9 Best Newquay Family Holidays For The Perfect Beach Staycation

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Looking to staycation in style? These Newquay family holidays are the perfect solution with the town's amazing tally of 15 unspoiled beaches.

Newquay, on Cornwall's north coast, has everything needed for a fantastic family holiday all in one place.

Famous for its world-renowned surf and surfers, tucked-away coves and wide sandy bays, Newquay, Cornwall, has a reputation for great seafood, big waves and a cool vibe. It's also got all the necessary shops and amenities, meaning you can get whatever you need here to have an amazing family holiday.

It's perfect for family holidays, with its sheltered beaches and fascinating local attractions, from historic castles to the extraordinary Eden Project, which is why we've rounded up the top spots for you to stay with kids – and sometimes the family pets will be welcome too. Included in our list are Newquay holiday parks, holiday homes and hotel accommodation, many award-winning, so you can pick from a great selection.

This holiday park in Newquay is five-star rated and offers accommodation close to the nearby beach. On site you'll find plenty of reasons to hang about, like crazy golf, a fishing lake and a great adventure play park. There’s lots of room to play games and, as it’s pet friendly, Rover can join in the fun. The Piskie Inn is where to get your local ale, and there’s a handy shop and take-away food service. Good to know is that, while this great park is very popular, it’s known for being peaceful and quiet. If you’re arriving with toddlers, you can pre-book highchairs, bed guards and cots. The choice of accommodation includes bringing your own touring caravan  (but note, the toilets and washing facilities will be closed in July and August), lodges, static caravan holiday homes and glamping tents (with their own toilets and showers). Swimming pools are currently closed.

In north Cornwall, it’s all about the coast, so this small holiday park wins for being just 100 metres from Roo Beach’s sandy stretch. Although the shower and toilet block is currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, hence bring-your-own-tent camping is out. You can still hire one of their comfy, fully fitted-out caravans or glamping pods, or turn up in your own touring camper van. On-site facilities include WiFi (at additional cost) and a launderette, but really the USP at this family site is the location, with the beach on your doorstep, a meandering stream to paddle in and all the delights and conveniences of Newquay, Cornwall, right next door. And, of course, you can explore the nearby attractions of the Eden Project, Tintagel Castle (allegedly King Arthur’s home) and the pretty seaside towns of St Ives and Padstow.

Surf’s up at this great holiday park, just a 15-minute walk to Porth Beach, two miles from Newquay, and tucked into its own peaceful valley. Ready to hit the waves? You can sign up for surf lessons and learn in beautiful Watergate Bay, where the Beach Hut can refuel you with its selection of drinks and snacks. Lessons are suitable for those aged eight and up. Bring your own camper van to the park or, if you're looking for well-equipped static caravans in Newquay that sleep up to six, there's a great choice here. The swimming pool is currently closed due to government restrictions, but the bar and restaurant are open (you’ll need to pre-book a table), there’s take-away, and the play area, a football field and dog-walking fields (yes, it’s pet friendly!). There’s also a handy on-site shop.

A truly family-friendly luxury hotel is like finding a conch shell on the beach – a good reason to get excited. The Esplanade ticks all the boxes for welcoming children and overlooks Fistral Beach, known for its super surf, sandcastle-ready sand and unspoiled natural setting. The whole family can get involved by taking lessons with the Quiksilver Surf School (guests get a discount). Family rooms sleep up to six, so everyone can fit in, and dogs are welcome too. While the indoor pool and play room are currently closed, there’s an outdoor playground based around a pirate ship, coastal paths and a whole beach and sea to jump in. If Fistral Beach doesn’t do it for you, there are 11 other local beaches to check out, as well as heaps of local attractions. Meals can be taken in the dining room (pre-book to avoid congestion) or in-room.

Just out of Newquay, but not out of the loop, it's so close to the sea you can watch surfers from the garden. Accommodation ranges from family suites that sleep up to five or book one of the self-catering, two-bedroom apartments, which include all the hotel facilities as well. On-site dining means eating seasonal, local produce at Zacry's, going more casual at the Beach Hut or the Living Space – or try out Emily Scott Food, a pop-up taking residency for the summer at the previous site of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, that couldn’t be more on the beach if it tried. The swimming pool is currently closed, as are the sauna and hot tub, though parents can book the indoor Kids Zone play room for private use. And of course, the hotel has its own surf school, Extreme Academy, where you can also try out SUP.

Newquay family holidays are all about the beach and this hotel, ‘built with children and parents in mind’, is just a short stroll from beautiful Porth Beach. Long a popular family holiday favourite, due to its rock pools, wide stretch of perfect sandcastle-building material and sheltered position, Porth beach also offers access to Porth Island along an easy footbridge. Most of the Sands accommodation is two-room family suites, with various configurations and price points to fit most budgets. On site you can book a private family session at the indoor pool, hire body boards and wet suits, enjoy the toddler playground and sandpit, children’s playground, table tennis, get lost in the maze, play tennis, croquet, football, basketball and crazy golf. The spa is currently closed. The restaurant has spaced out its seating and the hotel has closed a third of its rooms to accommodate government guidelines. It opened on 11 July.

For the family that likes a lively atmosphere with plenty going on, this is your Newquay holiday park. With four luxurious self-catering lodge accommodation to choose from, some sleeping up to eight people in four bedrooms, they’re all kitted out with everything you need to make one your home from home. You can even bring the family pet, depending on which lodge you choose, and they all come with bed linen and bathroom towels. In line with most holiday parks, the swimming pools and gym are currently closed, however, there are still plenty of on-site facilities, including a nine-hole golf course, fishing, laundrette, sports courts, outdoor play areas, bars and restaurants. Best of all, you’re only a 10-minute drive to the ever-popular Porth Beach, with its sheltered, golden sands and gently shelving water, making it a family favourite.

Hendra is operating at reduced capacity, with pools and indoor play areas closed, along with no live entertainment for the foreseeable to conform to government guidelines. Still, the outdoor gym and playparks are open, and the land train is running to take you into Newquay, so you don’t have to think about finding parking there. The great family activity programme – including such delights as treasure hunts – is happening, so there’s plenty to do on this beautiful holiday park in a countryside setting, and it's just a 10-minute drive to Fistral Beach. There’s currently no camping (the toilet and shower blocks are closed), but the comfortable lodges offer budget-friendly luxury accommodation and sleep up to six in two or three bedrooms. They have all the home comforts, like TV, en-suite bathroom, dishwasher and free WiFi. As ever, you’re never far from the beach in north Cornwall and from here it’s an easy nine-minute drive to the nearest one.

Leave the car behind and take a country walk along a footpath over National Trust land to the dunes and beaches of Crantock and Polly Joke beaches from your luxury lodge in this beautiful setting. It's a pet-friendly site, and offers an on-site shop and bar, with an emphasis on old-school family holidays of buckets and spades, kite flying and games of chase. Each of the three self-catering lodges offers its own terrace with south-facing views, a bath with shower over (handy for small ones), fully-fitted kitchen, TV, two bedrooms and a pull-out double sofa bed to accommodate up to six. As well as the lodges, you can also hire a top-of-the-range caravan or stay in one of the three self-catering cottages, which each sleep up to six and sit in their own unspoiled spot on the Pentire headland  offering awesome views of the Cornwall coast

Note: Please check with the individual venue before making plans, as openings and restrictions are at risk of change due to COVID-19.