Walk
Section 1: Newquay to The Fern Pit Café
This walk begins at the top of the steps at the far end of Fistral Beach. When I say far end, I mean the opposite end to where you’ll find the main restaurant complex. The steps you’re looking for lead up from Sea Spray Fistral, which happens to be a great place to grab a quick coffee or a tasty brunch.
From this point, head away from the beach, following the paved path up the hill. You’ll pass Fistral Beach hotel on your left, with the ocean on your right.
This path turns into a private road. Here, you’ll see some amazing homes, with unique architecture and incredible sea views!
Don’t forget to look back down the cliffs to the right to admire the view of Fistral Beach, before it goes out of view.
When the path splits, I’d recommend opting for the lower path. Here, you’ll see views of Lewinnick Lodge, with its tidal pools below. It’s perched right on the edge of the cliffs, in an amazing position, and boasts breathtaking views!
This path then rejoins the main path. At the next corner you’ll see a wooden direction sign. Take the path marked “Coast Path – Porth Joke (via Headland) and Gannel Crossings (via Headland)”.
Soon, you’ll pass the entrance to Lewinnick Lodge and continue towards the headland. I’d recommend stopping for photos on the headland, or take a little breather on one of the benches.
Once you’ve admired the views, follow down to the lower path on the headland overlooking the Gannel Estuary. For us, this coincided with low tide, so there was a huge beach to see.
Before long, you’ll see houses ahead and car park to your left. Follow the road and have a pitstop at the Fern Pit Cafe. This is one of the most beautifully-positioned cafes you’ll ever visit. It’s absolutely stunning. There’s a big menu of breakfast and brunch dishes, as well as warm drinks, sweet treats, and alcoholic beverages too.
Section 2: The Fern Pit Café to Polly Joke
The next part of this walk takes you from the headland, across Crantock Beach, to Polly Joke.
Starting at The Fern Pit Café, take the steps down the cliff. These are usually open until 6pm. At the bottom you’ll have two options depending on what the tide is doing. At low tide you can cross the footbridge, or at high tide, you’ll need to take the ferry.
For us, it was low tide, so we walked across the bridge onto Crantock Beach. Your next step is to make it onto the South West Coast Path. We tried going up on the sand dunes quite early on, but to be honest, the path wasn’t clear and they were very steep and unstable. I wouldn’t suggest trying!
My recommendation would be to go through the car park and follow the path through the grassy section to the sand dunes. This eventually joins the South West Coast Path (marked with an acorn symbol).
Stay on the SWCP, then when you see the sign for Vugga Cove, follow sign to lower level. Rather than following this all the way down though, at the intersection, go to the left to follow around the headland.
Eventually you will reach more epic views, overlooking the beautiful bay in Polly Joke. There are plenty of benches dotted along the edge, so have a little rest and take in the views. You’ve earned it!
Section 3: Polly Joke to Crantock Village
At this point you could pop down to the beach for a bit, or continue the walk. With the view of the bridge in Polly Joke to your right, turn left and head back up the hill. This is the mid-way point of the Newquay to Crantock circular walk.
You’ll pass through a gate marked ‘public footpath’. If you time it right, you’ll get to see a vibrant red field of poppies on your left. We visited in June and this was such a lovely surprise!
From this point you have two options for food and drink stops. You can either venture into C-Bay Bar & Bistro, which is on your left. This is an upmarket restaurant with a tasty menu of lunch options, and outdoor seating with sea views. Alternatively, you can wait until you reach Crantock Village.
We chose to have lunch at C-Bay, tucking into a tasty bowl of fresh mussels in an aromatic Thai broth. We also tried a delicate salmon and beetroot tartare and a moreish dish of padron peppers. It was a gorgeous place to break up our day. We sat out in the sunshine, eating delicious food while admiring the views.
After this stop, we continued on our way, following the sign by the side of the restaurant to the coast path. This path continues down the hill. You’ll want to stay on this road until you see a sign for ‘Crantock Village ½ mile’, directing you to the right. Follow in that direction, eventually joining the road. You’ll soon be in the heart of this pretty Cornish village.
