Mesmear

The north Cornish coast offers sheltered coves, wide sandy surf beaches and rugged headlands – the perfect ingredients for a family holiday.

Best picnics

The orchard at Mesmear is great but if you want to work up an appetite, head to the cliff top on the Rumps walk near Polzeath.

Best beaches

Polzeath is a wide sandy beach, very popular with surfers. Daymer is ideal for families, with a gentle shelf for paddling and plenty of rock pools to explore; if it’s windy, this is the place for kiteboarding and windsurfing. Rock beach has a maze of sand dunes, in which you can play hide and seek. Lundy Bay and Epphaven are harder to reach via the coastal path. The small sandy beach is only exposed at low tide but these coves are less crowded and there are several caves to investigate, too.

Best walks

The walk between Daymer Bay and Rock, either along the beach or over the dunes, is very enjoyable. There’s a great walk from Mesmear to Lundy Bay which takes a little over an hour, but the prime views are on the Rumps beyond Lundy Bay car park. An Ordnance Survey map is provided in the Mill.

Shopping

Supermarket: The nearest store is the Spar in Polzeath but there’s a wider choice at Tesco on West Hill in Wadebridge; it’s six miles or 15 minutes drive away (Monday to Saturday: 8am–10pm; Sunday 10am–4pm). Deli: Rock has some excellent specialist shops including Di’s Dairy and Pantry (www.disdairyandpantry.co.uk), who will deliver. Rock also has a fishmonger, baker and butcher. Rick Stein’s Deli is on Riverside Quay in Padstow, on the south side of the Camel estuary (Monday to Saturday: 10am–4pm; Sunday 11am–3pm).

Activities

You can go mackerel fishing aboard Topaz in Rock (+44 (0)1208 863 556) and grill your catch on the barbecue back at Mesmear. Roserrow Country Club has a wide range of activities including golf, tennis and swimming (www.roserrow.co.uk). Polzeath is one of North Cornwall’s most renowned surfing beaches; you can get started at Surf’s Up Surf School in Polzeath (+44 (0)1208 862 003; www.surfsupsurfschool.com). There’s also water-skiing on the estuary at the Camel Ski School on the jetty in Rock. (www.camelskischool.co.uk). Go-karting for all ages is available at the St Eval track, about 30-minutes' drive from Mesmear (www.cornwallkarting.co.uk).

Restaurants

The Waterfront

+44 (0)1208 869 655

This restaurant is ideal for lunchtime tapas on the balcony overlooking the beach; it’s a more formal affair inside.
Beach Road, Polzeath, Nr Wadebridge PL27 6SP

Stein’s Seafood Restaurant

+44 (0)1841 532 700

Rick Stein seems to have taken over most of Padstow with his excellent restaurants; they range from fish and chips to St Petroc’s Bistro and Stein’s Seafood Restaurant.
The Seafood Restaurant, Riverside, Padstow, Cornwall PL28 8BY

Ripley’s

+44 (0)1841 520 179

This Michelin-starred restaurant at St Merryn has a very tempting menu; it’s low-key but it’s still essential to book early.
Ripley's, St- Merryn, Padstow PL28 8NQ

Fifteen

+44 (0)1637 861 000

Jamie Oliver's venture on Watergate Bay is a great success; book a table near the panoramic windows.
Fifteen Cornwall, On The Beach, Watergate Bay, Cornwall TR8 4AA

Cafes

The Blue Tomato

+44 (0)1208 863 841

For a snack, this restaurant overlooking the estuary in Rock has a great atmosphere and even better hot chocolate.
Blue Tomato Cafe. Ferry Point, Rock, Wadebridge. Cornwall. PL27 6LD

The Edge

+44 (0)1208 880 090

This restaurant in Port Isaac has decent food and unbeatable sunset views; book well in advance.
The Edge Bar and Restaurant, 6 New Road , Port Isaac, Cornwall PL29 3SB

For a full list of eating and drinking recommendations in Cornwall, check out our Cornwall restaurant guide

For a full list of recommended activities in Cornwall, check out our Cornwall destination guide

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