UK Travel Guide - Cornwall's Perfect Village? Find Out More in the Essential Padstow Holiday Guide

12th March 2009 - by Andy Easton

Cornwall’s Perfect Village? Find Out More in the Essential Padstow Holiday Guide

Padstow is a small fishing town nestled around a bustling harbour on the North Cornwall coast, just a few miles from Newquay. After a period of decline during the 1960’s, Padstow has emerged as one of the most popular locations on the North Cornwall coast, offering a wide range of attractions, accommodation and stunning coastal and country scenery that make a visit to this part of the south west one to be remembered. But if you’re still unsure, take a quick look at our Padstow Holiday Guide for a little taste of this remarkable village.

Padstow is situated on the west side of the Camel estuary and is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty. The town itself has an ancient and colourful history, filled with smugglers, saints and pagan rituals. Old crooked streets run down to the harbour, lined with many fine, Medieval buildings, secret passageways and cobbled streets. The town is still a working fishing port, and this accessibility to fresh fish has meant that some of the finest fish restaurants in the country are situated on its quayside streets. The Michelin starred chef Rick Stein has five restaurants here, and his presence has made Padstow a gourmet’s paradise. Not only are Rick’s restaurants guaranteed to serve you the finest in Cornish cuisine, they offer more exotic dishes such as Mexican fish tacos or stir fried salt and pepper squid.

Accommodation in Padstow ranges from friendly, family run bed and breakfast accommodation to luxury apartments overlooking the sea. Across the bay is the town of Rock; a town popular with celebrities and very crowded during the summer months. However, out of season Rock is a peaceful village and accommodation is easily available. It has a long, sandy beach, is accessible from Padstow by ferry and there are additional water taxis that run into the evening between the two villages. Rock also boasts a superb 18 hole golf course at St Enodoc with some of the finest views across the estuary and out to sea.

Padstow enjoys a mild climate, as it is protected from the worst of the Atlantic gales by its position on the west side of the Camel estuary. During the summer this part of Cornwall has some of the highest number of ‘sunshine hours’, making it comparable to any Southern European destination. During the off season months, the climate is still very clement and it is rare for Padstow to suffer snow or frost during the winter months. The surrounding countryside is perfect for walking and hiking, with the South West Coastal Path giving easy access to some of the best views on the North Cornwall coast.

The ‘Obby ‘Oss festival is probably the best known of Padstow’s annual events. Held on May Day, this is an ancient celebration and one of the oldest May Day traditions in Europe. The celebration starts at midnight with singing around the town and during the day accordions and drums accompany the Old Oss’ and ‘Blue Ribbon’ around the town. The whole event continues until the following midnight and is a truly memorable experience.

Other attractions in the region include the award winning Eden Project, which is only a short drive from Padstow, and Prideaux Place, a grand manor house surrounded by the oldest deer park in Britain. Along the coast are caves once used by smugglers and further down the coast is the surfing capital of the UK, Newquay’s Fistral Beach.

There is plenty to see and do in this part of the world and a brief Padstow Holiday Guide cannot really do this remarkable location full justice. The best thing is to visit the town and experience it for yourself!