EPIC CORNWALL ROAD TRIP! 1 Week & 2 Week NORTH COAST Itineraries, What To Do & Where To Visit!
- By The Compass!
- Sep 17, 2020
- 16 min read
Updated: Sep 24, 2020
If you love wild landscapes, beautiful beaches and historic harbour towns, then Cornwall should be at the top of your road trip bucket list!
With over 400 miles of coastline, there is so much to see and do, so a road trip is definitely the best way to experience it all!
Whether it's exploring and sightseeing you want your itinerary to be full with, or surfing at all the best beaches and breaks - we'll cover it all in this blog post to make your Cornwall road trip incredible and perfect for you!
And, of course, we'll give you all the best cliff top spots end your days watching the sun go with the very best views over the sea to make your Cornwall road trip even more unforgettable!
Here is an epic North Cornwall road trip itinerary, including all the must visit places and a bunch of hidden gems as well!
About The Itinerary!
Our epic North Cornwall road trip itinerary will take you from Bude to Padstow, Newquay, St Agnes, St Ives and even down into West Cornwall to Land's End... It's not exactly North Cornwall but (trust us) you won't want to miss it!
So, as you can probably imagine, there's going to be a lot to see and do along the way. We've designed our road trip itinerary to be a bit of a 'choose your own adventure' so you can tailor it to you and make it your own. In doing so, your road trip can absolutely be done in a week, but if you don't want to leave quite as much out, then it could quite easily be a 2 week road trip as well!
Important Information!
In honesty, we should probably warn you about the narrow country lanes around Cornwall - especially so when the roads get busier throughout the Summer months! So, with that in mind, we would recommend planning your visit for the Autumn or Spring time, but avoiding school holidays of course!
Still, when driving off the A roads, you'll want to drive at a reasonable speed because you never know what's coming right around the corner! You can also expect to have to pull in and let people pass, and others will have to do the same for you, so give them a smile and a wave when they do... and remember that it’ll all be well worth it when you arrive at one of the many beautiful beaches or cliff top spots! Now, let’s hit the road!
PART ONE - North Devon & Bude
Okay, okay..... This epic North Cornwall road trip itinerary might surprise you here by doing something you might find sacrilegious... That's right - it actually starts off in DEVON!
The thing is, more often than not, those that drive down to Cornwall will end up on the A30, but we've got a much more scenic route to suggest, with even more must-visit locations that you're sure to want to stop at along the way!
The road that we want to recommend you take is the A39 - otherwise known as The Atlantic Highway! For this route, you'll likely want to leave the M5 for the A361 via Tiverton and on towards Barnstaple. You might already be tempted for some surfing at the ever popular North Devon beaches of Saunton, Croyde and Woolacombe at this point, but don't worry - they'll be plenty of surf spots to come!
So, where should you stop ???
Starting the drive out of Barnstaple on the A39, the first place to stretch your legs might be Bucks Mills - with access to walks through jungle and along the wild coastline, as well as a long rocky beach and even a waterfall cascading down from the cliff.
Following on from Bucks Mills could quite easily be the most charming little fishing village you're ever going to visit - Clovelly. But, as well as finding a quaint way of life from a time gone by, you'll have more scenes of the wild stretch of coastline and even another waterfall (albeit a little less impressive than the former). The village itself is in fact all privately owned and requires an admission fee of £7.95 per adult at the time of writing.
Two miles around the corner from Clovelly or a mile walk from Brownsham National Trust carpark is the jaw dropping natural landmark, Blackchurch Rock. A striking subject and must-see feature for any landscape photographer's shot list, Blackchurch Rock has earned it's place as a truly iconic sight to be seen on the Hartland Heritage Coast. In the Spring time, the woodland walk from Brownsham carpark to Mouthmill Beach (where you'll find Blackchurch Rock) is home to a stunning blanket of bluebells.
Before continuing on to Cornwall, a few more places offering dramatic cliffs and rugged coastal scenes are Hartland Point and it's lighthouse, Hartland Quay and Speke's Mill Waterfall about a one mile walk away, and finally Welcombe Mouth Beach.
Arriving in Bude you'll find a number of stunning, sandy beaches, an amazing tidal pool on Summerleaze and a bunch of great spots to watch the sunset such as the breakwater.
Bude is likely where you'll be best to spend the night, with lots of campsites and B&Bs in the area, and a bunch of overnight park up spots. If you don't feel like staying in the town, the Widemouth Bay is on the more wilder side with a couple more options for overnight parking. Check out the list below!
