Top 5 Restaurants in Watergate Bay
Author: gloversure
Festive Nights at Watergate Bay
From 1 December, Watergate Bay is lighting up with a festive spirit. From new shorefront dining experiences, wreath making, Champagne tasting, live music and a dozen Christmas trees each telling a different story, discover the advent of Festive Nights on the beach this December. Here’s what’s on at Watergate Bay this Christmas.
Find out why December is the best time to visit Cornwall and some of our favourite winter retreats.
Twelve Trees of Christmas
Pearly oyster shells and bee-friendly flower seed packets, beach-found Lego bricks and hand-tied botanical decorations – this year the iconic Christmas trees around Watergate Bay will do more than just look beautiful; they’ll be telling stories too. Twelve Trees of Christmas draws on twelve different friends, partners, suppliers and team members, each will decorate a tree in their own unique way. Expect sustainable, organic displays from Emily at 3 Acre Blooms; recycled, repurposed decorations from Beach Guardian; botanical aromas from land and water, and coffee card baubles from Origin Coffee Roasters.
If you’re staying in the area, be sure to wait until dusk and experience the trees as they light up by the ocean.
Craft workshops
Through December Watergate Bay Hotel is hosting a full calendar of winter events to spark that Christmas feeling, including hands-on wreath making, monoprinting and calligraphy workshops. Feel festive whilst crafting a perfect gift to take home to a loved one- book your session here.
Want to stay in Newquay? Have a look at our luxury holiday properties in Newquay.
Zacry’s on the sea wall
From the start of December, the popular modern dining hub of Zacry’s is moving to the seafront position down on the sea wall, directly overlooking the tidelines of Watergate Bay. Tuck into a seasonally changing three-course menu, bringing the best of Cornish sea, sky and field to the table. If you’re staying with us in the area this winter, be sure to book your table.
Curry Fridays at The Beach Hut
Warming spices and local hero ingredients, head to The Beach Hut for their new Curry Fridays. Every Friday through November and December they’ll be cooking up authentic Indian feasts, with lively Bengali curries, and all of the extras; lemon turmeric rice, warm chapati, spiced carrot pickle, onion bhaji and quince ‘mango’ chutney.
Book your retreat by the bay and experience the seasonal magic of North Cornwall
Discover more about the area around Newquay and Padstow, and find out about Morwenstow, the often-forgotten area of Cornwall.
Celebrate by the sea
Create new family traditions and truly memorable festive moments. Coastal celebration brings the awe-inspiring and restorative power of the sea to your Christmas and NYE…
Find out why New Year is the best time to visit Cornwall and some of our holiday retreats to stay in for the New Year.
Winter might mean wet weather, temperatures that bite and short, dark days, but that doesn’t mean you need to steer clear of the seaside.
In fact, a coastal festive break might be just what’s needed to break out of the yearly cycle of heaving crowds in shopping centres, the last-minute panic buying, the relentless sounds of devices come to Boxing Day and wondering how to make December 31st special.
“An afternoon on a beach you have all to yourselves, before climbing into an outdoor hot tub back at your retreat as the sun sets.”
Image credit: Mia Rumble
Create your klys
The Cornish word for cosy or snug, klys can loosely be equated with the Danish concept of hygge – a way of life that embraces cosiness, warmth and good times with friends and family, with the help of scented candles, cashmere socks, twinkling fairy lights and anything else that says cosy to you.
“Think rugged coastal walks, cliff views and the ocean stretching out before you, ending in a warm and welcoming 12th century pub with delicious local food and drink.”
Where klys differs, is the role the beautiful Cornish wilderness has to play. Immerse yourself in the raw elements of our winters outside, before heading indoors to warm your soul in front of a log fire and a hot cup of cocoa.
Think rugged coastal walks, cliff views and the ocean stretching out before you, ending in a warm and welcoming 12th century pub with delicious local food and drink.
Or an afternoon on a beach you have all to yourselves, before climbing into an outdoor hot tub back at your retreat as the sun sets.
Celebratory splash
It might seem ridiculous – or completely insane – to plunge into freezing water when the mercury is dropping rapidly outside, but the effects of cold water are well known. Chief among them, that natural high thanks to the heady rush of chemicals, endorphins and hormones circulating around your body, lifting your mood, making you feel alive. Really alive.
