Bronze Age Barrows to Surf Breaks: A Cornish Audio Tour
- 1–1.5 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
Cornwall’s north coast has always been shaped by its relationship with the Atlantic. On this self-guided coastal audio tour, you’ll discover how Newquay became Cornwall’s premier surfing destination – and how it still maintains deep connections to its ancient past. You’ll explore cliff-top paths where Bronze Age settlers once traded tin across Europe, and learn how smugglers, saints, and surfers have all left their mark on these golden shores. You’ll learn how Celtic saints arrived by boat in the 5th century, bringing Christianity to these pagan shores, and how pilchards once fueled Cornwall’s economy before modern fishing practices changed everything. You’ll also find out how local fishermen once resisted the hotel’s construction, even pushing the foreman’s hut into the Atlantic during its controversial beginnings. The tour ends at the Barrowfields, ancient burial mounds dating back over 3,000 years, where Bronze Age traders once gazed out at the same ocean you’ll be admiring.
Inclusions
What's included
- Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
- Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
- Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
- App for Android and iOS
- Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
What's not
- Smartphone and headphones
- Food and drink
- Transportation
- Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour
Itinerary
Walk onto one of Europe's most famous surfing beaches, where powerful Atlantic swells can reach 30 feet when the legendary Cribbar reef is firing. Experience the energy of Newquay's premier surf spot, where international competitions draw the world's best wave riders.
Stroll along England's longest marked coastal trail, following dramatic clifftop routes carved by centuries of coastal traders and smugglers. Explore ancient pathways that wind past hidden coves and rocky headlands, offering stunning ocean views at every turn.
Discover this wilder, more secluded cove tucked beside its famous neighbour, where rugged cliffs shelter golden sands from the crowds. Enjoy a quieter Atlantic experience where locals still gather to catch waves away from the main beach bustle.
Visit the working harbour that gave the town its name when permission to build a "new quay" was granted in 1439. Explore the historic waterfront where fishing boats still land their catches, connecting Newquay to its maritime heritage.
Marvel at the unique Island House, accessed by the UK's only privately-owned suspension bridge spanning a dramatic coastal gorge. Walk across this Victorian engineering feat that connects the mainland to a house perched on its own rocky island.
Explore the weathered stone lookout where 19th-century watchmen once shouted "Hevva!" to alert fishermen when massive pilchard shoals appeared offshore. Stand where generations of huers scanned the Atlantic, their warnings once determining the town's entire economy.
Pass the historic cellars where Cornish women once packed thousands of pilchard barrels destined for Mediterranean markets. Discover how these underground storage rooms powered Newquay's fishing industry before modern practices changed everything.
Walk among ancient Bronze Age burial mounds dating back over 3,000 years, where prehistoric traders once gazed at the same Atlantic horizon. Explore these sacred earthworks that connect you to Cornwall's earliest coastal settlers.
Marvel at the grand Victorian hotel perched dramatically on Fistral headland, made famous as the filming location for Roald Dahl's The Witches in 1990. Discover how local fishermen once resisted its construction by pushing the foreman's hut into the sea.
Stroll down Newquay's oldest working thoroughfare, which has evolved from a narrow fishing artery into a bustling tourist hotspot. Walk the same street that generations of fishermen, smugglers, and traders once used to move goods from harbour to town.
Follow the remains of Treffry's industrial tramway that once connected Cornwall's inland mines to the harbour below. Explore the engineered route where horses once pulled wagons loaded with copper and tin destined for global markets.
Pass this popular sandy cove where local legends tell tales of mermaids spotted among the waves and rocks. Enjoy the sheltered beach that draws families and swimmers seeking calmer waters than neighbouring Fistral.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Tour begins at the Fistral Beach. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- VoiceMap Audio Tours
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Newquay
- Its from-price is 88% below the median of the 42 experiences we list in Newquay.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Newquay
Newquay is a surf town and seaside resort on Cornwall's north coast, with long Atlantic beaches, a working harbour and cliff-top walks.
Newquay sits on Cornwall's north coast, where Atlantic swell rolls onto a string of sandy beaches. Fistral Beach, facing west, is the town's famous surf beach, and Towan, Great Western and Lusty Glaze are smaller coves between the headlands. The harbour holds fishing boats and the Huer's Hut, a whitewashed lookout from which watchers once signalled the arrival of pilchard shoals.