Overnight park up spots near Bude:
Summerleaze Crescent, Bude - toilets at Summerleaze long-stay carpark
Breakwater Road, Bude - toilets at Crescent long-stay carpark with tourist information
Crooklets Beach, Bude - £5 at Rosie's Cafe, toilets in council carpark
Council Carpark, Widemouth Bay - toilets and outdoor shower, but no camping
Lay-by between Widemouth & Millook - no facilities, toilets at Widemouth Bay
Lay-by off the A39 before Bude - 50.859099, -4.498308
Lay-by off the A39 after Bude - 50.816448, -4.527767
Lay-by near Widemouth Bay - 50.784251, -4.558240
Things to do from North Devon to Bude, in summary:
Bucks Mills Waterfall
Clovelly Village
Blackchurch Rock
Hartland Point Lighthouse
Hartland Quay Beach
Welcombe Mouth Beach
Bude Tidal Pool
Bude Breakwater Walk
Summerleaze Beach
Crooklets Beach
Widemouth Bay
Our Top Picks:
In the day time:
Clovelly Village and coastal walk to Blackchurch Rock. 2 miles / 1 hour one way
In the day time:
Hartland Quay coastal walk to Hartland Point Lighthouse. 3 miles / 1.5 hours one way
In the day time / evening:
Bude Sea Pool, Summerleaze Beach, Crooklets Beach or Widemouth Bay
In the evening:
Sunset at Bude Breakwater or the above beaches
PART TWO - Bude to Tintagel
Heading away from Bude and just past Widemouth Bay, head up the winding road via Millook Haven and the village of Dizzard for an extraordinarily scenic drive to Crackington Haven. Be warned though, it can be extremely steep and narrow in places, so perhaps not for the faint of heart!
Both Millook Haven and Crackington Haven are quiet little beaches and could definitely be considered some of Cornwall's hidden gems. Crackington Haven has a fairly small carpark and a few places that offer food, whilst Millook Haven is even more off-the-beaten-track with access via the coastal path from the aforementioned lay-by that offers overnight camping and coastal views.
Continuing down the coast, the stunning harbour town of Boscastle is sat within a natural inlet - best viewed from the coastal path above! The town is also home to The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, which will be loved by Harry Potter fans!
Close to Boscastle is an amazing walk through ancient woodland that follows alongside a lovely little stream leading up to St Nectan's Glen and one of the most amazing waterfalls you've ever seen! The are two car parks just off the main road that takes you towards Tintagel - one of which is free (I believe) whilst the other costs £3. To see the waterfall, there's an admission fee of £5.95 per adult, and there's a cute outside cafe as well.
The next spot down the coast is the town of Tintagel, where you'll find the rumoured birth place of King Arthur and the supposed home of Merlin - Tintagel Castle. The castle ruins remain atop an island which became accessible in 2019 by footbridge 57 metres above sea level. The medieval and mythical site is managed by English Heritage, with an admission fee of £14.50 per adult.
Finally, you could end the day at Trebarwith Strand, just the other side of Tintagel. The beach here is a favourite of ours and one that's unlike any other, and is a great choice for watching the sunset. There's some great spots for watching the sunset from the coastal path on the right hand side of the beach or simply from the pub on the left hand side of the beach.
Tintagel is likely where you'll be best to spend the night, with lots of campsites and B&Bs in the area. There are also a couple of overnight park up spots in the area. Check out the list below!
Overnight park up spots near Tintagel:
King Arthurs Arms Carpark - £4, toilets at long-stay council carpark with visitor centre
Carpark near King Arthurs Cafe - £3.50, toilets at long-stay council carpark with visitor centre
Top things to do from Bude to Tintagel, in summary:
Driving via Dizzard from Widemouth Bay to Crackington Haven
Crackington Haven and Millook Haven Beaches
Boscastle Harbour
St Nectan's Glen Waterfall
Tintagel Castle
Trebarwith Strand Beach
Our Top Picks:
In the day time option 1:
Boscastle & surrounding coastal walks.
In the day time option 2:
St Nectan's Glen Waterfall
In the day time option 3:
Tintagel Castle
In the evening:
Sunset at Trebarwith Strand
PART THREE - Tintagel to Padstow
There's definitely plenty to do on your way from Tintagel to Padstow! Of course, this list should probably start with a mention of Trebarwith Strand again, which you'll probably pass on your way out of Tintagel. Here, you could enjoy the beach or a breathtaking coastal walk if you didn't do so the day before.
Your next stop on the road trip could be the harbour town of Port Isaac, which is otherwise known as Port Wenn to Doc Martin fans and a short walk round to Port Gaverne. Fisherman's Friends often sing at Port Isaac in the evenings as well.