Image credit: Mia Rumble
That cold rush surrounded by Cornwall’s varied and beautiful coastal landscapes is an unrivalled feeling.
Local favourite locations include Christmas day gatherings in Sennen Cove, Porthtowan beach and Coverack harbour on The Lizard, where you’ll be joined by other brave souls.
Don’t stay in too long, be aware of how you’re feeling and prepared – with warm clothes at the ready for when you get out. For cold water novices, check out the Outdoor Swimming Society and RNLI guidance.
Auld Lang Syne to a new scene
From assembling, hand-in-hand on a deserted beach at midnight to usher in the new year to gathering round a fire with the sound of the sea in the distance, the ocean is an epic backdrop for special celebrations.
Image credit: Mia Rumble
It’s a time of high drama at sea, with waves crashing into harbour walls and barracking monumental cliffs. Sealife of the most epic proportions can also be spotted in winter months, so keep those eyes peeled for fin or humpback whales cresting the surf.
“Think celebratory evenings filled with talk, laughter, insight and meaningful connection.”
Make a visit to some of the most impressive vantage points we have, like Cape Cornwall – exposed to the full might of the Atlantic and part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site.
Or share warming refreshment and celebrations at your retreat, while drinking in the expansive sea views – so you get the best of both worlds.
Deep connections
It’s Christmas Day afternoon or post New Years’ Day lunch. You’ve eaten too much, you’ve drunk too much, and now you’re slumped on the sofa in front of the TV surrounded by your family and friends. No-one’s really talking to each other. Sound familiar?
What if, you swapped the TV for a crackling fire with a sea view or candle-lit coffee table? Like staring at the sea or the stars, flickering flames are mesmerising and elemental. And in the winter months, they can be a source of warmth, literally and figuratively.
Think celebratory evenings filled with talk, laughter, insight and meaningful connection. Play cards or be more profound: explore your family’s or friends’ deeper selves: what are their private joys, fears, regrets and hopes? What do they wish they could do in a utopia and why? Celebrating by the sea could turn out to be more surprising than you expect.
Discover fresh perspectives and exciting ideas for the new year!
Gather and celebrate on the beach or find just the place to huddle up for the festive season.
How to do slow travel
Catching the next train, a walking tour, road trips…how exactly do we slow down when we travel? We spoke to two slow travel writers to find out…
Visiting Cornwall for a workcation? Have a look at our holiday lets perfect for extended stays and working.
“Like anything in life now, there’s a synthetic version of the thing you’re looking for, and there’s a real version of it. Slow travel is just real travel.”
That’s Dan Kieran’s take on slow travel, something he discovered after an overland journey from London to Warsaw, Poland. That slow travel initiation involved cancelled trains, persuading a train manager to let him board a German train without a ticket, and delivering an impromptu English lesson on a Polish commuter train.
Dan, author of The Idle Traveller: The Art of Slow Travel, describes his travel revelation as magical, realising at the time that most holidays involved simply arriving in a destination, rather than really travelling.
“It’s about depth rather than time. It’s about putting yourself in a context that is unfamiliar. So it’s about opening yourself up, not closing yourself down,” he says.
Invitation to explore
For Jo Tinsley, author of The Slow Traveller: An intentional path to mindful adventures, slow travel is an invitation to explore the world at our own pace, “to journey lightly and adventurously.”
Check out more of what Falmouth has to offer by staying in one of our bespoke retreats in Falmouth.
Image credit: Graeme Owsianski from The Slow Traveller
“It is the antithesis of bucket list travel, placing spontaneity over a packed agenda and allowing you to travel on terms that are meaningful both to you and to the people you meet along the way,” says Jo.
“Reading The Day of the Jackal when I went to Paris, I felt like I was living that book”
That sense of exploration means allowing space to connect to a place, “taking time to scratch below the surface of a destination; to build a stronger attachment with, and understanding of, the places we are visiting. This might mean gathering over coffee in a local’s front room; or understanding the connection between local ingredients and place.”
How to slow down
“It’s perfectly fine to have planned elements, but just have something that gives your trip space for the unknown to happen. Do the things you want to do; that’s the point of going, but leave space for serendipity to strike – even if it’s just for a couple of hours,” says Dan.
