Winter storm watching | Cornwall

There is something both exciting and scary about watching stormy seas, it’s as though you feel the adrenalin of a wave as it rolls in. It captures your attention, it’s addictive, and you find yourself staring, waiting for the next wave – will it be bigger? Will the white spray go higher?

If you’re staying with us on a Winter storm-watching break, you’ll have front-row seats – nestle in one of our cosy armchairs with a mug of hot chocolate, grab the binoculars and enjoy.

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If being indoors isn’t enough and you want to feel the emotions of stormy seas, there are plenty of spots, within walking distance in and around Newquay where you can safely wave watch. Grab your day bag and start exploring…

Possibly the most thrilling wave to watch in Newquay is the Cribbar. Named after the reef that the wave rolls over, its performance is entirely reliant on the right weather and swell conditions. It doesn’t break that often, but when it does, it does! Aside from the sheer size of it, if you’re lucky, you’ll often see a handful of big wave surfers getting towed into it -it’s quite the spectacle. You can watch safely from the Headland, located just above Little Fistral beach.

Head out of Newquay and up the coast towards Porth Beach for your next adventure. From here, walk the short walk to Trevelgue Head (known as Porth Island). Keep walking to the end of the island, and you’ll find a blow hole. As the wave hits the vertical shaft carved into he coastal rocks, it compresses the water, which then blows out of the top – the bigger the wave, the bigger the spray.

Sticking a bit closer to home, you can head to the end of Pentire Headland where you’ll come face to face with the sand-dune-backed Crantock Beach. Looking down onto the bay, you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the wave lines making their way to shore. As the waves hit the rocks below, the sea spray shoots up into the air like geysers.

Wrap up warm and pop up here at sunset -even on cloudy days mackerel skies line the horizon and the odd sunbeams slash through the clouds and light up slices of the ocean. When you’ve had enough, head back to the Lewinnick Lodge for dinner and enjoy the rest of the storm from our restaurant which has panoramic views of Newquay and beyond.

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Storm watching can be really fun, we want you to enjoy the weather fronts and the thrills they bring. However it can also be dangerous, please remember to put the safety of yourself and others first. Watch from a safe distance and remember that conditions can change suddenly.

In-the-know storm watching