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Watergate Bay

(Watergate Beach)

Cornwall, England


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Watergate Bay is a popular beach located on the north coast of Cornwall, approximately three miles from Newquay.

Watergate Bay is situated on the north coast of Cornwall, about three miles from Newquay. The beach is a large, open bay located at the bottom of steep cliffs, facing north-west. It is approximately one kilometre wide and is backed by steep cliffs. A stream disperses over the sand at the beach.

The beach is a two-mile stretch of golden sand looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. It is a rural sandy beach that frequently picks up Atlantic swells, making it highly popular with surfers and kite-surfers. There are several points of access to the beach along the cliffs, but the easiest access is from the valley, where facilities such as the Watergate Hotel, restaurants, and local amenities are located. The beach is also home to Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant.

It is worth noting that much of the beach disappears at high tide. Despite this, the beach still tends to get reasonably busy, particularly around the main car park in front of the Watergate Hotel.

Watergate Bay is adjacent to the South West Coast Path.

Bay Sand

Weather and tides for Wednesday 16 September

Today
Chance of rain 40%
Max temperature 16°C
feels like 17°C
Wind 15mph
Max UV Index
Tonight
Chance of rain 78%
Min temperature 15°C
feels like 14°C
Wind 17mph

The tide at Watergate Bay is currently falling. Low tide will be at approximately 3:06 PM, and the next high tide will be at approximately 9:04 PM.

Today's air pollution levels are forecast to be Low

Detailed weather and tides »

Other beaches nearby

Location: Tregurrian

Location type: Village

OS Grid: SW840650

Coordinates: 50°26'42"N 5°2'36"W

Mapcode: GBR ZF.K4C8

What 3 Words: originals.casual.poems

Coordinates and location codes are for an approximate mid-point of the beach, and may not reflect the best access point or the most popular part of the beach.

Country: England

Local Authority: Cornwall

Parish: Newquay

Nearest postcode: TR8 4AA

(for sat-nav purposes only, a beach does not have a postal address!)

Important! Beach information is compiled from a variety of different sources and is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of compilation. However, information may be incorrectly supplied by our sources or go out of date after publication. BritishBeaches.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy of any information on this page.

Visitor information for Watergate Bay, Cornwall, England. Weather, tides, visitor comments, beach facilities, photos, nearest postcode, beach information and nearby accommodation.

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216.73.217.16 Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:05:36 +0100