“More often than not we’d simply pull over when we saw the ‘silhouette of a bather above two wiggly lines’ sign that meant a hot pool was nearby”
He also recommends picking up a guidebook. “But I don’t mean normal guidebooks. If I’m going to Berlin, I’ll buy books or novels set in Berlin – I want to feel connected to the city. Reading The Day of the Jackal when I went to Paris, I felt like I was living that book,” he says.
“If I visit the sea, I have to go in the water. I have to walk the coast path. There’s something hugely beneficial in feeling like you know the context of where you are,” he adds.
Image credit: Lily Bertrand-Webb
Jo says that travelling overland – by train, bus, boat, bike or on foot – encourages the exploration of slow travel, but it’s not prescriptive. It isn’t necessarily a question of speed or the length of a trip either.
“It is more about deceleration and reframing travel as a journey – it’s a mindset thing. Once slow travel becomes a mindset rather than a mode of travel, we realise that our journeys don’t need big budgets, long trips or far-flung destinations to be genuinely transformative.”
Experience the captivating beauty of dawn and dusk along the Cornish coast, as we compare and contrast these magical moments in nature’s theatre.
Journey stories
Jo embarked on an Icelandic holiday without a plan, seeking out the country’s thermal pools. “More often than not we’d simply pull over when we saw the ‘silhouette of a bather above two wiggly lines’ sign that meant a hot pool was nearby,” she says.
As well as following road signs on a whim, she relied on local recommendations and taking spontaneous detours. “Our meandering route eventually led us to the most remarkable pool of the entire trip: Krossneslaug, an infinity pool at the end of a 90km unpaved, potholed dead-end road, which looked out over the North Atlantic, as a gleaming iceberg idled in the far distance.”
It’s always tempting to pack a lot in to a holiday, which is the opposite of that slow travel mindset. Think spending a whole afternoon in one gallery rather than visiting all the top sights in a day, and taking some time to observe the local details where you are, says Jo.
Image credit: Sarah Mason from The Slow Traveller
“When you’re living life doing your normal routine, your unconscious mind is in control. The reason travel is so amazing is you’re putting yourself in a context which is unfamiliar,” says Dan. “That’s what makes it nourishing, because you are conscious of what’s happening to you. That is when you really start to have a fabulous time.”
Slow down and take it all in, footsteps from the shore…
New Year in Cornwall
Wondering what to do on New Year’s Eve in Cornwall? Welcome in the New Year with a bracing sea dip, don fancy dress and party on the streets of St Ives, or watch harbourside fireworks reflect into moonlit seas.
Here are some of our favourite ways to bring in the New Year in Cornwall.
Find out why New Year is the best time to visit Cornwall and some of our holiday retreats to stay in for the New Year.
Dress up for a street party, St Ives
This idyllic Cornish fishing village hosts one of the UK’s most famous New Year’s Eve parties, which sees crowds come from far and wide to hit the streets in fancy dress. Spectacular costumes and vibrant parades floods onto the beach and harbour, where food stands serve up festive treats. Listen for the chime of the bells at midnight, when fireworks fizz and pop over the ocean, bringing in another year in style.
Thinking about staying in St Ives? Have a look at our luxury St Ives holiday properties.
Watch fireworks over Newquay Harbour
Another seaside town that hosts an almighty New Year’s Eve party, the highlight of New Year’s Eve in Newquay is the spectacular fireworks display over the harbour and ocean at midnight. Make your way through streets packed with party goers in fancy dress, squeeze into local taverns or book a table at a sea-view restaurant, and make your way down to the harbour for the countdown to the incoming year.
Have a New Year’s day sea swim, Bude
Blast away the cobwebs and embrace the New Year with an invigorating dip in the ocean. The craze of shedding your wetsuit and leaping into the icy waves has become a New Year’s Day tradition across Cornwall. Join in the icy experience at Crooklet’s Beach in Bude, or head to Summerleaze tidal pool for a more sheltered dip.
Want a relaxing holiday in Cornwall? Check out our favourite spas and saunas for a truly relaxing getaway
Dine by the sea
Fancy food, fine wine and starlit seas. Book a table at a restaurant with a sea view and dine beside the waves. If you’re not big on partying, this is the perfect way to see in the New Year in style, without the headache the next morning.
