19 things to do in Padstow

Stroll along The Camel Trail. The 18-mile route follows a disused railway line through the Cornish countryside. There are bike hire shops near the start if you want to pedal along the trail. Unless you've gone for a morning at Tintagel, of course. 21 miles north of Padstow, Padstow is rumoured to be where the legend of King Arthur was born, resurrected by Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson in his Idylls of the King. The potential for fantastic stories and family games of noble knights and holy grails are endless, and the views are unfailingly stirring.

You can’t swing a cod in Padstow without hitting a good restaurant, but committed food fans should venture to nearby Coombeshead Farm. This small farm in Lewannick has been commandeered by a group of skilled young cooks. Now it is a hotel and restaurant that favours open-fire cooking, fermenting, pickling and rare-breed pigs. Alternatively, embrace the magnificent Rick Stein cooking empire in town and taste what the fuss is about. Stein's Fish and Chips is magnificent, and The Cornish Arms is British pub food at its very best. Why not enrol at a one-day Stein Cooking Course and take those skills home with you?

Pop into cosy wine bar BinTwo. The buzzy space has floor-to-ceiling shelves of interesting bottles, and the tables are often full of merry drinkers until way past last orders. Beer fans should head to Padstow Brewing Co. By day, it’s a bottle and can shop, and by night a candle-lit taproom serving a small selection of the best brews. You can drink some of the finest regional booze at The Cornish Arms and enjoy some more Stein culinary magic. 

It’d be a crime to come all the way to Padstow without visiting Captain Barnacles. He’s a whopping great lobster – more than 60 years old – at the National Lobster Hatchery, whose mission is to promote sustainable fishing and increase the lobster population of Cornwall. On the cultural side of the ledger, visitors in May must plan their visit to take in the incredible 'Obby 'Oss festival. One of the oldest festivals in the UK, this pagan celebration is all about the arrival of summer. Expect some seriously curious costumes. 

Padstow has a refreshing absence of seaside tourist tat. Art fans should explore The Padstow Studio and Padstow Gallery for paintings and ceramics created by local artists and inspired by the Cornish coastline. Alternatively, pay a visit to the fascinating Museum of Witchcraft and Magic and pick up a spooky souvenir or two. 

If you haven’t eaten a pasty on the harbour, have you even been to Padstow? You can’t walk ten paces in this town without tripping over a pasty shop sign – the only difficulty is choosing one. We love the classic steak from Stein’s Deli, a classy little bakery on Lanadwell Street.

20 miles south of Padstow, this place is amazing. All ages love the Eden Project, and it’s well worth braving the queues and crowds to explore the largest greenhouses on earth. The vast ‘bubble-wrap’ domes of the Rainforest and Mediterranean biomes house a world of natural wonders–lush jungle greenery, coffee plants, cocoa beans and rubber plants, as well as herbs, vines, clementines and olive trees – while the Core is home to Eden’s inspirational Educational Centre. The brainchild of Dutch-born entrepreneur Tim Smit–whose first Cornish project was The Lost Gardens of Heligan – Eden rose from the barren depths of a disused china clay pit into a project of extraordinary vision.

The gorgeous St Edmund's House is a magnificent option, but the central, sophisticated and super-luxe, the Padstow Townhouse is the ultimate bolthole. Six suites have unique – yet tasteful – themes, all underpinned by classic country house decor. It’s impossible to go hungry: there are mini welcome pasties, a flask of boozy hot chocolate left waiting for you on your pillow and a pantry that guests can raid 24/7 stocked with fresh cakes, gin and fizz. All of this within champagne cork-popping distance of your freestanding roll-top bath? Book us in for a month. Staying at the Townhouse is the best way to get a reservation at the Michelin-starred Paul Ainsworth at No.6 too, worth its weight in gold. From £300 a night.