The popular surfing beach, Polzeath, is just a short way further down the coast and an incredible coastal walk to The Rumps is nearby.
After Polzeath, the next beach along is Daymer Bay. From here, you can walk across the sand dunes to Rock, with unbeatable views of the Camel Estuary and a visit to St Enodoc Church on the way as well. Alternatively, this walk can be done from Rock instead which, incidentally, is a lot easier to access in a large vehicle.
Another way to enjoy the Camel Estuary is to cycle The Camel Trail from Wadebridge to Padstow or vice versa. If done from Padstow to Wadebridge, a further six or so miles can be added onto the route, which takes you to Bodmin. But, for most, 5 miles from Padstow to Wadebridge and back is understandably enough!
As well as The Camel Trail, the town of Padstow offers boat trips and so called 'sea life safaris', and one of our favourite coastal walks in Cornwall round to Trevone Bay via Tregirls Beach, Hawker's Cove and Stepper Point. Padstow is otherwise widely regarded as a bit of a foodie destination thanks to Rick Stein's many restaurants, or you could get a Cornish pasty - a spiced cauliflower vegan pasty from The Cornish Bakery perhaps? (Our favourite!)
The mention a few of the other amazing beaches near Padstow... Harlyn Bay offers surfing lessons if you'd like to learn. Constantine Bay is a popular surfing beach for experienced surfers. Treyarnon Bay has an impressive tidal pool, and so does Trevone Bay. So, those factors should help you decide which one you'd most like to visit.
Also near to Padstow is Trevose Head, which is definitely the best place to watch the sunset with breathtaking views of the ocean, across to Constantine Bay and over to Trevose Lighthouse! Plus, there are a number of campsites and even a free overnight parking spot right by it.
For more camping and overnight parking options, the Padstow area is likely where you'll be best to spend the night. There aren't too many overnight parking options actually in Padstow for campers and motorhomes, but if you're really stealth, you may be fine. Check out the list below!
Overnight parking spots near Padstow:
Parking just off the main road in Padstow - toilets at link road & railway council carparks
Large lay-by heading into Padstow - toilets at link road & railway council carparks
Trevose Head (not the National Trust carpark) - toilets at Constantine & Harlyn Bay
Top things to do from Tintagel to Padstow, in summary:
Port Isaac harbour/ Port Gaverne walk.
Polzeath Beach & The Rumps coastal walk
Daymer Bay to Rock walk
The Camel Trail - cycling from Wadebridge to Padstow
Boat trips from Padstow
Padstow to Trevone Bay coastal walk
Our Top Picks:
In the day time / evening:
The Rumps coastal walk. 1 mile / 30 mins one way
In the day time / evening:
Cycling the Camel Trail, Wadebridge to Padstow
In the day time / evening:
Padstow to Trevone Bay coastal walk. 5.5 miles / 2 hours one way
In the day time / evening:
Trevone Bay, Harlyn Bay, Constantine Bay or Treyarnon Bay
In the evening:
Sunset at Trevose Head
PART FOUR - Padstow to Newquay
Otherwise known as the surf capital of the UK, in Newquay, you can expect to be a bit spoilt for choice where beautiful beaches are concerned! I mean, you have those already mentioned that you'll see on the way to Newquay - Trevone Bay, Harlyn Bay, Constantine Bay and Treyarnon Bay - but here's a couple more!
Let's just start with the bay after Treyarnon Bay... Porthcothan Bay, where you can enjoy another incredible coastal walk (and perhaps the best one yet!) which will take you past a stunning lagoon at Trescore Islands, around Park Head and on to Bedruthan Steps, with impressive sea stacks and a golden sandy beach accessible only by 120 steps down the cliff.
Following on down the coast, the drive along the coastal road to Newquay gets particularly stunning at Watergate Bay because of the stretching, sandy beach and beautiful cliff top views - another great place to watch the sun go down, and a popular place for a surfing.
In and around Newquay, you have Fistral Beach (home to the world renowned Cribbar surf break), followed by an evening at the beach bar there or at Lusty Glaze Beach would be a really great idea - the latter of which might have live music on in the evenings.
Just outside of Newquay, you'll find another amazing beach, Crantock, with towering sand dunes and the River Gannel flowing across it and out to sea. Close to Crantock is West Pentire Carpark, where you can walk over to Poly Joke Beach, which stays relatively quiet throughout Summer and perhaps the quietest beach in Newquay at that time, but no less stunning than any of the others. The walk takes you through phenomenal fields of wild flowers from April and, for even easier access to the beach, there are a number of nearby campsites also.
