Cornwall with Kids: A Family Guide
Rock pools, sandcastles, steam trains and seals: Cornwall is made for families. Here are the beaches, days out and practical tips that make a holiday with children easier, whatever their age.
The best family beaches
For young children, look for beaches with lifeguards, toilets, a café and a short walk from the car. These tick most of the boxes:
- Polzeath has small, steady waves for bodyboarding, rock pools at both ends, and parking right by the sand.
- Porthminster, St Ives is sheltered and calm. Arrive by train from St Erth and skip the parking.
- Gwithian & Godrevy have miles of sand, so there's room even in August. Look out for seals from the clifftop at Godrevy.
- Watergate Bay is enormous at low tide, which makes it perfect for cricket, kites and digging.
- Carbis Bay has calm water, a gently sloping beach and a railway station right above it.
Our guide to the 10 best beaches has more detail on each one, including the tide.
Days out by age
Toddlers and under-5s
Keep days short and close to base. Paradise Park in Hayle and Newquay Zoo are compact, buggy-friendly and have cafés. Blue Reef Aquarium or Kidzworld's soft play near St Austell fill a wet morning. A rock pool and a bucket are often the highlight of the week.
Ages 5–11
This is the golden age for Cornwall. Try the Eden Project, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary at Gweek, and steam trains at Lappa Valley or on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. Walk across the causeway to St Michael's Mount at low tide. Children love that the path disappears later.
Teenagers
Book a surf lesson at Fistral, Polzeath or Watergate Bay. Cycle the Camel Trail from Padstow to Wadebridge. Climb to the clifftop ruins at Tintagel Castle, or go underground at Geevor Tin Mine. Older teens may enjoy a tough stretch of the coast path.
See every attraction with a price guide, website and map on our attractions & prices page.
When it rains
The Eden Project, Blue Reef Aquarium, the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, Geevor, and Kidzworld next to Par Market near St Austell are the best bets. Expect them to be busy on wet days, so arrive at opening time. There are more ideas in our rainy day guide.
Beach safety with children
- Choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. The RNLI website lists which beaches have lifeguards and when.
- Leave the inflatables at home on windy days. Offshore winds can blow them out to sea very quickly.
- Check the tide before exploring coves and rock pools, so you don't get cut off.
- Agree a meeting point, such as the lifeguard hut. Busy beaches all look the same to a small child.
- Rock pool gently. Look, then put creatures and rocks back where you found them.
- In an emergency at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Tips that make the trip easier
- Avoid Saturday changeover traffic on the A30 and A39 in summer. Set off early or arrive in the evening.
- Arrive at popular beaches before 10am in the school holidays, before the car parks fill.
- Pack for four seasons. A sunny morning can turn into a windy, chilly afternoon. Our trip planner has a ready-made family packing list.
- Mix busy and quiet days. One big attraction, then a lazy beach day, keeps everyone happy, and it's kinder on the budget.
- Use the train for St Ives, Looe and Falmouth. Children love the branch lines, and you avoid parking.
Plan your trip
Our free trip planner works on your phone, even offline. Save places, sort them into days, track your spending and tick off the packing list. Nothing to sign up for.
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