Newquay to Watergate Bay

North Coast · Coast path · Out and back · Moderate

1 hr 15 min – 1 hr 55 min · Newquay Harbour → Newquay Harbour

Desk-researched

Desk-researched — not yet run on the ground

Elevation profile

229 m gain · high 40 m

Hover or use arrow keys to read the profile

2 m – 40 m

Line mapped on a filtered walking graph that keeps to paths and quiet lanes and treats fast or classified roads as cross-only (scripts/walk-graph.mjs); elevation from EU-DEM 25 m. Not from a recorded run.

Mapped from OpenStreetMap footpaths on the OpenTopoMap contour map — a planning line, not a recorded run.

Distance: 12.6 km
Climb: 229 m
Per km: 18 m
On foot: 1 hr 15 min – 1 hr 55 min
Line: Mapped

An out-and-back from Newquay harbour over Barrowfields and around Porth Island's footbridge, then along the cliff line to the wide sands of Watergate Bay. The cliff path rolls constantly; the beach below drowns twice a day, which is why the route stays up top.

Getting there and back

Newquay has branch-line trains and buses along the coast road towards Watergate if you want a one-way run. Check times.

Parking

Harbour and town car parks in Newquay; Watergate Bay's fills with surf traffic by mid-morning in season.

Conditions

Tarmac path over Barrowfields, then grass and gravel cliff top with short sharp dips at each cove.

Navigation

Coast path waymarks throughout, with the Porth footbridge the only place to think. At Watergate, the hotel marks the turn.

Season

Runs all year. A north-westerly gale makes the outward leg a fight and the return a gift.

Dogs

Fine on the cliff path. Beach bans apply in season, and the drops past Porth deserve a lead.

Good for

Holiday runs with a cafe turnaround
Rolling cliff miles without technical ground
Watching the surf brands' beach empty and fill

Watch for

Cliff edges unfenced beyond Porth
The beach-level return only works at low water — the cliff path is the reliable line
Summer footpath traffic around Porth Island

On the ground

Everything in Newquay
Toilets and cafes at Porth and Watergate Bay

GPX download

The line on this page is mapped from OpenStreetMap paths, not a recorded run. Treat the file as a planning aid and check it against conditions on the ground.

Download GPX