If opting for campsites, staying the night in Newquay will be a super easy option. They're pretty strict on overnight parking in the area, but if you're really stealth and are up early in the morning, you could be okay wild camping. Check out the link below for the more lenient overnight spots that could be worth a try!
Overnight parking spots near Newquay:
Watergate Bay Council Carpark - toilets & showers nearby
Mount Wise Carpark, Newquay - toilets on Trebarwith Crescent
Manor Carpark, Newquay - toilets on Trebarwith Crescent
Forestreet Carpark, Newquay - toilets in carpark, but could be a loud spot
Harbour Carpark, Newquay - toilets in carpark
Top things to do from Padstow to Newquay, in summary:
Porthcothan Bay coastal walks
Bedruthan Steps coastal walks
Watergate Bay
Fistral Beach
Lusty Glaze Beach
Crantock Beach
Poly Joke Beach
Our Top Picks:
In the day time / evening:
Stop at Bedruthan Steps or walk from Portcothan Bay. 3 miles / 1 hour one way
In the day time / evening:
Surfing and sunset at Watergate Bay, Fistral Beach or Lusty Glaze
In the day time / evening:
Crantock Beach and walk to Poly Joke. 1 mile / 20 minutes around West Pentire
PART FIVE - Newquay to St Agnes
It's now time to leave Newquay, but the standard of beaches and coastal scenes are sure to impress still. After Crantock and Poly Joke comes Holywell Bay, which has served at the striking backdrop in TV series' such as Poldark and Cursed. It really is a beauty!
Following on from Holywell is Perranporth, a beach and town still steeped in surfing charm. If you haven't yet swam in one of the many tidal pools in Cornwall, Perranporth might just be the place to do it. You may even want to stay for sunset and enjoy a drink at The Watering Hole - "the UK's only bar on the beach"!
Perhaps you'd prefer a clifftop spot for sunset instead? Well continue on down the coast to St Agnes Head. The views from the carparks there definitely won't disappoint. Or, for another option, you could hike up to St Agnes Beacon for a higher vantage point.
Better still, our top pick for sunset and Instagram worthy photos would have to be Wheal Coates mine. There's a carpark nearby, or you could walk from Chapel Porth Beach after surfing there in the daytime.
Another nice nearby beach is Porthtowan, which has a really nice, wild feel about it and is a favourite among surfers. There's some possible overnight parking spots here as well and small tidal pool in the cliffs.
St Agnes is a great place to spend the night, with a bunch of campsites and B&Bs in the area, and a few possible overnight parking spots as well. Check out the list below!
Overnight parking spots near St Agnes:
Reppers Coombe Carpark, near Trevaunance Cove - toilets at Trevaunance Cove
Beacon Drive, St Agnes Head - toilets in St Agnes Village or Chapel Porth Beach
Porthtowan Village Hall (donation) - toilets in Porthtowan Beach Carpark
Lay-by on Coast Road, Porthtowan - toilets in Porthtowan Beach Carpark
Top things to do from Newquay to St Agnes, in summary:
Holywell Bay
Perranporth & The Watering Hole
St Agnes Head & St Agnes Beacon Walk
Chapel Porth Beach & Wheal Coates Mine
Porthtowan Beach
Our Top Picks:
In the day time / evening:
Surfing or sunset at Holywell Bay
In the day time / evening:
Surfing or sunset at Perranporth & The Watering Hole
In the day time / evening:
Chapel Porth and coastal walk to Wheal Coates. 0.5 miles / 20 minutes one way
In the evening:
Sunset at Wheal Coates
PART SIX - St Agnes to St Ives
Heading down the coast from St Agnes and passing Porthtowan and Portreath, the road begins to follow the North Cliffs and shows you more of Cornwall’s wild and rugged side. Just from the road, the views are absolutely stunning, but the even better from the coastal paths if it's more walking you were looking to do. There are plenty of carparks along the way to stop at, but with overnight camping not permitted at the National Trust carparks.
Speaking of, some have said that they've parked up in the Tehidy Woods carpark on the North Cliffs without a problem. With access from the North Cliffs, Tehidy Woods could be a nice change of scenery and a great opportunity for a dog walk by the lake.
Our must-do recommendation on the way to St Ives would be to enjoy the beaches of Godrevy or Gwitithan Towan with views over to Godrevy Lighthouse in the bay.
Another good option, however, would be to walk around the town of St Ives with a visit to the Tate Gallery and catching the sunset at Porthmeor Beach or upon The Island. The best way to visit St Ives is to travel via train from Lelant, getting to see Carbis Bay along the way and all of the amazing subtropical scenes.
The St Ives area is a great place to spend the night, with a bunch of campsites and B&Bs in the area, and a few possible overnight parking spots as well. Check out the list below!
