Trip guide

Cornwall, Devon and Wales surf trip

Two coasts, big tides and the best beaches of Britain's south-west

The south-west of Britain has waves for every level, from gentle learner beaches to heavy reefs. Cornwall has two surf coasts: a long north coast that faces the Atlantic and catches most swells, and a south coast that only wakes up on bigger south-west swells. North Devon, home of Croyde and Saunton, became the UK's first World Surfing Reserve in 2022. Across the Bristol Channel, Wales adds the long beaches of Gower and Pembrokeshire.

This route starts on Cornwall's south coast near Land's End, runs up the north coast through Newquay to Bude, crosses into North Devon and ends in Wales, from Porthcawl to St Davids. Every stop is a spot on the SurfCams map with its forecast.

At a glance

🌡️ Water: ~9–10 °C Mar · 15–18 °C Aug
Off Newquay the sea is coldest around the start of March, at about 9–10 °C, and warmest in mid-August, at about 15–18 °C. Late October averages about 13 °C. Gower is a little colder in late winter, at about 8–9 °C.
🧥 Wetsuit: 3/2–4/3 mm summer · 5/4 mm winter
A 3/2 or 4/3 mm with boots in August, and a 5/4 mm with gloves and boots in late winter, plus a hood on windy days. In between, choose by the month and the wind chill.
🌬️ Wind: SW prevailing · north coast likes E
The prevailing wind is south-westerly, onshore on most north-coast beaches. East and south-east winds blow offshore there, while the south coast of Cornwall and Devon wants a northerly.
👥 Crowds: Packed in summer, calmer in autumn
In summer the north coast fills with holidaymakers and surf lessons, and Fistral and Croyde are crowded whenever they work. Outside the school holidays, and on weekdays, the line-ups are much calmer.
🌅 Daylight: ~10.8 h mid-Oct · ~8 h late Dec
In Newquay the day lasts about 10 hours 48 minutes in mid-October and about 8 hours at the winter solstice, with sunset as early as 16:17 in mid-December.

When to go

Summer is the easy season, with the warmest water, long evenings and lifeguards on the main beaches, usually from May to September. But the swell is often small, the north coast is busy, and Boardmasters fills Newquay around the second weekend of August, with its surf contest on Fistral.

Autumn is the pick for most surfers. The Surf Atlas calls it one of the best times to surf Cornwall: swells swing to the north-west, the north coast fires, the sea is still close to its summer warmth in September and the crowds have gone. Winter brings the biggest swells and the south-coast reefs, but also the wettest weather of the year; North Devon's reserve is the first cold-water one, with its best waves in winter.

How it works

Choose the coast by the wind. On an easterly or south-easterly, the west- and north-west-facing beaches of the north coast are clean. A south-westerly blows them out, so look for spots that face north, like Harlyn and Trevaunance, or the sheltered corners of the big bays. A northerly is the day to drive to the south coast, where Praa Sands and Porthleven want winds from the north and a south-west swell. As Visit Wales puts it, an onshore wind on one side of a headland can be offshore on the other.

Four bases cover the trip: Newquay, often called the UK's surf capital, for Cornwall's north coast; Croyde or Braunton for North Devon; Gower, the UK's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956, for Llangennith and the bays near Swansea; and Pembrokeshire for Freshwater West and Whitesands.

Tides and safety

The tidal range here is big: around 7 m on the Cornish coast, and about 13 m far up the Bristol Channel, one of the largest in the world. Many spots work for only a few hours of the tide, and some, like Trebarwith Strand and Chapel Porth, disappear completely at high tide. Check the tide table before you go and watch for being cut off under the cliffs.

On lifeguarded beaches, the RNLI marks a swimming and bodyboarding zone with red-and-yellow flags and a zone for surfboards and other craft with black-and-white chequered flags; a red flag means stay out of the water. After heavy rain, check the Surfers Against Sewage app, which sends real-time alerts when sewage is released near a beach.

The route

Cornwall

The south-coast reef at Porthleven, Sennen near Land's End, Newquay's beaches and the open bays around Bude.

Devon and the south coast

North Devon's World Surfing Reserve, with Saunton's gentle waves, the busy line-up at Croyde and the rivermouth left at Lynmouth.

Wales

Porthcawl, Llangennith on Gower and the Pembrokeshire beaches of Freshwater West and Whitesands, with the Bristol Channel's huge tides.

16 spots

  1. Porthleven

    Stop 1

    Cornwall · Advanced · Reef break

    Start at England's most famous reef, a powerful right by the harbour that only wakes up on solid south-west groundswells in the colder months. Advanced surfers only: it is very shallow at low tide and the local crew is tight. Watch from the harbour wall first.

