Camping in Cornwall, near surfy beaches. Any recommendations for me?

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

It will be the end of the summer holidays that we go, and what I'd like is a site that is not too far from a surfing beach, because that's what my DC will do the entire time given half a chance. I've said I would go again this year, just need to get my head round wearing a wetsuit

We have a tent, sorry tis not a bell tent.

Watergate bay touring park is where we stay for 1-2wks every summer, it's a great site about 5 min drive from watergate bay beach (also walkable if you haven't got 10 tons of surf gear & a toddler!).

Tristram - £420 per week for a premier pitch! And no, it's not strewn with gold-plated gravel, all it's got is an electric-hook-up! This is caravanning not the Royal Suite at Sheikh Towers, Dubai. I hope this isn't what's coming - rich people thinking caravanning is trendy and forcing us plebs out onto lay-bys for our summer holidays!

gosh MrsHeffley and me have very different views on Gwithian. I don't have any boden in my wardrobe but no idea whether I'm poncey

Rather I really recommend looking on ukcampsite.co.uk and maybe reading the reviews for a site you do like first ( to give you an idea of how different people rate different places) and then search reviews of other sites and do a lot of reading between the lines. I do have to say gwithian can be windy - like most coastal campsites - and so decent pegs are a must. Would also avoid the bit of the beach right by the steps down from the lifeguard hut as it does get busy there. But with miles of sand and cliff there we have often spent the whole day almost completely alone. Good luck with your search

LeeCoakley £420!!!!

Thank you - still looking here, and yes, different people like different things and that is what makes the world go round But I do truly value all these suggests and opinions.

I made enquiries at Gwithian Farm but they are sold out for the summer! I had a feeling we have kept this late

We shall go to Cornwall, and I am looking forward to it. Just not sure where yet!

Oh good, glad to hear it mavis

Www.carnevasholidaypark.com

Is located next to Porthcothan which is great for bodyboarding. Also www.wavessurfschool.co.uk give fantastic lessons there (though sometimes at Treyarnon/mawgan porth if the conditions aren't right at p'cothan). I went from novice to standing up within 1 lesson and am hooked - have had another 4 lessons, dd aged 8 also standing within a lesson. Surf instruction was ace, by great couple.

Shop and pub in Porthcothan.

Short drive to padstow. Shops in st merryn are even closer and include surf hire at The Pit. Bakery, waves restaurant, Cornish arms (a rick stein run pub), fish and chips and really good spar (weirdly).

I love Porthcothan. Is lovely - when tide is low heaps of space and little coves and pools. Short cliff walk to Treyarnon and the sea water swimming pool and Constantine just a bit further, excellent village stores and surf hire.

Caveat - haven't stayed at the campsite, but have chatted to people who have and who liked it. Only other thing is that walk back is up a hill. But our walk back to where we stay is also up a hill on other side of bay and is doable.

Sennen is good for surfing too.We've stayed at Lower Treave,quiet but nice(maybe too quiet for teenagers).

Pooka snap I just PMed Carnevas-damn now it'll be harder to book next year!

How long did it take you to walk to Treyarnon from Carnevas,my dc are 8,8 and 7 but good walkers.

Well it took us (me, my mother and 8yr old good walker) abut 40 mins in driving rain at Christmas from Treyarnon to where we were staying (other side of Porthcothan, up the hill from the shop).

Looking on google maps it looks like you might be able to walk up the road that the site is on, towards Treyarnon and then cut across fields to join the cliff path, cutting out the Porthcothan/will's rock headland which might make it faster.

I do love a good walk though! Particularly like the one from Porthcothan towards bedruthan steps and the NT cafe, past porth mear. Gawjus!

Another thing is the buses - we have often gone by bus to Constantine, and then walked home, or to padstow and then VERY long walk back (mostly grown ups). We have car, but sometimes is nice not to have to do circular route back to car or to try and park (though for Constantine/booby's rockpooling), the car park by trevose lighthouse is always empty but cost about £4.

Sorry if have made secret ace location no longer secret ace location,

Apologies for links

Www.carnevasholidaypark.com

Www.wavessurfschool.co.uk

Honestly, the waves folk are just brilliant. Run by a guy called windy miller and his wife bev. I think they have links also with the higher harlyn park and have a pizzeria there as well as the restaurant in st. Merryn.

We stayed here a couple of years ago .We had a fab time and they have a surf school on site

Gwithian Farm has a very different atmosphere depending on when you go. We stayed mid-season 2 years ago - during the week it was idyllic but come Friday night loads of poncey surf dudes turned up late and were v noisy (not intending to insult any surfers, but this crowd were proper twats). So very different experiences of the same site could be explained perhaps? to hear of guinea pig torture though. And that chippy van is amazing.

Yes guinea pig torture sounds horrid. Lower treave is nice.

Praa Sands near Penzance is a fab surfy beach and there are 2 or 3 lovely campsites along the beach road - we've stayed at both Higher & Lower Pentreath numerous times x

We've done that walk up the road and across the headland/fields to Porthcothan,stunning views.

I'm sure I posted ages back re the bare footed jogger at Gwithians who asked the chip van man why he couldn't cook his Boden/Joules bedecked family fish in foil with no batter then turned round to smirk with/at us all in the loooooong queue< wanker>.

That was the type of cliental we endured during out stay.

We went to Trevornick last year which I would NOT recommend at all, beautifully kept place, nice location but vile, VILE clientele (perhaps we were just unlucky).

However, we found a site nearby in Cubert called [http://www.trebellan.co.uk/ Park Trebellan] which we had a look around and wished we'd stayed there, it was so much more peaceful and far less Butlins-under-canvas. 2 miles from Holywell Bay (which we didn't surf at but DSis and BIL did and said it was great), a short drive to Watergate and Crantock beaches and just across the road from a pub that did brilliant food.

mrsheffley Christ if I had seen that I would have thought the same! I have seen too much bunting in evidence there and last summer I think there were 5 bell tents including one with someone permanently jiggling outside! So Ponciness Potential is high I give you mid week mod season is best that's for sure. I still love it.

Jiggling = juggling. Stupid phone

Loads of surfers use the cafe and beach at Godrevy, north end of St Ives bay.

Absolutely beautiful, large NT carpark, lovely walks on the cliffs if you don't want to don a wetsuit.

Can't recommend a campsite, but there are loads on the edge of Hayle and in the area.

Constantine is a great little beach too.

Higher harlyn if you are self sufficient eg own toilet tent.

The beach field over looks the beautiful Harlyn bay.

I have never stayed there but the position for DC's getting on the beach is perfect.

We have stayed at Mother Ivey's Bay which is also stunning but manic in the summer. You can walk down a path off the campsite onto the beach.

So many choices

www.sennen-cove.com/