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Looking for a beautiful holiday home in Cornwall just moments from the beach? Then check out my review of Samphire on the edge of Fistral Beach!
There are few places that capture the imagination like Cornwall. With pristine stretches of sand, secluded secret coves, and a coastline that can rival any in the world, Cornwall is the perfect place for a family holiday in the UK.
It doesn’t matter if your kids are making sandcastles on the beach or crabbing in the rockpools, they will instantly fall in love with Cornwall. I know I did having family holidays here growing up. It’s the ultimate in outdoor living, especially during the summer.
Every time I visit I always turn to Chloe and say the same thing: “I really could live here you know…” The thing is, I really do mean it. I would love to settle down here one day. I think it would be a brilliant place to bring up the family.
Until then though, I’ll have to be happy hiring holiday homes. Thankfully there are some incredible properties out there at the moment. We found this place on the edge of Newquay on Aspects Holidays, and it was perfect for us.
Samphire was just a five-minute walk to Fistral Beach, so it meant we really could have a beach holiday. Cooper is at the age at the moment where he is obsessed with sand (aren’t all kids!?), so being near the beach was a must for us.
I didn’t realise there was so much to do in the local area. While we were here, we managed a long walk along the South West Coast Path, a miniature train ride for Cooper, a fun game of crazy golf, fish and chips on the beach, and a load of other things too. I’ll tell you more about them all later in my review.
I really can’t recommend staying here enough though. Hopefully my review of Samphire will showcase why this is the perfect place for a beach holiday in Cornwall. You are just going to love it here!
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Where is Samphire?
Samphire is located overlooking Fistral Beach. It genuinely is a short five-minute walk to the beach and we went there every day.
That doesn’t mean you’re far from Newquay town centre though. I would say it took me about 10-15 minutes walking into Newquay, and obviously there is so much to do there. Newquay is well-known for its surf culture, so expect lots of colourful surf shops while walking around town.
Driving from London, it took us about 5h:30m – that was with a long stop for a bite to eat and to stretch our legs. We left at 7am which meant we were there by lunchtime. Just in time for an afternoon scone and a walk on the beach!
Kitchen and living room at Samphire
Even when I’m away on holiday, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I love cooking, so whether that’s doing a bacon butty or fresh fish for dinner, the kitchen is my happy place.
At Samphire, I really liked how functional the kitchen was. It was one of those places where I immediately knew where everything was. There are plenty of pots and pans too, so whether you’re cooking for 2 or 10, you’ll be covered.
Aspects Holidays had left a little hamper full of local Cornish delicacies which was a lovely surprise when we walked into the kitchen. The scones with Cornish clotted cream and jam got destroyed straight away.
For a change, the living room was my favourite room in the house. I just loved the beach shack vibes – definitely my style.
The room has a giant 3-sided sofa running around the edge. This was the perfect place to unwind each evening. It’s also an amazing place to sit up and chat if there are a few of you in the house. It made me wish we had some friends staying with us so we could make the most of the space!
Bedrooms at Samphire
There are four very good-sized bedrooms at Samphire over three floors.
There are two bedrooms at the top of the house. The main bedroom is a zip-and-link bed – these are two beds pushed together to make a super king bed. This is the room we stayed in and it was very spacious. You could also see the sea from the window which was another bonus. The other bedroom had a king-sized bed with plenty of room.
On the middle floor, there is another king-sized bedroom. Then on the bottom floor there are bunk beds with the bottom bunk being a double bed. This room would be perfect for young ones so they’ve got their own space.
Again, I really loved the décor of Samphire. On all the bedroom walls were posters of the beach and seaside. It definitely gave me a few ideas of how to decorate our next house that’s for sure!
Bathrooms at Samphire
There are three bathrooms at Samphire, one on each of the three floors. The main bathroom with a bath is on the middle floor, but the other two have showers in them. I really liked the fact that the downstairs bathroom had a shower in it to wash off all the sand from the beach; nice touch that.
I also really liked that each bathroom was decorated differently. The top floor bathroom is like a New Yorker’s bachelor pad – it’s all black and wood effect. Then the bathroom on the middle floor is a more a traditional family bathroom, before you have the cool art deco bathroom on the ground floor. It was a nice design effect very different to your plain white bathrooms.
Garden at Samphire
Even though the garden is very small at Samphire, it is a little sun trap in summer. Most afternoons I would sneak in a bottle of Cornish cider and sit in the sun. That’s what holidays are all about.
There’s a big L-shaped sofa and table, so plenty of room to sink a few beers with friends or family before firing up the bbq.
Things to do in Newquay and the surrounding area
Stroll along Fistral Beach
With Fistral Beach being so close, we spent a lot of time there. Like, a lot of time. Cooper absolutely loved exploring the beach and playing in the sand, so we completely indulged in his beach adventures.
