Things to Do near Hayle and Gwithian

Learn the basics of surfing or fine-tune your technique with a surfing lesson at the Gwithian Academy of Surfing – one of Cornwall’s longest-running and most highly regarded surf schools.

At Gwithian Academy Surf School the tuition is taken seriously and the instructors work hard to make sure that your surfing lesson is as fun and rewarding as possible. All of their surf coaches are fully qualified and are also lifeguards and first aiders and two have even coached the British Junior Surfing Team on a number of occasions. A surf lesson with GAS school can help you to achieve all of your surfing goals.

The surf school is open between the 1st April and 31st October.

Visit their website for more information or call them on 01736 757579

Lizard Adventure are able to offer tuition in kayaking, coasteering, paddle-boarding and rock climbing so something for the sea lovers and land dwellers! Depending on where you launch, you will visit islands, go into caves, see seals and other wildlife and investigate our beautiful Cornish coastline.

The following activities are all available from Hayle Harbour Northquay:

2 hour Sea Kayaking – Minimum group size is 2 people. Their most popular activity – is gracefully gliding across the calm water of the Hayle estuary and exploring the area from a different angle.

2 hour Stand Up Paddle boarding – Minimum group size is 2 people. This popular new activity allows you to glide across the calm water of the Hayle estuary whilst standing up on a board.

SUP Yoga – Minimum group size is 5 people. Combine the joys of yoga through the medium of paddle boarding. Learn a set of basic yoga postures on a stand-up paddle board, secured in a peaceful water environment. Their experienced yoga /SUP instructor provides guidance, safety, and instruction throughout the session from the beautiful serene Hayle Harbour. Whether you are a beginner to yoga or to paddle boarding, you will have the opportunity to relax safely in a sheltered, natural environment and to connect with the elements.

Equipment Hire – This location is conditions dependent which means that they hire when the weather conditions are suitable. The hire price includes all the safety equipment, and you will have a full briefing before you go on the water. Wetsuits can be provided; however, you will need swimwear and shoes to wear in the water to protect your feet (wetsuit boots or old trainers, not flip-flops).

Giant Stand Up paddle boarding – Minimum group size is 4 people.  This popular 2-hour activity allows you to playfully glide across the calm water of the Hayle estuary giggling all the way whilst mastering the art of standing up altogether on a giant paddle board. You don’t have to be a strong swimmer, just happy in deep water.

All activities are suitable for ages 8 upwards. All safety equipment is provided. You need to bring swimwear, a towel and shoes to wear in the water (not flip-flops!). Activities are arranged around high water, so the exact start time will be confirmed after booking.

Visit their website for more information or call them on 07845 204040

Shore Surf School first opened its doors in 1999 by Pete and Laurence who have been running the school ever since.

It started as a mobile surf school at Godrevy, Shore Surf School has now grown into a well-respected and one of the longest-running surf schools and hire facilities.

​Shore Surf School is proud to be working alongside the National Trust at Godrevy, and also with Away Resorts St Ives Bay. Their priority is to make sure everyone has fun surfing, whether it’s learning for the first time or practising techniques on bigger waves. They offer group and private lessons and stand-up paddle Boarding lessons. They hire out a range of different surfboards to help you progress with your surfing, top quality C-Skins wetsuits as well as bodyboards, stand-up paddleboards and kayaks!

Shore Surf School is open between Easter and October Half Term (inclusive).

Visit their website for more information or call them on 01736 755556

Seeking an adventure while on holiday to Cornwall? Cornish Adventures can give you just that!

Choose between kayaking, surfing or coasteering and their experienced instructors and guides can expertly look after you and your loved ones while you see the Cornish coast from a different perspective. All equipment and safety clothing are provided as well as experienced guides with excellent tuition.

Visit their website for information or call 01208 622012

Ocean Sports Centre is based on Carbis Bay Beach and can offer a fabulous variety of water sports fun and games.

Open between Easter to the end of October half term, Ocean Sports Centre is open for 7 months of the year offering kids club, kayak, foiling and stand-up paddleboarding lessons as well as Hawaiian canoeing, sea life guided tours and surf safaris! There is no better way to spend warm and sunny days than on or in the clean and calm waters of Carbis Bay.

Visit their website or call them on 01739 794782

Join loved ones on a spectacular boat trip exploring Cornwall’s stunning landmarks and diverse ecosystems all from Hayle with Coast Boat Trips.