  2. Praa Sands

    Stop 2

    Cornwall · Beginner · Beach break

    A long south-coast beach with peaks all along the sand on a south-west swell and a northerly wind, which is exactly when the north coast is blown out. Walk along to find a peak of your own.

  3. Sennen Cove

    Stop 3

    Sennen · Cornwall · Beginner · Beach break

    England's westernmost surf beach, near Land's End, picks up even the smallest swell and often has waves in summer when the rest of Cornwall is flat. The harbour end suits learners and is more sheltered on big days.

  4. St Agnes – Trevaunance Cove

    Stop 4

    St Agnes · Cornwall · Intermediate · Beach break

    A small north-facing cove that needs a solid swell but stays clean in south-westerly winds. The rip on the left of the beach takes you out the back; the line-up is small and local, so wait your turn.

  5. Newquay – Fistral

    Stop 5

    Newquay · Cornwall · Intermediate · Beach break

    Britain's best-known surf beach and the home of the Boardmasters surf contest. North Fistral has fast, hollow peaks for good surfers; South Fistral, where the schools work, is partly sheltered from south-westerlies. Crowded all year.

  6. Watergate Bay

    Stop 6

    Newquay · Cornwall · Beginner · Beach break

    A straight, two-mile beach north of Newquay with peaks all along it at low tide and room for every level. Walk to the north end for fewer people and some shelter from northerly winds.

  7. Harlyn Bay

    Stop 7

    Padstow · Cornwall · Intermediate · Beach break

    The storm option. Tucked behind Trevose Head and facing north, it is flat most days but clean and hollow when big swells and south-westerly gales wreck the rest of the coast. Expect everyone else to have the same idea.

  8. Polzeath

    Stop 8

    Cornwall · Beginner · Beach break

    One of Cornwall's best-known learner beaches: a wide, flat bay on the Camel estuary with gentle waves at most tides. In summer, surf early or late to avoid the crowds.

  9. Widemouth Bay

    Stop 9

    Cornwall · Beginner · Beach break

    A long, open bay south of Bude with peaks along the sand from mid tide up, and often one of the best bets in the area. The reef at the north end is for experienced surfers at high tide.

  10. Saunton Sands

    Stop 10

    Saunton · Devon and the south coast · Beginner · Beach break

    Three miles of sand in front of the Braunton Burrows dunes, with slow, gentle waves: a classic longboard and learner beach. There are no lifeguards, and on bigger days a rip runs along the cliff at the north end.

  11. Croyde

    Stop 11

    Devon and the south coast · Intermediate · Beach break

    North Devon's best-known spot and one of the busiest line-ups in Britain. Low tide can bring powerful, hollow waves for good surfers; learners do better at mid tide in the lifeguard zone.

  12. Lynmouth

    Stop 12

    Devon and the south coast · Advanced · Point break

    A long, fast left peeling along the boulders of the river mouth below Exmoor. It breaks only a few times a winter, on a big west swell, and then the small take-off is packed. Advanced surfers only.

  13. Porthcawl – Rest Bay

    Stop 13

    Porthcawl · Wales · Beginner · Beach break

    Cross into Wales. Porthcawl's main beach picks up much more swell than the town beaches and has peaks for every level, but its size changes a lot with the tide: tiny at low, overhead at high on the same day.

  14. Llangennith

    Stop 14

    Wales · Beginner · Beach break

    The best-known surf beach in South Wales, at the north end of Rhossili Bay on Gower. It faces straight into the swell, so if it is flat here, it is flat everywhere nearby. Walk away from the main path for your own peak.

  15. Freshwater West

    Stop 15

    Castlemartin · Wales · Intermediate · Beach break

    A wild, dune-backed beach in Pembrokeshire with the most powerful and reliable waves in Wales, and a regular venue for the Welsh national championships. Strong rips make it a beach for experienced surfers and strong swimmers.

  16. Whitesands – St Davids

    Stop 16

    St Davids · Wales · Beginner · Beach break

    Finish in a curved bay near St Davids, facing Ramsey Island, with a fast right and a longer left at the north end. Surfers, bodyboarders and kayakers share it, so stay aware of each other.

Tips from the line-up

  1. Check the tide before the swell: a big range can turn a good beach into shorebreak, or cover it completely, within a few hours.
  2. Let the wind choose the coast: easterly for the north coast, northerly for the south coast, south-westerly for the north-facing coves.
  3. On lifeguarded beaches, surf between the black-and-white chequered flags and keep out of the red-and-yellow swimming zone.
  4. After heavy rain, check the Surfers Against Sewage app before you paddle out.
  5. Come in autumn if you can: more swell than summer, warmer water than spring and far fewer people.
  6. Wild camping is not allowed on the Cornish coast, so book a campsite, especially in the summer holidays.

Sources