Newquay Accommodation

Family Surfing at Fistral Beach Newquay

Newquay's Blue Reef Aquariam Family Attraction on Towan Beach

Family Surfing at Watergate Bay near Newquay

Family Fun and Ball Games on Towan Beach nr Newquay Town Centre

Newquay Fistral Beach Surfing

Newquay Family Attractions Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay Zoo

Newquay family weekend breaks and holidays don't just include surfing magic on Newquay's 11 beaches. Newquay and surrounds are home to numerous fantastic family holiday attractions including the superb Newquay Zoo, the spectacular Bluereef Aquarium, a choice of family farm funparks, Waterworld Waterpark, outdoor activities galore at Holywell Bay Fun Park and the rip roaring Tunnels Through Time where olde worlde Cornwall myth's come alive - spook!

Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay

The Blue Reef Aquarium is situated in the heart of Newquay on Towan Beach, and is one of the most popular tourist attractions. A key puller are the walkway tunnels where, as in the submarium in Hull, sharks and other marine life come amazingly close just above your head as you stroll through the tunnels. With an eye for conservation, this aquarium is well worth a visit with the kids with lots of interactive stuff going on to keep the interest.

New for 2006 is the Blue Reef Nursery. There's an active breeding programme going on here, and you can see some of the results in the nursery including sea horses, sharks, rays, pipefish, Bangaii cardinal fish, cuttlefish and more. A real favourite is the Amazing Octopus exhibition - they have 3 hearts, blue blood and amazing memories you know. Find out more here at Blue Reef and check out the Claws exhibition too. With plenty of real rock pools on Newquay's beaches, the Claws exhibition gives all the family a good insight into some of the creatures such as crabs that frequent these rock pools.

With 30 living displays there's lots to see at this top Newquay attraction. Amenities are excellent within the Aquarium, with a cafe/restaurant, gift shop and toilets all on-site. This Newquay attraction is accessible to all, with ample room around the exhibitions for wheelchairs and push chairs and baby changing facilities are also on-site. Good value family tickets are available and the Aquarium is a great rainy day option. Open daily from 10am, with last admission at 5pm (4pm November - February). Closed on Christmas Day only.

Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay, Towan Promenade, Newquay, Cornwall TR7 1DU. Tel. 01637 878134.

Newquay Zoo

Award winning Newquay Zoo sits alongside several other attractions, including Waterworld, in Trenance Park slightly inland from the central Newquay beaches. Good news for families looking for fun packed days out with a selection of Newquay attractions all in one place. Newquay Zoo is wheelchair friendly with good disabled access, and offers a selection of animal encounters including a sub-tropical lakeside garden with 100s of animals. Check out the Tropical house with the penguin pool, wander along the Tarzan Trail or hook into one of the keeper talks on free ranging animals.

With an emphasis on conservation, education and entertainment thrown in with ample picnic areas, an oriental garden and cafe and gift shop on-site, Newquay Zoo offers a superb family day out. The newly refurbished rainforest exhibition is highly educational, and Newquay Zoo has come a long way since it opened in 1969. It now has numerous conservation and breeding programmes in operation. Newquay Zoo specialises in breeding many endangered species, and together with Living Coasts in Torquay and Paignton Zoo and other nature reserves around Devon and Cornwall, Newquay Zoo is at the forefront of conservation, education and entertainment.

A bus service operates direct to Trenance Park and the zoo, or it's only a 10 minute walk from Newquay town centre. There's lots of parking adjacent to the zoo, and free wheelchair hire by prior arrangement. The site is all fairly level, plus toilets and disabled facilities on-site. Opening times are 9am to 6pm (last entry 5pm) from 1st April to 30th September and 10am to 5pm from 1st October to 1st November 2006.

Newquay Zoo, Trenance Gardens, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 2LZ. Tel: 01637 873342

Tunnels Through Time Newquay

Rainy day boredom blues with the kids - ha ha, me hearties head for Tunnels Through Time where life-size, cough, realistic figures of yesteryears mythical figures of sea and land abound, Meet the mermaids, say hey up to King Arthur and Merlin and watch out for the smugglers. There's a hairy exhibition on suffers of the plague, the hazards of mining and the misery of transportation - or take a trip down the 'Dungeon of Despair', if you dare ha haaaaaaaaaa grrrrr. Spook.

Highly recommended for all round family fun, guaranteed to keep the kids entertained and banish those boredom blues. Tongue in cheek if you like, but some of the exhibitions on plague sufferers and mining hazards do lay bare a little the gruesome existence and conditions of the working class in the past. Top marks for doing this in an entertaining way to capture interest.

Tunnels Through Time in Newquay is open from 10am Sunday through to Fridays. (everyday during school holidays), from Easter until October. Not so good on the disability access front unfortunately as there are steps inside into the exhibition and from the exit. Last entry times tend to vary. All children must be accompanied by an adult, and for the younger tots who may be a little squeamish the Dungeon exhibitions and the more gory stuff is separated off and can be avoided! School groups welcome, and when it's quiet well behaved dogs on leads are allowed in.

Tunnels Through Time Newquay, St Michaels Road, Newquay. Tel: 01637 873379

Other Newquay Attractions

The Lane Theatre, Newquay, Cornwall, TR8 4PX. Tel: 01637 876945. Check out the weblink to the right for the full programme. Excellent range of community theatre productions are here at the Lane, with recent performances including alan Bennett plays.

World in Miniature, Goonhaven, Truro, TR4 9QE. Tel: 01872 572828. Located 5 miles from Newquay on the B3285 to Perranporth.

Click Search

Internet Links

Home Top