Great Places to Stay in North Cornwall with Walks
- Martin Hesp
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
There are two very good reasons for visiting North Cornwall. One is to see the place.
The other is to walk it.
I've been doing both for decades, and over the years I've stayed in quite a few Cornish hotels, holiday houses and other places that make particularly good bases for exploring the coast on foot.
So this isn't intended to be a list of accommodation picked from a brochure.
These are places I know from personal experience — and, importantly, they are places where you can combine a comfortable stay with some genuinely excellent walking.
North Cornwall is particularly good for this.
From the enormous Atlantic beaches around Newquay and Watergate Bay to the cliffs, coves and headlands around Bedruthan, Polzeath and the Camel estuary, there are some extraordinary walks packed into a relatively small area.
Here are some of my favourites.
Watergate Bay Hotel
Best for: dramatic Atlantic scenery, beach life and easy access to some of North Cornwall's finest coastal walks
I've stayed at the Watergate Bay Hotel a couple of times, and one of the things I particularly like about it is that you don't have to get back into the car to start enjoying the coast.
The hotel sits above the great sweep of Watergate Bay, just north of Newquay.
It's an excellent place to stay if you want a mixture of comfortable accommodation, good food, beach and serious coastal walking.
And some of the finest walking country in North Cornwall is only a few miles away.
One of my favourite walks takes in Bedruthan Steps, Park Head and Porth Mear.
Bedruthan Steps is one of the most dramatic stretches of coast in England. The cliffs are enormous, the sea stacks spectacular and the whole place has the quality of a gigantic natural amphitheatre.
But don't just stand at the National Trust viewpoint and take a photograph.
When conditions allow, you can descend the steep staircase to the beach and explore beneath the cliffs before climbing back up and continuing north along the coast path.
The walk eventually reaches Park Head before turning inland and dropping into the beautiful valley of Porth Mear — one of my favourite places in Cornwall.
The second walk I've written about begins at Porthcothan and makes a longer circuit through the countryside before eventually reaching the Bedruthan area.
That walk is about seven miles and has a different character. There are quiet lanes, farms, streams and valleys before the landscape suddenly opens up into the great Atlantic scenery.
It's a particularly good reminder that North Cornwall isn't simply beaches and cliffs. Behind the spectacular coast lies a fascinating working landscape — and one that is valuable for wildlife too.
The walking advantage
Watergate Bay is a particularly good base if you want hotel comfort without sacrificing access to wild coastal scenery.
You can spend the day walking the cliffs, return for a shower and a meal, and still have the Atlantic immediately outside your window.
St Moritz Hotel, Polzeath
Best for: a classic North Cornwall seaside base with superb walking around the Camel estuary
The St Moritz Hotel occupies a particularly attractive position above Polzeath and Daymer Bay, in one of my favourite parts of North Cornwall.
This is an area where you really can leave the car behind for a while.
The South West Coast Path is close at hand and there are walks taking you around the great headlands above Polzeath, along Daymer Bay and towards the Camel estuary.
It's the sort of landscape that rewards exploration because the scenery changes dramatically over relatively short distances.
One minute you can be looking out across the Atlantic from high cliffs; the next you're walking beside the sheltered waters of the Camel.
And then there is Pentire Point and The Rumps. This is one of the great walks of North Cornwall.
The enormous Pentire headland guards the mouth of the Camel, while The Rumps forms a dramatic twin headland beyond it. The coast path makes a wonderfully satisfying circular walk here, with huge views over the estuary and out towards the Atlantic.
The Rumps also contains the remains of an Iron Age cliff castle, while the Pentire headland has a memorial to the poet Lawrence Binyon, who wrote For the Fallen here.
The landscape is beautiful, but it also has a fascinating history.
One of the things I like about the St Moritz is that you can combine this kind of walking with a proper seaside break. Polzeath, Daymer Bay, Rock and the Camel estuary are all within easy reach.
The walking advantage
This is a particularly good choice if you want several different types of walk within easy reach — exposed Atlantic cliffs, sandy beaches, estuary paths and countryside.
Pendeenah, Polzeath
Best for: a large, stylish self-catering house with spectacular coastal views
Pendeenah is rather different from the hotels in this list.
My wife and I stayed here for a few days in winter and found it an extraordinary place.
It is an upside-down house, with the bedrooms downstairs and the main living areas upstairs.
The reasoning is obvious once you get inside.
The upper floor is flooded with natural light and has enormous windows looking towards the coast. From the house you can look towards Pentire Point and the Atlantic beyond.
Pendeenah is part of the Latitude50 collection of holiday properties around Polzeath, Rock, Daymer Bay and Port Isaac.
These aren't conventional holiday cottages. Many are substantial, architect-designed properties intended for groups and families.
Pendeenah sleeps up to ten people, making the economics rather different from a hotel. Split between several couples or a family group, a high-end house can become surprisingly reasonable.
But the real attraction for walkers is the location.