Enjoy a beach walk
A New Year’s break in Cornwall isn’t all about revelry. Welcome in the New Year at a more relaxing pace, with a stroll along the beach or the South West Coast Path, enjoying the eye-popping scenery as the sea breeze brings a glow to your cheeks. We recommend the 2-mile walk from Watergate Bay to Mawgan Porth, hugging the cliff-tops and keeping your eyes peeled for seabirds and seals at the pristine Beacon Cove along the way.
Book your New Year retreat and welcome in 2024 by the shoreline.
5 retreats for Christmas
The scent of pine needles, wood fires and sea salt. Christmas lights glinting from harbour waters. The chorus of waves from outside your window. Christmas spent by the coast invites you to step away from the busyness of this festive period and reconnect with the senses, making time to cherish loved ones, good food and relaxation. Because after all, that’s what Christmas is about.
Looking to celebrate the festive season, coastal style? Here’s our pick of five winter retreats with availability this Christmas.
Fancy staying in a holiday retreat with a log burner? Check out our cottages with a log burner for a cosy getaway.
Ellenglaze, sleeps 10, Holywell Bay
The ultimate decadent, glamorous retreat for anyone wanting to celebrate in style. Ellenglaze, a beautiful Grade II listed farmhouse tucked away in acres of land near Holywell Bay. Inside, you’ll find a heated swimming pool and a hot tub with a movie projector – we can’t think of a better way to watch a Christmas film. You can also keep cosy with the Aga and large fireplace, perfect for festive evenings.
Gwynver Beach Cottage, sleeps 10, Sennen Cove
Beach chic meets elegance at Gwynver Beach Cottage, a stunning retreat with almost instant access to one of the most beautiful stretches of West Cornwall coastline. Here, the little ones can play in the glass-walled garden room, with views of the ocean, as you relax with a newspaper. Plus, the chance to spot dolphins on Christmas Day from Sennen Cove is not to be missed.
Check out our other Sennen holiday properties from Beach Retreats.
Gwel Teg, sleeps 12, Porth
Ideal for a large family looking for a North Coast escape, Gwel Teg is just moments from Porth beach, meaning Christmas morning walks await. Stride all the way along the South West Coast Path to Watergate Bay, where you can enjoy a seasonal feast or warming hot choc with all the toppings.
Inside, Gwel Teg is stylish and modern, featuring a games room and hot tub, ideal for hosting a large family get-together.
Swell, sleeps 8, Falmouth
Spend Christmas on the South Coast at Swell, a modern and light filled family retreat seconds from Swanpool beach in Falmouth. Here, you’re close to Falmouth’s array of restaurants and bars, but far enough away to enjoy the peace and seclusion of Swanpool beach. There’s also a great coastal walk from here to Maenporth beach.
Seamist, sleeps 16, Watergate Bay
Our largest retreat, Seamist, sleeps 16 just a few minutes from the Watergate Bay shoreline. Here, there’s plenty of room for a multi-generational family to dine, watch Christmas films, unwrap presents and make memories by the coast.
Read our blog to find out more about what Watergate Bay, Newquay has to offer at Christmas, especially at night.
Stay by the sea this Christmas, with selected retreats offering up to 15% off and open for short breaks of 4 nights or more.
New traditions
As the festive season approaches, create new traditions by the coast on a Christmas holiday in Cornwall. From Christmas morning sea dips to boxing day drinks at your favourite sea-view pub, spending Christmas in a different landscape means creating new festive rituals to return to year on year.
Add that little extra magic to your stay and form lasting memories with these new coastal traditions you could try.
Visiting with a large group? Discover our large holiday homes perfect for big families or friend groups.
Christmas morning sea swim
This one is local tradition: every year you’ll see Cornish folk (many with santa hats on) running into icy waters on Christmas morning.
Start the day with a dash of exhilaration and dip in the closest sea to your retreat. Then, return back to your retreat, light the fire and get cosy as you unwrap presents with your loved ones.
Discover Perranporth and check out our holiday lets in Perranporth.
