Newquay

Yes, Newquay is the best place in the UK to learn. The town’s beaches are sheltered beach breaks where the Atlantic swell arrives softened, and RNLI lifeguards patrol daily through the summer season. Lessons with a qualified surf school get most beginners standing in their first two hour session, with wetsuits and boards included. Our Surf n’ Stay package with Escape Surf School bundles your bed and your lessons together, and Towan Beach is at the bottom of the hill from the front door.

Take the train from London Paddington, around five hours direct with the branch line bringing you right into the town centre, a short walk from Fore Street. Newquay Airport is 20 minutes away with flights from London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin, and National Express coaches run the budget route from most major cities. Once you’re here a car is unnecessary. The town, its beaches and its nightlife all sit within walking distance of each other.

May to September for beach weather, beginner-friendly surf and the full lifeguard season, with July and August the warmest and busiest. June and September are the smart picks: long days, warm sea, smaller crowds and better bed prices. Experienced surfers chase the bigger autumn and winter swells at Fistral, when the town quietens down and the sunsets earn their reputation. Boardmasters festival in early August is the biggest week of the year, so book months ahead for it.

Comfortably less than a foreign surf trip once you skip the flights. Budget around £60 to £80 per day covering a hostel bed, food, drinks and a surf lesson averaged across your stay. Dorm beds run £20 to £45 a night by season, group surf lessons cost £35 to £45 including kit, and the beaches, coast path and sunsets are free. Booking direct saves 5% on your bed and takes 25% off food downstairs, which goes a long way after a morning in the water.

Plenty, and most of it outdoors. Walk the South West Coast Path to Watergate Bay or the Huer’s Hut for clifftop views, try coasteering, jumping, swimming and scrambling along the rocks with a guide, or spend a lazy afternoon on one of the seven beaches within walking distance of town. Evenings take care of themselves: Newquay’s compact centre means dinner, live music and a terrace overlooking the bay are all a few minutes apart.