Things to do in Newquay
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Town Beaches
The town beaches of Great Western, Tolcarne and Towan are nearly always crammed to capacity with windbreaks and beach tents thanks to their proximity to town. Things are usually quieter along the coastline at Lusty Glaze and Porth, while surfers haunt the ever-reliable waves of Fistral, England's most famous surfing beach, and the location for the annual Rip Curl Boardmasters surfing festival.
Despite the summer crowds, all the town beaches offer decent facilities and great swimming, plus beach lifeguards throughout the season.
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Newquay Zoo
Red pandas, sloths, penguins, great horned owls and a python called Monty (get it?) are some of the wild inhabitants at this popular zoo, ten minutes walk from the town centre.
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Bedruthan Steps
A few miles east of Watergate Bay are the stately rock towers of Bedruthan Steps (sometimes called Carnewas), a haven for sea birds and an irresistible challenge for the county's rock climbers. Though the beach practically disappears at high tide, Bedruthan is always a spectacular spot for a clifftop stroll, and there's a small National Trust café where you can seek shelter when the Atlantic wind gets up.
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Spirit of the West
Newquay is surrounded by several other family-friendly attractions that'll entertain the kids and have the parents reaching for the hipflask. Weirdest of all, at Spirit of the West near St Columb, dodgily dressed Cornish gunslingers shoot it out around a gin-u-wine Wild West theme park, stables, saloon and all. Yee-ha, pardner. Weird.
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Huer's House
On the headland between Towan and Fistral stands the 14th-century Huer's House, a lookout once used for spotting approaching pilchard shoals. Until they were fished out in the 20th century, these shoals were enormous: one catch of 1868 netted a record 16.5 million fish.
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Lewinnick Lodge
Nestled on Pentire Head, this lively gastropub wins the sea-view prize hands down, with a grassy terrace and gloss-wood dining room offering panoramic Atlantic vistas. The food's not bad, either, with mains including rump steak, chargrilled chicken and confit of duck.
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New Harbour Restaurant
Refined dining by the harbourside, with fishy treats from roast cod, crab claws and monkfish medallions to a king-sized fruits de mers. Food is cooked in the outside grill-shack while you sip cold Chablis with a view of bobbing fishing boats. Divine.
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Chy
Chrome, wood and leather dominate this stylish café-bar with a patio above Towan Beach. Perfect for a gourmet breakfast or lunchtime salad, or pitch up late when the DJs take to the decks, the beers flow and the beautiful people arrive en masse.
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Crantock
If the town beaches are too hectic, you'll find more elbow-room further afield. Three miles southwest is Crantock, sandwiched between the twin headlands of East and West Pentire, and backed by grassy dunes and the fast-flowing River Gannel.
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Fistral Blu
Another great sundowner option, in the glass-and-steel retail complex behind Fistral Beach. Thai and Med flavours mix with Cornish ingredients in the upstairs restaurant while the ground-floor cafe turns out fish and chips and Ben & Jerry's.
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Café Irie
Run by surfers for surfers, this cafe's famous for its coffee and hot chocolate (just the ticket after a morning in the ocean swell) plus veggie wraps, piping-hot jacket spuds and gooey cakes. The decor's cool, too: vintage vinyl on the walls, multi-coloured plates and coffee mugs, chalkboards scrawled with specials.
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Blue Reef Aquarium
On Towan Beach, Newquay's aquarium displays a selection of weird and wonderful aquatic characters, including jellyfish, seahorses, octopi and rays. Touch-pools allow you to get up close and personal with the residents.
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Dairyland Farm World
Newquay is surrounded by several other family-friendly attractions that'll entertain the kids and have the parents reaching for the hipflask. Pony rides, billy goats and cow milking are on offer at Dairyland Farm World.
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Fistral Chef
Fantastic fry-ups and chunky sandwiches are the mainstays of this popular all-day café, which champions its all-day breakfast as the best in town and opens for Thai meals several nights a week.
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Central
As its name suggests, this rowdy pre-club pub is right in the heart of town, and the outside patio is always overflowing on warm summer nights.
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Watergate Bay
East of Newquay is the broad, flat beach of Watergate Bay, home to the latest branch of Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant and a fast-growing centre for adventure sports.
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Koola
Underneath Chy, Koola is the choice for connoisseur clubbers, with regular house, latin and drum and bass nights, and a regular slot for local boys Jelly Jazz.
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Walkabout
This cavernous Aussie-styled bar is popular for big-screen sports and cocktail nights, plus party, pop and house DJs at weekends.
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Holywell Bay
West of the town is the family favourite Holywell Bay, with powder-soft sand and rockpools and caves to explore at low tide.
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Sailor's Arms
Notoriously low-rent pub-club where the main emphasis is on rock-bottom booze. Shy and retiring types should steer clear.
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Barracuda
One of Newquay's biggest nightclubs, hosting everything from karaoke to hen parties and big-name house DJs.
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Lappa Valla Steam Railway
Ride the rails aboard Ronnie Corbett-sized steam trains at Lappa Valla Steam Railway.
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World in Miniature
See the world (in plastic Brobdingnagian form) at the World in Miniature.
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Vic Bars
Grungy venue that's good for local bands on Friday and Saturday night.
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Red Lion
Old surfer's pub with regular live music and plenty of ales on tap.
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