Book a unique coastal boat trip experience departing from Hayle. It has everything! Famous landmarks, an abundance of wildlife, birdlife and big and beautiful scenery! The experience lasts 2.5 hours and is a must-do for all the family.

Also leaving from Hayle harbour, book their 2-hour experience on an unforgettable trip to see some of the iconic Cornish coastal sites. Visiting sites such as the famous Seal Island off the coast of St Ives, the dramatic Cape Cornwall, Godrevy Lighthouse and Hell’s Mouth all whilst spotting wildlife.

Visit their website for more information or call them on 07522 607126

Beach Shack Surf School is based right on the dunes looking down over the 3 miles of the gorgeous Gwithian Beach in Hayle.

They offer beginner and improver lessons for all ages and abilities with ISA qualified Instructors. There is ample space to get you surfing and having fun with family, and friends or just to book a lesson for yourself!

Parking is free and after your surf lesson, you can hire equipment from us at reduced prices and then treat yourself to an ice cream and enjoy the view.

The Surf Shack has a 5-star rating and prides itself on having small groups and the best equipment available to ensure you have the best time. Make awesome memories with the team at Beach Shack Surf School and have a surf lesson, you will love it!

Give them a call on 07969 530607

Cornwall Swimming Horses offer the sheer joy of swimming with horses for riders of all abilities.

Even if you have never ridden a horse before, the sense of being in the sea (with experts controlling your horse) and feeling the powerful horse swimming beneath you through the most beautiful clear sea off Marazion,  with St Michael’s Mount island and castle in the background, is not to be missed. You will finish your activity exhilarated and connected to nature in a way almost too difficult to describe with words. Horse sea swims run from May to September and the experience lasts between 2 to 3 hours from the introduction and briefing to the actual swim. Part of the experience is riding your horse to the beach, bareback! Don’t worry, if you are nervous, your horse will be led by a handler or you can opt to meet your horse at the beach.

For more information visit their website by clicking on their name above or call them on 07460 865167

The UK’s first geothermal pool is in Penzance found at the Jubilee Pool Lido. Relax, unwind and enjoy the incredible views of the sea and St Michael’s Mount in their pool of seawater heated up to 35 degrees naturally by their very own geothermal well.

The Jubilee Pool is the largest and most celebrated seawater pool in the UK. It is triangular in shape with the longest length being 98m and the widest part of the pool being 56m. It has a learner pool in one corner and a stupendous geothermal pool in another. As with other coastal lidos across the UK, Jubilee Pool is designed as a seawater pool with no mechanical filtration and minimal chemical treatment. The quality of the pool water is scientifically tested to ensure it meets the required health and safety standards. The Jubilee Pool Café is open indoors and out with their takeaway hatch open on the top terrace offering our seasonal picnic by the pool menu, fresh Yallah coffee and local tray bakes from St Ives Bakery. Visit on Feel Good Friday and book in with Rachel Lorente for a relaxing holistic therapy massage. Bliss!

So, if you fancy a dip in seawater but not so keen on being in open water, we highly recommend a dip at the Jubilee Pool in Penzance.

Visit their website for more information or call them on 01736 369224

Calling all budding Sebastian Vettels! Book some competitive fun at Coast 2 Coast Karting outdoor karting track located just off the A30 Hayle.

There is a free car park, indoor and outdoor seating and café facilities with refreshments and confectionery.

All drivers need to be over 1.27m tall and over 8 years old and the single-driver karts have a maximum driver weight of 127kg / 20 stone.

Their karts are lightning fast so come on, get to the chequered flag now!

Visit their website for more information or call them on 01736 754960

Hands-on foraging experiences with Rachel Lambert, an established wild food guide (since 2007) and award-winning author on foraging and cooking.

Join public foraging courses or book a bespoke, private foraging walk and expect a professional, yet informal, fun, educational experience that will leave you seeing, tasting and appreciating the landscape and coastline in a new way. Rachel is known for her passionate and inclusive approach, enabling people from all walks of life to gain skills and confidence in foraging for their own wild ingredients.

Superb Wild Food and Seaweed Foraging Courses in Cornwall.

(Please note, we have placed Rachel’s address as Orange Roofs’ address due to not wishing to share her home address! Courses are run from locations such as Gwithian, Cape Cornwall and Perranuthnoe)

Visit Rachel’s website for more information

Have a hilarious afternoon at Penwith Pitch and Putt by playing Crazy Golf, Pitch and Putt and Football Golf!

