Padstow Camping

Camping and glamping in Padstow

There’s plenty of camping and glamping sites near Padstow and we’ve found the best of them for the Cool Camping collection. It’s a fantastic place for a camping holiday if you fancy crabbing on the coast, tucking in to delicious seafood and watching the fishing boats come in from the harbourside. The idyllic location and daily local catch are what tempted celebrity chef Rick Stein to Padstow back in the 1970s – and he’s never left with a restaurant, café and fish and chip shop now bearing his name. Located between Newquay and Polzeath, on the Camel Estuary, Padstow also offers a location with easy access to the sand and surf of some of Cornwall’s most famous beaches as well as easy access to the Cornish countryside. This far south-west county has long attracted campers and campervanners and has a great camping scene to prove. There’s an ever-growing list of glamping accommodation too with bell tents, tipis, yurts, camping pods, shepherds' huts, domes and treehouses so if you want glamping near Padstow you should find something to suit you.

Things to do in Padstow

If you’re camping in Padstow and looking to explore Cornwall, the logical place to start is with a little tour of the village itself. The most obvious thing to do in this foodie haven is to treat yourself to some fresh fish and chips and perhaps pick up some seafood to cook on the barbecue back at your campsite. You can watch the boats bobbing about in the harbour, try your hand at crabbing from the harbour wall and perhaps visit the National Lobster Hatchery. The town is situated on the south side of the Camel Estuary and there are ferries across the river to Rock, on the north side. From here you can visit Daymer Beach or walk three miles along the South West Coast Path to the renowned surfing hotspot, Polzeath. To the south of Padstow, a drive of around 30 minutes, is Newquay with its world-famous beaches and many attractions – but you don’t need to travel that far to hit the sands. There are said to be seven beaches within five minutes of Padstow including St George’s Cove, just half-a-mile from Padstow Harbour, and the dune-backed Harbour Cove.

The South West Coast Path offers great walking along the coast here and a great place to join it as from the National Trust’s vantage point of the dramatic Bedruthan Steps rock formation at Carnewas. You can also follow the route of the Camel Estuary on foot or by bike on the Camel Way. This traffic-free route stretches along a disused railway line for 18 miles from Padstow to Wenford through moors, woodland and the town of Wadebridge. The estuary is also a birdwatching hotspot with a few hides along the way. Family friendly attractions in the area include Camel Creek Adventure Park in Wadebridge and The Eden Project, around 20 miles away. For more things to do in on your Padstow holiday, check out the Padstow tourist information website.