Christmas drinks
On Christmas afternoon, swap the living room for a seafront pub and raise a glass to coastal wonder. There’s sure to be a lively festive atmosphere, and heading out for a drink is a great way to fight the post-lunch slump whilst taking in some of Cornwall’s incredible views.
Experience the magic of the season and discover festive nights at Watergate Bay.
Christmas Day coastal walk
Another way to wake yourself up after your festive feast is to refresh with a Christmas Day walk along the South West Coast Path. Rather than nodding off in front of the TV after one too many pigs-in-blankets, get the kids togged up and set off in search of sea vistas.
Beach scavenger hunt
A tradition that the little ones especially will enjoy. Set out on a Christmas treasure hunt along the shoreline, investigating what’s been washed in by the tide. Keep what you find as a Christmas memento, or search for a pretty shell or interesting rock to give to one another. It’s a great way to appreciate nature’s wonder and make gift giving about small acts of love.
Stargazing on Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, trade the twinkling indoor lights for the celestial wonders above. Wrap up warm and take a blanket on the beach (or your balcony), gaze at the starlit sky, and share stories beneath the cosmic canopy. It’s a quiet and magical prelude to the days of celebration ahead.
Seafood dinner
Sure, seafood isn’t typically included in traditional Christmas cuisine, but if you’re spending the season in Cornwall, why not sample some of the delightful local produce which the fishermen bring in every day?
Dine in an award-winning Cornish restaurant and make your festive stay extra special. Or, purchase some local fish and include a seafood recipe in your Christmas meal plan.
Image credit: Graham Gaunt photowork
Escape the ordinary and embrace coastal wonder this Christmas with Beach Retreats, creating new traditions by the coast. Book your Christmas stay.
National Trust at Christmas
Get into the festive spirit at the National Trust’s houses and exotic gardens, which transform every year into winter wonderlands. From holly-adorned great halls serving up mulled wine, woodland strewn with fairy lights, wreath making and Santa’s grotto, these Cornish heritage sites are the ultimate Christmas delight.
Fancy staying in a holiday retreat with a log burner? Check out our cottages with a log burner for a cosy getaway.
Here’s a run down of what’s on.
Find a festive retreat in Cornwall
Cotehele
Visit this atmospheric Tudor house with Medieval roots, with a mill on a historic quay, and a vast estate and garden to explore. This grand home, near Saltash, is a festive wonder, with a 60-foot garland in the Great Hall, festive lights along the stream and choir performances throughout the season.
See this year’s garland in all its glory from daily Saturday 18 November – Sunday 7 January, 10.30am-4pm. (Closed 25-26 December).
Trelissick
This lovely house and garden, set in an estate with maritime views and woodland walks, gets festive year on year. With Father Christmas in residency, mulled wine and spiced apple juice in the café, Christmas gifts in the shop and festive cheer in the stable yard, this is the perfect day out for all of the family. This year, pick up (or make) some Christmas gifts at the Christmas craft fair and festive weaving workshop.
Find Trelissick in Feock, near Truro, with Father Christmas around from 2 – 23 December.
Lanhydrock
Enjoy woodland magic and festive delight at Lanhydrock. This late Victorian country house features a countryside trail, Father Christmas’s woodland grotto and plenty of surrounding land for winter walks and bike rides. With frost-dusted trees and a festive cheer in the air, Lanhydrock makes for a perfect wintry visit. Open throughout the festive season.
Discover the essence of Cornish cosiness with Klysa, where every moment embraces the warmth and charm of this unique tradition.
Trerice
Trerice, near Newquay, is an Elizabethan manor house bursting with colourful plants by summer and a festive ambience by winter. This year, experience storytelling with Father Christmas, wreath making in the hayloft, and festive performances from the volunteer choir, the house and barn adorned with traditional decorations and festive cheer.
Father Christmas will be at Trerice on Saturday & Sunday 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17 and then daily between Monday 18 – Saturday 23 December.
Want to stay in Newquay? Have a look at our luxury holiday properties in Newquay.
Godolphin
Open throughout the festive season except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Godolphin hosts a range of Christmassy activities and events. From Christmas wreath making, craft sessions, candle and lip balm making, and a variety of Christmas performances, head here for a fun day out. The 500 acres of countryside are also perfect for a winter walk.
