We are having our first 'family' holiday this year (no BBC Breakfast TV it is NOT a 'Staycation' so will you stop saying the damn word every two minutes thankyouverymuch).

Our usual holidays in this country are to places like Fowey and St Ives but I want to go somewhere that will be more baby-friendly (ie, nice beaches and in proximity to places we can take them such as farms etc). I have been recommended Corbis Bay and that looks very nice. We always stayed at Porth just outside Newquay as kids but we went there last year and it looked a bit past it and Newquay isn't very nice for families either. Is it Perranporth that has the huge beach? If it is then that might be a possibility too.

So – recommendations please 🙂

Thread closed I think…

EDIT: Ooops…sorry, just realised you said Cornwall…

We considered Kernow, last year, but in the end went to pembrokshire with our (then) 14 month old last year – stayed near saundersfoot, nr Tenby. Beaches were good, but weather wasnt, meaning we pretty much had them to ourselves meaning lots of running round and general rioutus times for the kid.

There were plenty of other things to do – farm up the road for kids, which was pretty good. Did a walk through Bosherton Lakes to the sandy beach there – which was great (although, not great with a buggy, it was managable). Planning on going back this summer.

Initially looked at Bluestone, balked at the prices and found ourselves a decent little cottage for 1/3 of the price of what is essentially a middle class butlins

We're taking our tribe to Porth bay.. (youngest 8 months)… big beach with a stream… far enough out of Newquay to avoid the stumblebums..

Really want to do Cornwall as we both spent our childhoods there so it has special memories for us.

Yunki – in Porth itself? That is exactly where I spent most of my childhood holidays – catching sand eels in the stream, watching water come out of the blow hole up by the bridge to the furthest island, climbing over the rocks to get to the little beach on the other side of the island, carefully walking across the seaweed-covered walkway over the stream, digging holes under our mum & dad's deckies so they fell backwards 🙂 When we went back last year I had my first ever pint in the Mermaid Inn (I was too young to be allowed in when I was a kid – before pubs became kiddie friendly).

portreath

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With a 14 month old you could take them to any beach anywhere and they'd have fun! So just go where you want to go, there's plenty of time to be tied to kids stuff when they're older and more aware of things.

With a 14 month old you could take them to any beach anywhere and they'd have fun! So just go where you want to go, there's plenty of time to be tied to kids stuff when they're older and more aware of things.

Yeah, agreed – but most of the places we have been before (recently) aren't close to beaches at all (ie, Fowey) so was wanting recommendations for good, family-friendly, beachy places really.

Polzeath – massive beach number of shops cafes etc which are pretty good – gets busy in high summer. spent most of my childhood summers there.

What does family-friendly mean?

What does family-friendly mean?

Big, flat and sandy so our girls can toddle without too much risk of hurting themselves or struggle over pebbles. And have cafes/restaurants nearby that cater for toddlers.

Hi mastiles – when you said 'corbis bay', I presume you meant 'carbis bay'. If this is the case, then it's really just a suburb of St Ives. For child friendly beaches, Sennen is ace, also Padstow and Rock. You can hire bikes and trailers, etc, in Padstow, the Camel trail is family friendly and a nice way to spend a day. The trouble with Cornwall is that eating out, etc, can be ridiculously expensive. Oh, and avoid Newquay after six at night, it's stag and hen do hell.

from your desctiption MF Polzeath sounds perfect

Yeah that's the one – Carbis Bay.

Agreed regarding cost though – it is looking like it will actually be cheaper to fly abroad at that time of year which is madness and something we don't really want to do!

Why not? Cornwall can be grim

I also have to admit that when we lived there, I got really pi**ed off with the prices of everything going up during the holiday season, and the at times appaling cynicism and hostility shown by some of the locals (not all of who were Cornish) towards holiday makers (or emmets, as they are often referred to).

