By Marco-David Soares | 01 July 2020
Newquay, Space, Surfing. These three words don't immediately spring to mind when thinking of domestic tourism in the UK right?! While now may not be the right time to travel, it's important to have something to look forward to.
When one of our guests asked for recommendations on just those three words, we discovered some interesting things for their family to experience…
Newquay on the north coast of Cornwall, is well known for its sandy Fistral and Watergate Bay beaches, where waves from the Atlantic Ocean create strong surf. Its status as a premier seaside resort town is well established as it offers everything and more than expected.
For the post coronaliptic traveller we explored two of Newquay’s more socially distant attraction. Surfing and Space!
Newquay is widely regarded as the surf capital of the UK and is a centre for the surf industry in Britain featuring several surf stores, board manufacturers and hire shops in the town.
At the centre of Newquay's growing surfing status is Fistral Beach reputed to be one of the best beach breaks in Cornwall. Fistral is capable of producing powerful, hollow waves and holding a good-sized swell.
Fistral Beach has been host to international surfing competitions for around 20 years now. The annual Boardmasters Festival takes place at Fistral beach, with a music festival taking place at Watergate Bay.
Newquay is also home to the reef known as the Cribbar. With waves breaking at up to 20 feet (6 m), the Cribbar was until recently rarely surfed as it requires no wind and huge swell to break. It was first surfed in September 1965 by Rodney Sumpter, Bob Head and Jack Lydgate and again in 1966, by Pete Russell, Ric Friar and Johnny McElroy and American Jack Lydgate. The recent explosion in interest in surfing large waves has seen it surfed more frequently by South African born Chris Bertish, who during a succession of huge clean swells in 2004, surfed the biggest wave ever seen there. Towan, Great Western and Tolcarne beaches nearer the town and nearby Crantock and Watergate Bay also provide high quality breaks.
On the seafront, the Blue Reef Aquarium features an underwater tunnel going through a coral-reef tank with feature an incredible diversity of sea life including pufferfish, sharks and rays. A little further inland, set among tropical gardens, Newquay Zoo is home to a minagory of animals including international favourites like lions, wildebeest and sloths.
Of course, in a multi-generational family interests vary, so, our team found some interesting information for our Space Cadets to explore Newquay is now set to obtain a licence to operate as a Spaceport, in competition with sites in Scotland and Wales, and a decision had been expected in the summer of 2017. However, the additional general election in June 2017 delayed the necessary legislation, but this has now received Royal Assent. The bid is being supported by Cornwall Council and Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership. The proposal also includes the related facilities offered by the Cornish space tracking station at Goonhilly. On 16 July 2018 a new partnership was announced with Virgin Orbit to create the spaceport, with the intention of launching satellites from Newquay within three years. On the same day, the government confirmed that a grant worth £2 million would be available to developing spaceports.
If all goes well, we could soon be flying our guests to Newquay for a day of beach before boarding a transport for space surfing on Mars!
At Flitestar we always reach for our guests dreams, no horizons barred. Fly Safe, Fly Flitestar. Flitestar flies to Newquay from London and Manchester and other cities on request - for more information, contact our Reservations Team or visit our Air Taxi Page - Click Here.
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