The beaches
Padstow itself is a working fishing port on the west bank of the Camel Estuary — the harbour lands fish, crab and lobster, and there's no beach in the town. The beaches are the sheltered estuary sands a short walk out along the coast path: St George's Cove, Harbour Cove and Hawker's Cove, which merge into over a mile of sand at low tide.
Because they face into the estuary rather than the open Atlantic, in the lee of Stepper Point, they're unusually calm — and unusually dependent on the tide. The surf beaches (Trevone, Harlyn, Constantine) are a short drive away.
Planning your day
Families should arrive on a dropping tide: the estuary sands open into shallow water and firm flats — calm, sheltered, good for paddling and messing about, with no Atlantic surf to worry about. Harbour Cove (Tregirls) is the usual choice, a walk out from the Link Road car park.
Walking the sands, at low tide you can follow the whole west bank from St George's Cove past Harbour Cove to Hawker's Cove, where a small seasonal tea garden sits by the old coastguard houses. Time it with the tide — the sand covers as the water returns, and there are no facilities out there, so take what you need.
Dog walkers find Harbour Cove and Hawker's Cove welcome dogs off-lead all year. The cove nearest town, St George's Well, has one summer restriction — no dogs 10am–6pm through July and August. Out of season the lot is open.
In the town, Padstow earns time on its own — the harbour, the Camel Trail running off along the estuary, boat trips, and Rick Stein's restaurants. The foot ferry crosses to Rock; the Camel Trail is flat and good for bikes and pushchairs.
Good to know
The Harbour car park on South Quay is closest to the town; for the estuary beaches, the Link Road car park is the main long-stay, with the coves a fifteen-to-twenty-minute walk out along the coast path. Summer all-day parking runs around £11.50, much cheaper in winter.
Bus 11A links Padstow to Wadebridge; the traffic-free Camel Trail runs about five and a half miles to Wadebridge along the estuary.
The Doom Bar — the sandbank guarding the estuary mouth — has wrecked hundreds of ships since the early 1800s and still shifts with the tides. It's also where the beer takes its name.