I want to start with a story of nostalgia, because I don’t know about you but there are places that I remember visiting when I was young but have NO IDEA where they are 😅! Well, I used to go on holiday to Cornwall with my family A LOT and within the last year when visiting some places I’ve had a weird sense of nostalgia come over me and familiarity of these places that I remember when I was little.🏄🏻♀️
Polzeath was one of these places! I remember driving back with my family and stopping off on the way for one final swim. This was the year I was OBSESSED with body boards 🏄🏻♀️! I remember staying out in the sea until the sun started setting and not wanting to leave, so having a positive memory like that made the place extra special to visit as an adult.
Now, my little story aside is it worth visiting?
Polzeath has some wonderful amusements right on the beach front. There are a few café’s and outdoor eating places 🍕 as well as crazy golf ⛳️ and local amenities 🍦. I couldn’t find any toilets on the front unfortunately. There is also a couple of surfboard hire places with really reasonable rates! 🌊
Wavehunters Prices (As of June 2020)
Soft Board
Hour: £5
Day: £15
Week: £60
Hard Board
Hour: £8
Day: £20
Week: £100
Belly/Body Board
Hour: £5
Day: £10
Week: £35
Wetsuit
Hour: £5
Day: £12
Week:£35
*They also have surf lessons, but due to COVID 19 there were no lessons or prices available.
Polzeath has some great waves and If you are going to visit Cornwall trying to surf is a MUST🌊! Even if you look silly it is so much fun. These prices are really reasonable and cheaper than a lot of places I have seen, however this is based on prices in JUNE during COVID so they might be slightly higher in peak season.
There are a couple of carparks locally 🚗, there is a large carpark right on the beach, but I get apprehensive about parking on sand and not being able to get out. I parked in a carpark opposite the Spar on the way in next to the Ann’s Cottage store.
Car Park Address: Polzeath, Wadebridge PL27 6SR
Ⓟ Charges Apply All Year Round
Up to 1 Hour £1.50
Up to 2 Hours £3.00
Up to 3 Hours £4.50
Up to 4 Hours £5,50
Over 4 Hours £7.00
Note: this carpark is NOT for trailers or caravans.
There are some nice coastal routes you can take along the hills where other carparks are also located along with caravan/camping holiday parks 🌄.
My overall impression of Polzeath was that there are some nice costal walks, a huge beach with great body boarding waves and a few eateries. A perfect family friendly destination for a day out on the North Coast.
As I am trying to get the most out of my last days in Cornwall, I went from Polzeath to Rock which is a 11-minute drive.
Whilst scrolling through Instagram I found a beautiful little location that I wanted to take a photo and as luck would have it this was half-way between these locations.
A 4-minute drive or 16-minute walk away from Polzeath is the St Moritz Hotel, which has some wonderfully colour beach huts outside perfect for that Instagrammable photo 📸!
Address: St Moritz Ct, Trebetherick, Wadebridge PL27 6SD
I had heard that Rock was where all the RICH PEOPLE live, but I only saw one or two big houses in the hills. Rock is such a strange place, located across the river and a ferry ride away from Padstow, you would think there would be a few things to do. 🚢 Not really…
I walked up and down the river, which is odd because normally estrays like this are walled, but it was half river, half beach. There were some cool sand dune locations, which felt quite post-apocalyptic.
Apart from this there wasn’t much to do, a few eateries and a paddle board hire place, but on the whole a bit of a dull place and I wouldn’t recommend wasting time here.
Car Park Address: S W Coast Path, Rock, Wadebridge PL27 6LD
Ⓟ Charges Apply All Year Round - Quarry Car Park
Up to 1 Hour 70p
Up to 2 hours £2.30
2-4 Hours £3.50
4-12 Hours £5.00
12-24 Hours £8.00
Weekly £45.00
Motorcycles 40p
As Tom and I wanted Fish and Chips we ended up heading to Newquay on the way back and stopping off at Francine's and parking up in the beach car park at Fistral Beach and eat our chips there whilst the rain pitter pattered on the windscreen. However, the fish and chips (recommended to be the best in Newquay) was £18 for 2 Cod and Chips and 2 Cans of Coke! I don’t remember fish and chips being so expensive 🍟.
A rainy end to the day, but an enjoyable day out. I would recommend spending some time at Polzeath, but Rock isn’t the most entertaining Cornish destination.