Polzeath is a lovely beach but it is a surf beach so plenty of waves – there are few amenities there like cafes etc. and the camel trail is fun.
The beach is lovely and Rock and Padstow are easy to get to, I think there is also an indoor pool in Wadebridge.
The only attraction we visited was some sort of adventure /theme park place near Padstow – it did have loads of soft play suitable for toddlers.
I would avoid school hols as you can – we went in Oct half term and it was packed.

Why not? Cornwall can be grim

Because we want to have a family holiday in Cornwall like we used to have as kids ourselves – it is just something we want to do.

I would avoid school hols as you can

My holiday already booked at work and my wife works at a school so can only take holidays during school holiday times 🙁

Sorry for the blatant plug
http://www.staynewquay.com/properties_detailed_new.php?code=penwarthacottage

Quiet hamlet
we can walk down to 3 fantastic beaches
Holywell Bay
Polly Joke
Crantock

Don't be put off the Newquay bit.

How about Devon? Woolacombe's got a great beach and is pretty child friendly.

rhys – Member
Sorry for the blatant plug

Our family isn't that big! (And it is still listed with 2009 availability too 😉 )

I don't think that you can accuse the cornish of being 'at times' somewhat intolerant to the tourists because quite frankly a lot of tourists come down here and treat the locals like shite. With easter last weekend its been very noticible the sudden rise of 'lack of courtesy' all around, be that on the roads, shops etc

But anyway… carbis bay is yes a bit of a suburb. The beach itself is very pretty though with cafe, toilets etc.

If you want a complete everything on your doorstep holiday in the far west its sennen all the way, stunning beach, great pub, great restaurant, shop etc etc … and that's not just because I've got a house there with vacancies ; )

"I don't think that you can accuse the cornish of being 'at times' somewhat intolerant to the tourists because quite frankly a lot of tourists come down here and treat the locals like shite."
Sorry gav, but please note that I used the term 'locals', and also stated that not all of those were Cornish. I used to work in St Ives, and I lived in Coverack Bridges for a couple of years, and sadly, I did come across a lot of intolerance. However, I will concede that some of the tourists could be a pain in the arse. I think the bottom line is that during the season, there are just too many people heading for a part of the country where the infrastructure cant cope – one road in and out, and all that. I moved back up to Yorkshire due to my mam being terminally ill, and but for that, I'd probably still be living in Cornwall.

and that's not just because I've got a house there with vacancies ; )

How big, how much and available for two weeks starting 7 Aug?

How about Devon? Woolacombe's got a great beach and is pretty child friendly.

HE WANTS TO GO TO CORNWALL!!

Scarborough it is then…

They have been to Scarborough…

HE WANTS TO GO TO CORNWALL!!

😆

I know you say Cornwall but the beaches around Tenby are really nice it's cheaper and less crowded and [list]YOU CAN STILL SEE CORNWALL[/list]. We went last year and to be honest I don't see us going to Cornwall again in a hurry. We will be heading there again this summer.

Pembrokeshire's far nicer than Cornwall if you ask me, but don't go telling everyone about it!

Looe

Looe

Years since I have been but I don't recall any beaches there – more harbour…

When ours were much younger we had a great holiday here, probably the best place I've been to in Cornwall

http://www.motheriveysbay.com/index.html

Our two girls are now 10 & 8 and we've always had 2 weeks in St Ives every year since having them. They love it there, choice of 3 beaches, etc. The pubs aren't very family friendly though.

Mind you, we have so far managed to go in term time, I've heard St Ives is horrendously overcrowded in July and August.

Perranporth is lovely, HUUUGE beach…..

mother iveys bay or st merryn near padstow is well worth a look we love it there and so do the kids.

North Spain. If you squint you can still see Cornwall.

Food's probably better, too.

Edit: the Spanish love kids. And not in a Catholic kind of way, either.

HE WANTS TO – oh I cant be arsed 😉

Sod it, download a photo of Cornwall to your phone, and head to the Algarve. I've been to both, and I know where I'd rather spend my hard-earned summer holidays 🙂