Imagine your dream camping scenario, turn the dial up a few more notches and you might find yourself thinking of something close to Lusty Glaze Beach in North Cornwall. Want a good tent? How about a luxury bell tent with a double bed and its own private wetroom facilities. Want to be near the beach? How about glamping right on the sands, in your own private cove with curling cliffs around you and the sea lapping just metres away. Want good food? Why don’t we add a restaurant to that beach, with an executive chef who can offer the freshest seafood and a barman that’ll shake up a Manhattan for you to sip at sundown. Even the name of the place, Lusty Glaze Beach, seems almost fairytale.
Lusty Glaze is, however, very much a reality and the real magnificence of the place if brought home to you in full force when you arrive on the cliffs above the cove and look out over it all, taking in the view: The sea; the cove; the bell tents on the sand below. You’re here.
Guests make their entrance to our site, down the 133-step staircase that makes up the only main access way to the beach. Once you’re down on the sands, there really is a new sense of seclusion to the place, only broken by whoops from people playing in the surf and the buzz of jet skis or motorboats further out at sea. Depending on what time of day you arrive you might try and book in an activity straight away – surfing lessons, perhaps, or yoga – or just settle in to your bell tent.
Whether you choose to accept it or not, the few glampers lucky enough to get a space here are still in the real world. With a trek back up the steps you’ll find yourself just a jot north of Newquay town, which takes around 10 minutes to walk into. There’s a glut of restaurants and shops to explore and, of course, plenty more beaches, while, in the opposite direction you can walk around to Porth Beach or follow the South West Coast Path out to Trevelgue Head for a picnic (pre-packed by the chef, naturally). Indeed, the hike up and down the 133 steps is probably about the only hardship that there is here. And the perfect excuse to claim you never really need to leave.
Hosted by Robin P.
Joined in July 2020Most people come here for the privacy and exclusivity of Lusty Glaze Beach itself, so expect to spend a lot of your time chilling on the sands and enjoying the sea. When you fancy heading back out, though, climb the 133 steps back out of the cove and you'll find yourself on the South West Coast Path, with Newquay just a 10-minute walk away and a handful of the best beaches in the area also within easy reach – it's a 10 minute drive to Fistral Beach and 15 to Perranporth. For activities inland, the Eden Project (01726 811911) is a half-hour drive, while the enchanting Lost Gardens of Heligan (01726 845100) are around 40 minutes
Enjoy strolls along the South West Coast Path and access to Lusty Glaze Beach's own private bar and restaurant. This is exclusive camping, after all, so expect all the bells and whistles that go with it. For options elsewhere, though, Newquay is chocker-block with options, from fresh seafood from The Boathouse (01637 874062) overlooking the harbour, to casual dining at 12 Beach Road (01637 877098) and pizza at The Stable (01637 878311)