Overnight parking spots near St Ives:
Porthmeor Carpark, St Ives - toilet in carpark
Barnoon Carpark, St Ives - toilets in Porthmeor Carpark
The Rockpool Carpark, Godrevy - £10, toilets in larger Godrevy Carpark end of road
Tehidy Woods North Cliff Carpark - toilets at Portreath next to The Hub
North Cliffs carparks - many along this road, but National Trust will move you on
Top things to do from St Agnes to St Ives, in summary:
Drive along the North Cliffs or walk the coastal path
Godrevy Beach or Gwithian Towans
Tehidy Woods
Get the train to St Ives from Lelant
Porthmeor Beach
Sunset and views at The Island
The Tate Gallery
Our Top Picks:
In the day time / evening:
Drive along the North Cliffs or coastal walk. 2 miles / 40 mins from North Cliff Carpark to Godrevy Beach
In the day time / evening:
Surfing or sunset at Godrevy Beach or Gwithian Towans
In the day time:
Get the train to St Ives from Lelant
In the evening:
Sunset at Porthmeor Beach or The Island
PART SEVEN - St Ives & West Cornwall
Leaving St Ives, you have the most scenic coastal road in Cornwall to look forward to along the B3306 via Zennor, Treen and Morvah. Along the way, you could stop at Gurnard's Head for a stunning coastal walk or Pendeen Lighthouse.
Close to Pendeen, you have a number of old tin mines to explore up on the cliffs - Geevor, Levant or Botallack. Our favourite would have to be the Botallack, but at Geevor, you can actually book an underground tour.
Further down the coast at Cape Cornwall, you have a couple of incredible beaches that could be well worth seeing - Porth Ledden to the North and Porth Nanven to the South. However, Cape Cornwall itself is particularly stunning in it's own right. It's a great place to watch the sunset, but there's really only one place for that - Land's End, the most western point of mainland Britain. Then again, you could definitely do both if you have more time.
Just before Land's End, you get your final chance to surf at Sennen Cove or, for more coastal walks, you could head South on the coastal path from Land's End to Nanjizal, which could well be the best secret beach in Cornwall.
After stopping at Land's End, you you might even want to head down to the South Coast and tick another harbour town off your Cornwall bucket list - Mousehole. Or, for something entirely different, you could spend the evening at the Minnack Theatre, where you can enjoy a performance in a place unlike any other - an open air amphitheatre sat atop the cliff above Porthcurno.
Whatever you decide to do, remember that it might mean the end of you epic one week road trip. If it isn't, then we'd recommend actually spending the day at Porthcurno, which is another one of Cornwall's best beaches. But if it truly is your final evening in Cornwall, there's one more thing that's not to missed when you jump back onto the A30 and head home - a breath taking castle sat atop it's very own island near Marazion and Penzance... Of course, you can't miss the opportunity to see St Michael's Mount!
The Land's End and West Cornwall area have some absolutely stunning campsites, but overnight parking spots are a bit sparse - particularly if you prefer to avoid lay-bys. Still, there are a couple quite spread out, so check out the list below!
Overnight parking spots in West Cornwall:
On bend of quiet road near Sennen Cove - toilets at Sennen Cove Beach Carpark
Lay-by off A30, Crows-An-Wra - toilets at Sennen Cove Beach Carpark
Lay-by between Zennor and Morvah - toilets in Chysauster or St Ives
Porth Nanven (50.118783, -5.699139) - toilets at Sennen Cove Beach Carpark
Top things to do in West Cornwall, in summary:
Drive the B3306 via Zennor, Treen and Morvah
Coastal walks at Gurnard's Head and Pendeen Lighthouse
Geevor, Levant or Botallack tin mines
Cape Cornwall, Porth Ledden and Porth Nanven
Sunset at Land's End and coastal walk to Nanjizal
Surf at Sennen Cove
Mousehole Harbour
Porthcurno Beach and The Minnack Theatre
St Michael's Mount
Our Top Picks:
In the day time / evening:
Drive the B3306 via Zennor, Treen and Morvah
In the day time / evening:
Stop for coastal walks at Gurnard's Head, Pendeen Lighthouse or Botallack Mines
In the day time:
Surf at Sennen Cove
In the evening:
Sunset at Cape Cornwall
In the evening:
Sunset at Land's End
In the day time / evening:
Coastal walk from Land's End to Nanjizal
In the day time / evening:
Porthcurno Beach and The Minnack Theatre
Don't miss:
St Michael's Mount!
Leave a comment below to let us know what you favourite place in Cornwall is, how good the park ups we recommended are, and if you have a great spot you think we should add!
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