No need to book, just pay and play!

Their Crazy golf course has 18 holes, each offering a different challenge. Crazy Golf has proven to be a super popular family activity suitable for all ages. Their 12-hole, par 3 pitch & putt course is set in approximately 16 acres of the surrounding beautiful Cornish countryside, with meandering streams and natural surroundings situated alongside The River Hayle. The course has holes ranging from 57 yards to 120 yards and provides an exhilarating challenge for all ages and abilities. Finally, their 9-hole Football Golf course has an obstacle at each hole which kind of combines Crazy Golf too! It’s a fabulous fun game for the old and young.

You will be supplied with a set of clubs (iron and putter), a scorecard, a pencil, tees and a ball. Football Golf uses the same rules as golf but instead of using a golf club, ballplayers use their foot and a football!

Visit their website for more information

St Ives Pottery teaches pot and wheel throwing lessons at their studio in Foundry Farm, Hayle.

You can choose to have your own pot bisque-fired, glazed and posted to you where it can take pride of place in your own home. There is a choice of family group lessons or individual lessons with an experienced and trained ceramicist. The lessons have a relaxed, flexible learning-to-throw style with a demonstration, guidance throughout and plenty of clay. Book yourselves in for a relaxing and creative couple of hours during your holiday.

Visit their website by clicking on their name above to book your pottery lesson.

Polgoon Tour & Tasting is dedicated to producing a range of artisan Cornish wines, ciders and juices on the family-run vineyard and orchard in Penzance, Cornwall.

You can visit Polgoon for tours and tastings throughout the year and their shop is always open. All of their wines, ciders and juices are certified vegan and can be ordered online.

Polgoon is a slice of vineyard heaven just a short distance from the coastline of Newlyn and Penzance. At Polgoon, award-winning sparkling wine and delicious ciders are produced and sold on-site as well as opening up their vineyards for tours and tasting between April and September.

Believe it or not when you visit Polgoon, it used to be a run-down flower farm in Penzance and on following some advice from Bob Lindo at Camel Valley, the owners of Polgoon (Newlyn fisherman and his wife) decided to plant vines and create their own Cornish vineyard. Today they have a wide range of sparkling and still wines, ciders and juices sold across the UK and in their Taste Of The West, Gold medal-winning shop which is packed full of local Cornish products.

The guided vineyard tour will provide you with a fascinating insight into the activities of a working Cornish vineyard and orchard. The Sparkling Wine tour teaches the fascinating world of Sparkling wine, from growing to producing and then tasting it or perhaps try their self-guided vineyard tours run which run daily until the end of September.

This is one for the whole family as there are many delicious alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to try and then buy!

Opening Hours: March to December Monday – Saturday: 9am – 5pm Sunday: 10am – 4pm, January & February Monday to Saturday: 10.00am – 3pm Closed Sundays

Visit their website for more information or to book your tour

Yoga on the beach, what better way to start or end a day while on holiday in St Ives or Carbis Bay?

Is it better to do exercise outdoors? Here in St Ives, we would all say yes! Any form of activity and exercise is better done outdoors as it lowers blood pressure and heart rate more than if the same exercise is done indoors. Ever dreamed of doing yoga with paradise as the backdrop? Get lost in the rhythmic sound of the sea and the stunning colour of the ocean against the soft white sand of Porthmeor Beach. Join Lucy Alridge, a senior Iyengar instructor, for a 1-2-1 lesson or group lesson for some soul-enriching exercise in St Ives.

Visit her website by clicking on ‘yoga on the beach’ above or call Lucy on 07817 968936

To make your holiday to Carbis Bay even more relaxing and pampered, we suggest you try out the treatments or spa days at C Bay Spa at Carbis Bay Hotel.

With its show-stopping outdoor infinity-edge pool, soak up the bubbles in their hydro pool while sipping a cool glass of champagne! Spa day packages range from a Sundowner experience with the use of the facilities and a cocktail on arrival to a full-day treat including a 30-minute treatment, lunch at The Orangery and use of all the facilities.

Visit their website by clicking on their name above or call them on 01736 792810

Una St Ives is actually on the edge of Carbis Bay and has ample parking.

It has a heated indoor swimming pool, gym, sauna and steam room as well as a jacuzzi. The Spa offers treatments using Elemis with hot stone massages, deep tissue massage, hot mineral body boost as well as a wonderful choice of treatments for your face, hands and feet!

Visit their website by clicking on their name above or call them on 01736 257000