A sheltered, sunny location with a quaint quayside around a small harbour
Things To Do
Enjoy a one-hour cruise aboard the Jubilee Queen from Padstow Harbour. You’ll see plenty of marine life and seabirds while cruising around the offshore islands. Subject to tidal conditions, the cruises are available between April and September.
Find out about the ‘Obby ‘Oss tradition, Padstow lifeboats and lots of local history at the Padstow Museum. This is a great activity for a rainy day on your caravan holidays in Cornwall.
Discover everything there is to know about lobsters at the National Lobster Hatchery. Around 30,000 lobsters are released into the coastal waters around Cornwall every year and visitors can watch the baby lobsters growing up, ready for release. There are giant lobsters to see, too.
Crabbing in the harbour is a must-do and very popular family activity in Padstow. The inner harbour is the best place to catch baby crabs and you can buy crab lines and bait from various shops or from the Padstow Angling Centre. Don’t forget a bucket of sea water in which to put your catch.
Visit the Elizabethan manor house, Prideaux Place. Situated on a hill above the harbour, on the outskirts of Padstow, there are spectacular views of the Camel Estuary and beyond. The grounds are a lovely place to sit, or take a wander on one of the woodland walks.
Getting There
So if you’re planning your caravan holidays in Cornwall and want to head to one of the campsites near Padstow, take junction 31 off the M5, then the A30 dual-carriageway to Launceston, before turning onto the A395 and then the A39 to Wadebridge. Three miles south west of Wadebridge, turn onto the A389 for Padstow. The town is not suitable for towing through.
An alternative route that is more scenic, with views of the North Devon and North Cornish coast, is the A361 (M5 junction 27) to Barnstaple, followed by the A39. While more scenic, the route is considerably slower.
Of course, remember that country lanes can be small, twisty and high sided, so it is worth checking with the campsite or caravan park you’re booked at, as the owners might be able to advise the best routes to use when towing a caravan.