As mentioned, there are plenty of food and drink options in Crantock Village. There are two pubs (The Cornishman and The Old Albion Inn), a general store and Jam Jar Kitchen, which serves pizzas, ice cream and coffee.
Although we’d just had lunch, we couldn’t resist stopping for an ice cream! It was a warm summer’s day and this zingy passion fruit ice cream really hit the spot!
Section 4: Crantock Village to Newquay
After stopping in Crantock Village, it’s time to head back down to the beach. You can follow the main road down towards the car park. Pass through the car park to the beach, then cross the Gannel Estuary.
By now, the tide is likely to have turned, so you’ve got the two options of the footbridge or the ferry. The tide was pretty high when we returned, so we hopped on board the small ferry boat. The journey took under two minutes and cost £1.50 per adult.
Once across, climb back up the steps to The Fern Pit Café. From the café, turn right onto the road, then take the first right onto Riverside Avenue and follow the road down the hill. You can then turn left onto Pentire Crescent, which will lead you back to the top of Fistral Beach, and the start of this circular walk.
Where to stay for the Newquay to Crantock walk
We stayed at Samphire, a gorgeous holiday home moments from Fistral Beach, which is available via Aspects Holidays. This 4-bedroom house is ideal for a family or a group of friends. It’s got a large kitchen, comfy lounge and a garden with patio. We loved being able to walk out of the house and be on the beach within a few minutes.
You can read our detailed review of this holiday home here.
Or, if you’re looking for other holiday homes in North Cornwall, take a look at what else is available on Aspects Holidays.
Walking packing list
Usually when we go out on these walks, we’re spending all day out and about in the countryside. Because of that, there are some things that we always bring with us and recommend to others. Hopefully one or two of these items can help make your walk that little bit more enjoyable!
- Walking shoes – The no.1 item we always recommend is a good pair of walking shoes! They can really make or break your walk. Here are the ones we currently have – Mens | Womens
- Walking socks – It’s important to have a comfy pair of socks too otherwise your feet can blister – Mens | Womens
- Plasters – And if your feet do get blisters, then make sure you bring along some platers just in case (and hope you don’t need them).
- Rain jacket – The reality of walking in Great Britain means walking in all weathers, so it’s always a good idea having a quality rain jacket with a hood just in case the weather turns bad – Mens | Womens
- Sun cream – On the opposite end of the scale, it’s always a good idea to have sun cream on you too for when the sun comes out, especially in summer.
- Water bottle – I am a water bottle convert and I barely leave the house without one now. This is a great water bottle with a built-in straw – it’s surprisingly handy when walking!
- Energy bars – No matter whether I’m hiking or trail running, I always have a couple of energy bars in my bag to stave off the hanger. These are some of the best I’ve found.
- Portable power bank – Just incase you’re out hiking for a long time and your battery dies, it’s always a good idea to have a power bank as a backup. This one is my favourite – just make sure you charge it before you go walking!
- Quick dry towel – With the rise of wild swimming (or cooling off under a waterfall in the Lake District), then having a quick dry towel in your bag is a must.
Final tips for the Newquay to Crantock walk
If this is your first time walking this route, here are a few tips…
- Pack lots of water and bring a few snacks for the route. There are a few food and drink spots along the way, but the only proper shop is in Crantock Village.
- If you want to stop for lunch along the route, you may want to book a table in advance. When we had lunch at C-Bay, we had to wait a while. They’d had a crazy rush of customers at lunchtime, so closed the kitchen for 30-minutes to get back on track!
- The Gannel Estuary ferry is seasonal. Please check it’s running before you rely on it!
- If you’re doing the walk in the rainier months, wear wellies or walking boots and prepare to get muddy.
- Keep children and dogs close by at all times. There are some steep drops along the cliffs.
- If you’re looking for parking, there is on-street parking on the road alongside Fistral Beach, as well as a big car park at the top of the street.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this guide to the Newquay to Crantock walk. We loved this route, particularly how it changes throughout the day depending on the tide.
If you’re looking for tips on what else to do during your trip, don’t miss this weekend guide to Newquay.
Plus, don’t miss the other walks we’ve covered on this site, including the Chorleywood circular walk, the Porlock Weir walk, the Beachy Head lighthouse walk and the Ivinghoe Beacon walk.
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