Where has the best surf in Cornwall?

Cornwall Top 10 surfing beaches
  • Fistral Beach, Newquay. Perhaps the best known surfing beach in the UK, and consequently in summer perhaps the most crowded! ...
  • Gwithian Beach, near Hayle. ...
  • Perranporth Beach, Perranporth. ...
  • Polzeath Beach, Padstow. ...
  • Porthmeor Beach, St Ives. ...
  • Porthtowan Beach. ...
  • Praa Sands Beach, Helston. ...
  • Sennen Beach.




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South Cornwall is less well known for its surfing conditions than the more exposed North coast. However, on its day it can produce some of the best waves in the UK. Surfing the south coast requires completely different weather conditions than those that light up the famous surfing beaches of North Cornwall.

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Newquay is the surf capital of Great Britain with Fistral and Towan beaches being some of the best surfing beaches you'll find in Cornwall. This is also the best place for beginners to take surf lessons in Cornwall as there are lots of great surf schools close by.

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Fistral Beach, Newquay For many, it's not just the best beach to surf in Cornwall but the best in the UK – so you can expect it to be fairly busy. In the winter months, the Atlantic swells can get pretty big. Check out the Cribbar for one of the best big wave spots in the country.

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Widemouth Bay, located in North Cornwall, is a popular spot among surfers of all abilities. Whether it's your first time riding the waves or you're an experienced surfer looking for the biggest waves, Widemouth Bay offers plenty of space and an ideal spot for everyone.

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Winter brings massive almost continuous swells from the North Atlantic, whilst spring and summer has smaller waves but much much better weather. The best times though can be split into two. September and October benefit from the water being still warm, and some early winter swells.

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Often these beaches are too exposed to the swell and high winds hailing form the West. Newquay's popular bay is sheltered from these winds and can often produce fun, surfable waves when many other beaches in the area offer no protection.

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The water temperature in Cornwall can reach up to 18-20°C, so a 3/2mm wetsuit will prevent you melting.

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Oahu, Hawaii, USA CNN named Oahu's Pipeline as the world's number 1 surf spot, though only experts will be able to ride these legendary 6-meter waves. Fortunately, there are also plenty of other breaks located on the island that is the birthplace of modern surfing.

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But when it comes to epic waves, there's only one place on earth known as the “surf capital of the world.” The epic beach we're talking about is Pichilemu. Pichilemu is located in the center of Chile, right by the coast. It is a rough three-hour drive from Chile's capital, Santiago, to Pichilemu.

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Newquay is widely recognized as the surfing capital of the UK, and Towan Beach is one of the iconic surf spots in the area. The beach's geography and the quality of its waves attract surfers from around the world.

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Just to the east is the harbour town of Porthleven, which is where all of the storm-watchers and photographers go when huge winter storms send enormous waves crashing up over the clock tower.

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The home of British surfing, Fistral is still the most popular spot. Huge Atlantic swells and the infamous Cribbar, a reef off Towan Headland, can create waves in excess of 9 metres high. The beach can become quite crowded in the summer, but the surf is usually good year-round, so worth a trip at any time of year.

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Promoted Stories. It shows large swathes of bright blue ocean all around Cornwall. NASA reports this might be due to an unexpectedly large and intense bloom of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are microscopic plant-like organisms that live in water.

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Hannah continues: “The clarity and turquoise colour in west Cornwall compared to say the North Sea or Bristol Channel is also because of the heavy sand particles which sit on the seabed, and lack of sediment swirling around in the water column.”

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