Whipsiderry Beach is a little-known cove just to the North of Newquay, between Watergate Beach at Watergate Bay and Porth Beach at Porth.
Leading out of Porth is a very steep hill, so not many visitors will care to venture far up the hill – preferring to perhaps just walk out along the Headland, where they would see Whipsiderry Beach, but not visit.
Whipsiderry Beach Access
From the road, Whipsiderry Beach access is gained via about 100 steep and uneven steps – and at the top the parking available is only for about 2-3 cars. Access is possible, although not advisable, by walking from Watergate Beach at low tide, or by walking from Porth Beach at low tide, although this means clambering over some very slippery and quite dangerous large rocks.
Whipsiderry Beach is a lovely sandy beach, with a couple of small and intriguing caves. A few people will choose to surf at Whipsiderry Beach, but not many. The large rock in the middle of Whipsiderry Beach is called Black Humphrey Rock and is allegedly where Black Humphrey, a famous smuggler, used to hide; when it was larger this rock was mined for iron ore so would have been dug out with tunnels and holes. The rock is called by various names, including Black Humphrey Rock and Florey Island, but there are other names for it.
The main ‘danger’ on this beach is misjudging the tide and thinking you’ve time to walk to Watergate Bay – there’s plenty of time to get to Watergate Bay so long as the tide is going out.
There’s a couple of new developments at the top of Whipsiderry Beach now, one is Zenith, which is built across the road from Whipsiderry. Built in 2006-2008, Zenith has a holiday restriction, so can only be used for holiday flats. There’s underground parking, surf storage and even a surf shower; most of the flats at Zenith have great sea views. Across the road from Zenith has been tidied up too – making this a great place to sit on one of the benches and enjoy the view without making the trip down to Whipsiderry Beach.
Whipsiderry is definitely a quiet beach – due to the access issues most groups of people will either be unable to get down the steps, or will not care to…. so if you’re looking for a quiet cove to read a book, an uncrowded and intimate cove, Whipsiderry Beach might be just the one.
Services on Whipsiderry Beach
- There are no facilities at Whipsiderry Beach. No car park, no toilets, no shop – and no lifeguards
- Postcode for satnav: TR7 3LX
Where to Stay Close to Whipsiderry Beach
- Sands Resort Hotel – a child-friendly hotel is just 100 yards away
- Trevelgue Holiday Park – camping and caravans are inland about 1 mile from Whipsiderry
- Holiday cottages or flats – a number of holiday cottages can be found close by.
Image © Geoff Welding