Weekend escape guide to Newquay Cornwall with St Christophers Inn hostels
This guide is all about my recent adventure to Newquay, as one of the destinations I explored in the UK over a selection of weekends.
Newquay is a lively town located along the north coast of Cornwall in the southwest of England.
It’s well known for its famous surfing beaches, outgoing nightlife, tasty food and traditional Cornish culture chucked into the mix as well.
It’s a perfect candidate to have on your UK weekend must-visit list.
Here are my top tips on what to do on a visit to Newquay Cornwall.
Take the overnight Night Riviera Sleeper train to Cornwall
Did you know that you can travel from London to Cornwall on a sleeper train?
It’s one of a very limited few sleeper trains still in service within the UK.
The GWR Night Riviera departs from London Paddington Station each night, and arrives in Penzance first thing in the morning.
To get to Newquay using the sleeper train, get off at Par station in Cornwall, and get a connection ticket to take you on a train to Newquay from there.
Why not sleep for most of the long journey to Cornwall from London, and make the journey a little easier?
You could enjoy the sleeper service one way then fly back domestically to London (with British Airways from Newquay airport) to break up the trip a bit.
Stay at St Christopher’s Inn hostel Newquay
If you’re looking for an affordable place to stay in Newquay, why not try the St Christopher’s Inn hostel in Newquay.
I booked a six-bed shared ensuite room, and my bunk bed come with a sea view window.
How cool is that!
It’s got a great location in the heart of town – the perfect base for a long weekend exploring Newquay and meeting other travellers visiting the town.
Enjoy Fish and Chips with a sea view at Fistral Beach
Fistral Beach is considered one of the best surfing beaches in the UK and regularly hosts competitions due to its straight sandy beaches and Atlantic swells that make it a big wave location.
You can also find Rick Stein’s Fistral restaurant here which does a fantastic fish and chips takeaway to enjoy the beach views.
The chips had been cooked in beef drippings, and the cod had a lovely flakey consistency.
I’ve had some fish and chips in my time, and this has to be up there as one of the best.
Be sure not to miss out.
As Rick Stein knows how to cook fish in Cornwall well.
Superb, would happily go again.
Try Surfing lessons on Towan Beach
Newquay is home to surfing in the UK, and Cornwall has some fantastic surfing spots to try out this exciting water sport.
Towan Beach is an excellent place for those looking to start surfing for the first time in Newquay.
It’s also located within walking distance of St Christopher’s Inn Hostel Newquay.
If you’re staying at St Christopher’s Inn, they do have a surf camp package you can opt in to.
This includes your room at the hostel, the lessons and rental gear – it’s s a great way to meet others staying in Newquay to have a few beers with after a day of surfing.
Feel free to make an advance enquiry about this when booking, or talk to the reception desk when you arrive.
Have a Cornish Cream tea lunch at Paulines
If you’re in Newquay, Cornwall, you have to try a Cornish cream tea lunch.
Pauline is a beautiful bakery that has an upstairs cafe to enjoy this local treat. At the moment, you can purchase a takeaway cream tea pack to enjoy on the beach.
Now the real question? Jam or Cornish cream first? I’ll let you discuss this with a local so you can find out the true answer.
Go out on a Boat Trip from Newquay harbour
Head out to sea on a boat trip around the coast of Newquay.
You can find many different sea adventures such as sea safaris for wildlife spotting, mackerel fishing or deep sea fishing, all ranging in different durations and prices.
You can find many charter boat companies departing from Newquay harbour where you can also make a booking for a future trip.
A great way to explore Cornwall whilst in Newquay.
Enjoy the Newquay nightlife at Belushi’s bar
Newquay is an exciting and lively town with a relaxing vibe, perfect for exploring the local nightlife of Newquay.
Start your exploration around town in the evening at Belushi’s, where you can enjoy a sunset with a drink or two and a tasty burger from the bar.
Be sure to book a table from the decking overlooking the surfers out on Towan beach.
Then you can go bar hopping and party the night away around town at many of the other different lively nightspots.
Grab a cone at Freddo’s Cornish ice cream
You can’t visit Cornwall without trying some Cornish cream ice cream. My favourite spot to enjoy a scoop or two was Freddo’s Cornish Ice Cream, located in town.
I went for the classic handcrafted vanilla, and I ended up with some generous scoops, it was fresh and delicious, and I wasn’t disappointed. A lovely treat to enjoy the flavours of Cornwall after a long walk.
Go for a Coastal walk around Newquay
One of my most enjoyable activities whilst in Newquay was walking around the coast.
It’s an easy walk with good quality paths – a great way to take in many Newquay landmarks.
The 5-mile shoreline walk, which is part of the more extensive South West coast path, starts in Pentire, takes you across Fistral beach, and ends up in Towan Beach.
Great way to get some fresh air, coastal views, and a sea breeze.
Day trip around Cornwall to Lands end, St Ives and Penzance. – Atlantic coastal bus
Why not spend an extra day in Newquay exploring more of Cornwall?
Especially if you’re travelling by sleeper train to Penzance, you can make the most out of exploring the Cornish coast.
From Penzance, you can purchase a Day Atlantic Coaster bus ticket, which follows a route around the beach and loops back to where you started.
A great way to stop off at Land’s End, to get that iconic signpost photo of the southernmost point in the UK.
Then follow the route around the coast to the cosy town of St Ive’s, which is a perfect spot to stop off for lunch.
I’d highly recommend Pengenna Pasties for a traditional Cornish pasty. It’s a mammoth portion, so make sure the seagulls are not hanging out close by.
You will also pass by the picturesque St Michael’s Mount on the way back to Penzance; make sure you don’t miss it.
Then you can easily take the train back to Newquay from Penzance via Par train station.
Thank you for reading my weekend guide to Newquay
Thank you for reading my guide about Newquay. I hope you’ve found the content helpful towards planning your next UK weekend adventure.
This guide was put together in collaboration with St. Christopher’s Inn hostels As part of my UK tour to London, Bath, Newquay and Edinburgh throughout a few weekends.
If you would like to stay at St Christophers Inn hostels across the UK, don’t forget to use my exclusive discount code: DAVE10 for 10% off your next booking (valid until the end of 2021).