Padstow is a charming small riverside town on the west Cornwall coast with an old harbour where colourful yachts are moored and gulls fly to and fro keeping a beady eye on all proceedings around the harbour, especially where food is concerned.  Enjoy finding self catering cottages in and near Padstow.  Holidaymakers eat and chat in the various restaurants, harbourside cafes, other people watch or explore the small shops.  There are eateries to suit all pockets, from simple fish and chips, to Rick Stein and other high quality restaurants. There are also three Cornish pasty shops, all  next door to each in a row, an old fashioned sweet shop and a bakery.  Most of the shops close by six leaving Padstow to diners during the evening.

The views over the Camel River are incredible, especially when the tide is out revealing the enormous sand bank and extensive sandy beaches on either bank. A path leads from the north side of the harbour up into a park and eventually on to the South Beach past the second world war memorial.

There is a ferry from Padstow Harbour to Rock over the other side of the river. Parking can be found down at the harbour and also at other car parks leading out of Padstow.

A self catering cottage base in Padstow would be great for a beach holiday and to explore the Cornish coast and its numerous beaches and coves for surfing, canoeing and swimming. There are plenty of seaside cottage holidays to be found in Cornwall, around Padstow and the other coasts. Cornwall and the south west are favourite locations for surfing, sailing and coasteering.