Enjoying Cornwall - walking Trevelgue Head, Newquay to Watergate Bay

Walking Newquay to Watergate Bay - 2.1 miles

OS Explorer Map 106: grid reference SW823631 to SW842661 View Map

Walk Duration 2 hours

Looking towards Trevelgue Head from Watergate Bay

Leave your vehicle either at Porth car park if you are walking clockwise around the north coast; otherwise park beside the Watergate Hotel at the mid-point resort of Watergate Bay. [We chose the mid-point, walked to Trevelgue Head and back along the coastpath. Then north along the beach as far as Stem Point and Berryl's Point]. From the car park - grid ref. SW842650, £1.50 for 3 hours at the time of writing.

Looking back towards Newquay as we leave the beach

Head away from the beach and to your right. Follow the signed coast path south-west up the cliffs towards Newquay. After a short while the path levels off and Trevelgue Head and Towan Head come into view. Take care here as the path runs quite close to the sheer cliffs and warnings about the 'cliffs being liable to subsidence' are common. Continue along the narrow route towards the low hill [actually a tumulus] in the distance. Follow the coastpath around its base and then begin the gradual descent into (St Columb) Porth. Cross the stile and remain on the coastpath. Soon you should pass steep steps leading down to Whipsiderry Beach - grid ref. SW831631. Keep to the coastpath and drop down to Porth. Walk over the wooden footbridge to Porth Island and Trevelgue Head - A great place for photographs and a picnic.

Plaque at Porth Island

You should now be about 45 minutes into your walk. Refreshed, return to Watergate Bay along the cliffs looking up the coast to Stem Point, Griffin's Point, Park Head and in the distance Trevose Head with its lighthouse. Arriving at Watergate Bay, walk through the car park and down the steps onto the beach.

View towards Newquay from one of the caves along Watergate Bay

Proceed NNE along the beach as far as the tide allows. We arrived 90 minutes before low water so felt confident that we could walk to the far right-hand side of the beach just below Stem Point - grid ref. SW842661 comfortably and return before the tide turned. What struck us the most about this beach was its vast expanse of firm golden sand at low water. The fine surf and the sight of sand-yachts caught our eye too. A good guidebook for the area is the National Trail Guide: SW Coast Path - Padstow to Falmouth by John Macadam

Surf canoes looking towards Mawgan Porth and Trevose Head

Previous walk: Newquay Harbour to Trevelgue Head
Next walk: Watergate Bay to Porth Mear