Rock, Cornwall, the hidden gem for families!

We were first introduced to Rock through my parents and first went with our daughter when she was one... we last went last year and she is now 11 so we have had many years getting to know this Northern area of Cornwall better! I want to share with you the reasons why we have chosen to go back time and time again instead of the more known tourist areas such as Newquay and St Ives.

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Our first huge benefit to coming to Rock is that as dog owners the Rock beach is dog friendly all year round. Along with much of the accommodation in the area also being dog friendly it means we can have a family holiday without having to worry about paying out for dog boarding back home and our four legged friends get a holiday too. Once the sea is out there is vast amounts of beach available and as well as being a less tourist filled area it means there is plenty of space to set up for a day at the beach without being surrounded by dog walkers.

Our second love for Rock comes from it being an estuary rather than open sea which makes the water very safe for children to play and paddle in without worrying about the large waves which much of Cornwall is famous for. Our children have been able to practice their swimming with confidence and are able to spend so much more time in the water and we feel much more relaxed with them in the sea here particularly when you have multiple children wishing to do different things on the beach.

Despite our love for the calm sea of Rock estuary there is always the afternoons where the children fancy some big waves for a bit of body boarding and fear not you don't need to trek down south to find the waves. Polzeth, just a 10 minute drive north from Rock and is a beautiful big beach with vast rock pools and big waves surrounded by a huge array of bars, restaurants and cafes. Our personal favorite is the pizza bar right by the beach where we enjoyed numerous freshly made pizzas after a cold October dip in the sea last year!

Another benefit to Rock which we like is that it is a village so it is much more quiet and relaxed than the big towns, one little village shop, a fish and chip shop and some very high quality restaurants and pubs. it's a place where you can leave your accommodation and spend a day at the beach, get some food all without having to go out in the car or try and find parking. Despite this there are various supermarkets 10 minutes away by car to stock up on what you need and the town of Wadebridge is also very close by which has a wide range of supermarkets, shops and parks.

For the adventourus families Rock is also home to the Rock Sailing and Waterski Club which offers wetsuit hire, paddleboarding, sailing lessons and waterskiing.

Looking across the estuary from Rock you will see the picturesque town of Padstow. Of course you can access this by car which take around 30 minutes however what our children really enjoy is getting the ferry across which takes 5 minutes and comes every half an hour with an open ticket to return at and time throughout the day. Over in Padstow you can spend the day crabbing, pottering around the seaside shop, get a fresh Cornish pasty or go on the speed boat rides. There is also a lobster hatchery where you can actually adopt a lobster and follow its journey in the sea.

With the Village of Rock being host to such beautiful views, food, beaches and tranquility away from the crowds its no wonder it appeals to couples however hopefully after reading this you will see as a family why it remains our favorite place to stay in Cornwall.

I hope you find this helpful, if so I am happy to do a post on my recommended accommodations so you can give a stay in Rock a try for yourself.

Hannah x