The South West Coast Path is only a short distance away and the Pentire Point and The Rumps circular walk is virtually on the doorstep.
During our stay we also walked along the estuary towards Rock and crossed over to Padstow by ferry.
At low tide there is another option: walking across the sands around Daymer Bay, although tide conditions obviously need to be taken into account.
There is also the chance to visit St Enodoc Church and the grave of John Betjeman, tucked away beneath the golf course at Trebetherick.
The walking advantage
Pendeenah is the choice for people who want a walking base for a group or family rather than a hotel room — particularly if views, space and self-catering matter.
The Headland Hotel, Newquay
Best for: combining a grand Cornish hotel with dramatic coastal walking
Newquay might not immediately sound like a walking destination.
It is, after all, one of Cornwall's best-known seaside resorts, famous for surfing, beaches and summer crowds.
But walk away from the centre and a different Newquay emerges.
I've stayed at the Headland Hotel a couple of times and it makes a particularly good base for discovering that side of the town.
The hotel itself occupies a spectacular position above Fistral Beach, and from here you can join the South West Coast Path and explore the headlands around Newquay.
The contrast is part of the appeal.
You can spend the morning walking above Atlantic cliffs and around beaches and rocky coves, then return to the comforts of a substantial Victorian seaside hotel.
The Headland also provides an excellent starting point for exploring further afield.
Watergate Bay is only a short distance along the coast, while the quieter beaches and cliffs around Porth and beyond provide plenty of opportunities to escape the busiest parts of Newquay.
The walking advantage
The Headland is particularly good for anyone who likes the idea of a traditional grand seaside hotel but wants proper coastal walking close by.
You get the drama of the Atlantic without having to sacrifice the restaurants, shops and other attractions of a major Cornish resort.
Which North Cornwall base should you choose?
For me, the answer depends on what sort of break you're after.
For hotel comfort and spectacular Atlantic scenery: Watergate Bay.
For traditional seaside atmosphere and a superb variety of coastal walks: St Moritz, Polzeath.
For a group or family wanting a large, stylish self-catering property: Pendeenah.
For a grand seaside hotel combined with the attractions of a resort: The Headland, Newquay.
What links all four is that they aren't simply places where you can sleep at night.
They put you in the landscape.
And that's really what I look for when choosing somewhere to stay in Cornwall.
A good hotel is all very well. A beautiful holiday house is even better.
But give me somewhere where I can walk out of the door, pick up the coast path and spend the day following the Atlantic — and I'm interested.
More North Cornwall walking
There is plenty more on this website for anyone planning a walking holiday in the county, including my walks around Tregardock Beach, the Polzeath/Pentire Point area and the spectacular coastline around Bedruthan Steps and Porth Mear.
North Cornwall is one of those places where you can return again and again and still find another headland, another cove or another stretch of coast path worth exploring.
And after all these years, I'm still doing exactly that.
Bedruthan: Read our post about Bedruthan Steps and other Cornish beaches.
Porthcothan: Read our post about some of the Best Cornish & Devon Beaches
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay in North Cornwall for walking?
There isn't one answer because it depends on the sort of walking you enjoy. Watergate Bay is excellent for dramatic Atlantic coast walks around Bedruthan and Porth Mear, while Polzeath gives access to Pentire Point, The Rumps, Daymer Bay and the Camel estuary. Newquay is another good option if you want coastal walking combined with the attractions of a major seaside resort.
What are the best coastal walks in North Cornwall?
Some of my favourites include the coast around Bedruthan Steps and Porth Mear, Pentire Point and The Rumps near Polzeath, and the coastal paths around Newquay and Watergate Bay. North Cornwall has an exceptional variety of cliffs, beaches, headlands and estuary scenery.
Is Watergate Bay a good base for a walking holiday?
Yes. Watergate Bay is particularly well positioned for exploring the coast around Bedruthan Steps, Park Head and Porth Mear, while the beach and hotel provide somewhere comfortable to return to after a day's walking.
Is Polzeath good for walking?
Very much so. Polzeath is close to some outstanding coastal walking, including Pentire Point and The Rumps. There are also walks towards Daymer Bay, Rock and the Camel estuary, making it possible to enjoy several very different landscapes from the same base.
Can you walk from Newquay along the coast?
Yes. Newquay has access to the South West Coast Path and several excellent coastal walks around the town and its beaches. Staying at the Headland Hotel is particularly useful if you want to combine a traditional seaside hotel with easy access to the cliffs around Fistral and the surrounding coast.
Is North Cornwall good for a walking holiday?
North Cornwall is one of the best parts of the county for a walking holiday. The coastline combines dramatic cliffs, sandy beaches, secluded coves, headlands and estuary landscapes, while the inland countryside provides quieter alternatives when the coast is busy.
Are these places recommendations based on personal experience?
Yes. The accommodation featured in this article comes from places I have stayed at or written about from personal experience, while the walks are based on routes I have actually walked over many years of exploring Cornwall.