Godolphin is near Helston, experience the Christmas House Sat 2 – Sun 3 Dec, Sat 9 – Sun 10 Dec, Sat 16 – Sun 17 Dec, 10.30 am – 4pm (last entry at 3pm).
Find your Christmas retreat in Cornwall and be here for the holidays.
Rockpools revealed
Staff pick of the month: The Croft, Coverack
Welcome back to our staff pick of the month series, where we ask members of the team about their favourite Beach Retreats property. This month we speak to Portfolio Manager Ashleigh Allwood about her chosen retreat, The Croft in Coverack.
I’m Ashleigh, the Portfolio Manager for West and South Cornwall. I moved to Cornwall just over seven years ago and now live in St Erth, Hayle with my partner and dog, Ronnie. I have spent the past year and half renovating my home, after buying at auction during the midst of the Cornwall property boom. I love nothing more than exploring everything the county has to offer and feel so lucky to be able to call Cornwall my home.
My chosen retreat is The Croft, a decadent and stunning retreat overlooking the ocean in Coverack, a small cove in the remote Lizard Peninsula.
Check out more of what West Cornwall has to offer and explore our holiday lets in The Lizard Peninsula.
What is it you like most about this property?
There are so many things to love about this property; the quality interiors, the generous sized rooms, the beautiful characterful features… but for me it’s the position. Nestled on the shoreline with access to its own private beach is what makes The Croft so special. You instantly feel a sense of calm as you walk into the property, with seemingly endless vistas of the sea from almost every room.
Fancy staying in a different holiday retreat with a log burner? Check out our cottages with a log burner for a cosy getaway.
What will be your favourite part of the day when staying at this retreat?
This would have to be in the morning. Coverack is a bustling town during the day when visitors and beachgoers arrive late morning, but the early morning hours around sunrise are so peaceful and quiet here. Being situated on the south coast means the sea is often very calm and you’re treated to some sensational sunrises, all of which can be admired from the sanctuary of The Croft.
What is it that you like about the local area?
There’s so much to explore around Coverack and The Lizard peninsula. As someone who loves hiking with my dog it provides endless footpaths and trails to discover. The coastline is rugged but enchanting, dotted with beaches and quiet coves, many of which are only accessible from the water. The sea here is a haven for divers, snorkellers, kayakers and paddle boarders, so there’s plenty of activities to choose from.
Discover our top 7 must-dos in Falmouth, from exploring historic sites to enjoying the vibrant local culture and stunning coastal scenery.
What’s the nearest beach like and how far is the walk?
The Croft has access to its very own stretch of private beach, which adjoins the main beach at Coverack. The winding path from the property leads you down through the garden on to some stone steps, which give you access to the beach. The sea here is generally very calm, making it a great spot for swimming and paddle boarding. After a chilly dip you can wash off and sink into the bubbling hot tub to warm up.
Is there a particular restaurant in the area that you would choose to eat at?
There are plenty! Like most of Cornwall, the Lizard peninsula offers some fantastic restaurants and cafes. My all time favourite place is Jumunjy – an authentic Thai restaurant situated in Cury Cross Lanes. The restaurant used to be a former post office, but has been extensively renovated by the current owners to create a simply unique dining experience. Stepping through the doors is like entering a Thai jungle, the décor alone is an experience you don’t want to miss out on. The food here is amazing and uses locally sourced meat, fish and vegetables. The staff are also really helpful in giving advice based on your food preferences if you’re not familiar with some of the Thai dishes. It’s a must visit!
Can you catch a good sunset or sunrise here?
Sunrise! From the private beach, in the hot tub, on the patio with a cup of tea or whilst lying in bed with the doors wide open – there are so many spots to enjoy a sunrise here.
What would you say is a must-see or do in this area?
Take advantage of all the watersports activities on offer in the bay, as there’s so much to choose from. For those who don’t like getting their feet wet, then exploring the rugged coastal paths is a must! Kynance Cove is only a short drive away and is a great place to spend the afternoon, though I would recommend visiting this out of season where possible as it does get very busy. Ensure you check the tide times and only visit at low tide. For those that enjoy surfing and hot chocolates, the beach at Poldhu usually has some decent waves and the café on the beach serves quite possibly the best hot chocolate in Cornwall!
Discover more from The Croft and book your stay.