We?ve been going to Cornwall for many years and always seem to go back to the area just north of Newquay ; Porth, Watergate Bay, Mawgan Porth. The beaches never feel too busy, even in August, because they are so huge when the tide?s out.
It?s close enough to visit Newquay Zoo and Aquarium, but far enough from any ?teenage rowdiness?. I must admit to having a soft spot for Newquay (although I wouldn?t want to stay in the town itself) as I love the nostalgia of amusement arcades and tatty gift shops which reminds me of cheap seaside holidays as a child.
A couple of years ago we stayed here in Mawgan Porth which we all loved
www.mawganporth.co.uk/
And this year we are going to try this place in Porth (we are in self-catering)
www.porthveormanor.com/
We have also stayed at the Watergate Bay Hotel (expensive and not really worth it) and Sands Resort (loved it, but DCs too old now).
For a change last year we went to Bude and although we liked it, it felt a bit detached from the rest of Cornwall. It rained A LOT as well, so that put me off a bit. We stayed here
www.kennacottcourt.co.uk/
which was very close to Widemouth Bay but I personally felt was not as nice a beach as the beaches around Newquay. Just personal preference really.
Another really nice place we stayed a few years back was here, but a bit too far from the beach for my liking, although it's fairly close to Padstow.
www.theoldehouse.co.uk/
I don?t know anything about the Lizard Peninsula or further down ? we?ve always wanted to try Porthcurno, Sennen, St Ives, Hayle and so on, but never quite got that far yet!