Watergate Bay

Bay Watch

Watergate Bay is one of North Cornwall's best known beaches. Home to Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant, the Extreme Academy and O'Neil Surf Academy, there's no shortage of things to do here on one of the most spectacular expanses of beach in the whole of Cornwall.

If food is your passion there can be few restaurants in Cornwall to rival the reputation or the view of Jamie Oliver's Fifteen. There's also a beach cafe which is ideal for an after-surf coffee or lunch.

If it's extreme sports you're looking for Watergate Bay's Extreme Academy offers several routes to an adrenaline buzz including kite surfing, kite buggying, mountain boarding, waveskiing and, for the traditionalists, plain old surfing. For those learning to surf as well as experienced surfers looking to enhance their skills the O'Neill Surf Academy is also based at Watergate Bay.

Squeezing into a wetsuit and tethering yourself to an acre of rip-stop nylon, isn't compulsory though. Watergate Bay is a great beach for a walk at low tide and dogs are allowed all year round. Like most of Cornwall's beaches it's on the South West Coast Path and there are good walks in both directions - North to Mawgan Porth, Bedruthan Steps and Constantine and South to Newquay.

There's a good sized car park right above the beach and toilets and overflow parking in a field just opposite.