Newquay - is it scuzzy these days?

[WilmaFlintstone38]

Just that. I went as a teenager with parents and brother and had a great time but I've heard it's really gone grubby and down-market now.

Does anyone have any unbiased opinions please?

Always was, always will be.

I’m going there next week I’ll let you know.

Define "scuzzy"!

Always has been

I didn’t like it, it reminds me of Paignton, Whitby etc in its had its day many years ago.

We went a few years ago, expensive parking, sad little aquarium ( it rained), my teenage son, dressed in teenage uniform of ridiculously expensive sportswear, was approached by a man asking if he could fix him up. In the main street, and we'd only been there 30 minutes. 😬🤣 We live in Cornwall, but have never been back to Newquay.

We’re going to Cornwall in August and don’t know it well at all. What’s the nearest ‘naice’ town or village to Newquay? Which of beaches are best in that area and also good for parking before 10am (or do we need to be there at 7?!)

It used to be the place all the 16 year olds flocked to after their GCSE results, camping and causing havoc .... I think the festivals are more popular these days though, Reading, Leeds etc.

I went, stayed at the headland hotel and it was really nice and the beach was lovely. I think it’s maybe just outside though.

We go Cornwall most years and stay outside of Newquay. It’s a bit run down but it’s fine for a walk around for an hour or 2. We have a walk around the marina, get some chips etc. Parking can be a pain.

We tend to go the beaches outside of Newquay; usually Holywell, Crantock etc. @WHATtom Crantock is lovely but you do have to get there early, 9/ 9:30 to get parked in the summer holidays. Perranporth is a nice little town with a beach. Mawgan Porth is meant to be a nice beach but haven’t been so not sure about the parking situation.

@Hlglu56 thank you! Before 9 is fine; I just had visions of 5am, which is less like a holiday…

I think the council made a big effort to cut down on the stags and hens image and clean it up - I’d check trip advisor

Scruffy.

In the height of summer that queue down to Crantock beach to park is building up from about 7.30/8am. There is two car parks though but it does get very busy and it's only a tiny village. Gorgeous beach though.

I would say @WilmaFlintstone38 that it is like a lot of towns in that there are nice parts and not so nice parts. It doesn't seem to be as full of hen and stag parties as it was but there are definitely plenty of people who treat it poorly (often leave piles of crap on the beaches for local mugs like me and my DDs to clean up for example).

I'm probably coming over as defensive and I don't actually live in Newquay but I find the writing off of whole places as somewhat dismissive. Newquay has really been trying to develop itself in a more positive way over the last decade. There's still plenty of improvement possible but there are some gems too.

I would avoid Fistral in the summer as its rammed in the day and full of local teenagers getting wasted late at night 🫣.

In terms of beaches you have to be at most of them at the crack of dawn to park. There is the bus that runs along the North coast if you want an alternative.