Fistral Beach is actually one of the top surf beaches in the country with some very easy waves to catch. Pop into Fistral Beach Surf School if you want to hire a board or have a surf lesson. There’s a little cluster of bars/restaurants here too, so if you fancy a drink watching the surfers or pizza on the beach, this is your spot.
If you love water sports, then check out the best water sports in Cornwall to help plan your next adventure.
Another activity I’d really recommend is walking past the infamous Headland Hotel (where they filmed The Witches) and around the headland. The views of the coast looking back to Newquay are stunning, and it’s a very easy walk to do.
Walk from Fistral Beach to Crantock and back
If you’re looking for an epic walk along the South West Coast Path, then this is the one for you.
We walked all the way from Fistral Beach to Crantock and back. In total this was a 12km, four hour walk including a long stop for lunch (I’ve got a great recommendation for you there too). We stopped at a fair few beaches along the way too, so it’s easy to stretch it out into a longer walk too.
Starting out at Samhpire, we walked past Fistral Beach and around the headland at Pentire. There were so many places to stop along the way to enjoy the views and take photos. Honestly, I can’t tell you how beautiful this section of the walk is.
After a quick stop at the Fern Pit Café (more on that below), we headed down to Crantock Beach, then picked up the path to Pentire Point West and Polly Joke (which is the name of a beach).
The place I’d really recommend for lunch is C-Bay Bar and Bistro – they views here are stunning, and the food was incredible too. I had the Thai-style mussels and they were delicious.
From there, we wandered into Crantock for a pint and an ice cream (shout out to the Jam Jar Kitchen for the best ice cream), then looped back to Fistral Beach.
If you time it right, you’ll have to catch the little ferry boat back over the Gannel Estuary to get back to Fistral/Newquay.
As you can tell, there are a lot of instructions because this is a long walk. That’s why we’ve written a detailed guide all about the walk from Fistral to Crantock, so make sure you check it out!
Enjoy the views at the Fern Pit Café
Whether you’re doing the big walk to Crantock or not, you’ve got to visit the Fern Pit Café. This is just a short 15-minute walk from Samphire, so you’ve got no excuse.
The Fern Pit Café overlooks the River Gannel and the views from here are incredible. I’m claiming this to be one of the most beautiful cafes in England the views are that good.
The cafe’s beautiful terraced tea gardens, overlook Crantock Beach and the Gannel Estuary, which runs from the river mouth in Crantock Bay along the edge of Newquay.
We only stopped here for a coffee, but I would’ve loved to have breakfast or lunch here. All the food looked lovely – locally sourced and good portions.
The Fern Pit Café also run the little ferry at the bottom of the steps when the ride is up. This costs £1.50 per person and gets you over to Crantock Beach.
Play a round of crazy golf at Trenance Crazy Golf
Chloe and I can’t go on holiday without playing crazy golf. It’s one of our must-do holiday activities. The rivalry is fair but fierce, and I was looking at taking revenge on my most recent drubbing in Florida. Unfortunately for me, Chloe prevailed again and she dominated the course.
My excuse was it’s a very difficult course. It plays long and slow, and I just couldn’t get used to it. Hey, as I said, I’m making excuses. Chloe was great, she deserved her win, well done and all that.
Adults over 13 pay £8 and juniors under pay £6. Cooper paid nothing as he was a spectator in his pram.
Ride the Little Western Railway
One activity that is definitely for kids is the Little Western Railway. This is a miniature railway that will have your little ones wanting to be trainspotters when they grow up.
Opened in 1968, it is the oldest 7 & 1/4 inch gauge railway in Cornwall. The train takes you around Trenance Gardens – you even get to go through a little tunnel!
Tickets are only £1.50 per person (children under 2 ride for free). You even get a little ticket stub to board the train – how cute is that!
Visit Perrenporth Beach
If you’re looking for another beach a little further up the coast, I’d suggest Perrenporth Beach. This is a huge expanse of sand and it’s a really popular spot the day. There’s plenty of space for the whole family. There’s also a nice tidal swimming pool here that I really like.
If you’re looking for a drink, then The Watering Hole is billed at the UK’s only live music bar directly on the beach. I’m not too sure how firm that claim is, but it’s a cool spot for a drink and to soak up the sun.
There are quite a few pubs dotted around Perrenporth too if you’re looking for a bite to eat.
This post was in association with Aspects Holidays showcasing some of their top properties in the UK. As always, all views are entirely my own and without bias.
Are you planning a staycation in Cornwall? What are some of the things you’re doing when you’re here? You can let me know what you’re up to in the comments below!
