Best child friendly beaches in North Cornwall

[Rose50]

Hello, off to Cornwall in a few weeks and a bit overwhelmed by all the beaches available and which ones to visit (weather permitting of course!) We are staying in a place inland between Bodmin and Wadebridge and don't really want to drive too far. We have DD1 aged 4 and DD2 14 months and are looking for a nice sandy beach, good for paddling and maybe with some rock pools. Car park close by and toilets would also be very handy!!!

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

Harlyn beach is lovely, I've found a superb site that gives you details of the beach whether there are toilets and facilities. We are going down next week for 10 days.

Cardinham woods are nice if you want a break from the beach too. here

Here is the site just click on the beach on the map and all the details come up here

Have a great time. xx

Polzeath is good and not far from where you are.

Polzeath definately good and has lifeguard and cafe there too. Bude is a nice town with beaches. How far is too far to travel to a beach? Also have a look at the tourist board websites as they have great big long lists of beaches with what facilities they have etc. Hope you have a good holiday

I love rock beach with ferry ride to padstow for chip butty lunch. Rock itself is no place to eat!

Daymer Bay. Polzeath is full of rowdy teenagers although you might be ok this time of year.

Daymer Bay has long sandy beach, car park and toilet block. It is also where the PM goes dontcha know

POrthcothan, Treyarnon or Trevone are all lovely. All have car park and small shop and public loo.

Porthcothan best at low tide - enormous deep beach with rock pools at very low tide. Lots of small coves on either side. Small stream runs through too.

Treyarnon and Trevone both a bit smaller. Treyarnon has better rock pools than Trevone IMO and not quite as busy. Porthcothan is the quietest (though Richard Hammond AND Harry Enfield were there at Easter, quite the celeb spot). Harlyn is also lovely.

One of my favourite beaches in the area is perhaps too far from a car park and loo - Boobys/Constantine beach. Boobys has the BEST rockpools ever. Constantine is utterly gorgeous. But only a small layby near the beach and te car park is up at Trevose Head so a little bit of a cliff walk.

Would second Cardinham recommendation - is lovely.

Mawgen Porth

I would also recommend cycling the Camel Trail while you're there, it's really good fun. You can hire bikes in Padstow and cycle to Wadebridge (or the other way round). You can also hire tag-along bikes, baby seats and trailers for children. It's all off-road and easy cycling.

Camel trail is ace. The padstow bike hire place does evening rates too - is lovely to cycle later on, with not so many people. There's a coffee stand that does amazing cakes halfway along and fish and chips at either end.

Does anyone know what Portreath is like? Will be near there this Summer

nice sandy beach, but the place gives me the creeps.. don't quite know why

I have a pic of DD, then 2 and DS then 5 on Constantine Beach. We went a few years ago in September and it was wonderful. Very empty, vast and flat.

Watergate bay is lovely & has massive rockpools at each end at low tide. Boobys and Polzeath are also lovely and I too would recommend cycling the camel trail, at least from Wadebridge to Padstow - great fun and I have great memories of cycling there with my DC when they were younger. It's often easier to park at Wadebridge - there's a carpark behind Lidl, very close to the bike hire place (Padstow can be a bit hellish in the summer, the carpark on the quay, and the one next to the old station where you can hire bikes, fills up very early and the long term carpark is a bit of a long walk for little legs)

I've taken my girls to Cornwall a couple of times, stayed in a lovely place called Coombe Mill (also between Bodmin and Wadebridge). Been to almost all the beaches mentioned above and I'd say they're all fantastic. Mawgen Porth and Porthcothan are quite close to the road at the back of the beach - could be a problem for little ones running up there, Boobys/Constantine I agree is not good for the lack of toilet (even I complain about that one!)
Harlyn, Trevone and Polzeath personal favourites. All have lifeguards and very accessible toilet/cafe facilities. Trevone has a sandy beach and a rocky beach 30 seconds round the corner... so the girls just never ever get bored with so much to do - surfing, rock pooling, swimming in the natural made swimming pool in the rocks etc!