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HOW IT RATES

England’s answer to Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast of Australia, this Cornish town is as much known for its underage party scene as for its waves. The nation’s teenagers descend on local youth campsites and beaches after GCSEs every year, looking for summer fun; next week Fistral Beach hosts the Rip Curl Newquay Boardmasters surfing competition.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS

Remarkably few. The Huer’s Hut is a 14th-century lookout for spotting incoming pilchard shoals. It’s all about the beaches. Fistral beach and Watergate Bay are the big guns; Crantock beach is more sheltered.

WHAT’S NEW

Knight Frank (01392 423111) has a number of new projects in Newquay. At Surfpods, studios start at £135,000. At Zenith, which will be 100m from Porth beach, all flats have sea views and storage space for sports equipment. Prices start at £249,000.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Up and down. The pleasures of seaside living abound, but the summer nights are blighted by rowdy clubbers and the winter brings a dearth of employment and entertainment options.

POPULATION

The 2001 Census put Newquay’s permanent population at 19,562. The average age is 41; the average for England and Wales is 39.

TRAVEL

Local roads become congested in the summer months. The train journey from Newquay to London Paddington takes between five and six hours. St Mawgan is home to Newquay airport, which has flights to London, Manchester, Leeds/Bradford, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Cardiff, Jersey, the Isles of Scilly and various cities on the Continent.

SMARTEST STREETS

The most popular streets are Trevean Way and Riverside Avenue. For beachside homes, Headland Road is the place to be.

The New Harbour Restaurant, formerly known as Finn’s, is a popular destination for seafood dishes.

Lewinnik Lodge, on Pentire Headland, has panoramic views of the ocean and serves lunch until 5pm. The Lifebuoy Café, on Belmont Place, is a fun spot for lunch.

TOP NIGHTLIFE

Chy is a relaxed beachfront bar and Koola is the little club beneath it: these two are the best in Newquay. Try the Mermaid pub at Porth for its beachside terrace or the Red Lion in Newquay for surf culture. Beach parties are de rigueur for the under18s (no fake ID required). A more sedate bonfire or barbecue is always popular with families.

EDUCATION

Good Schools Guide recommends Truro School, Truro High School and Truro School Prep. Truro is 17 miles from Newquay.

WORKING LIFE

In 2005 the median full-time wage in the Newquay area was £18,992, which was 18.27 per cent lower than the £23,238 median wage of England and Wales. Newquay has a higher proportion of self-employed and part-time workers when compared with the averages for England and Wales. The industries that provide most jobs in the area are distribution, hotels and restaurants.

UPSIDE

The Atlantic swell and coastline are truly beautiful. Sailing, wakeboarding, kitesurfing and windsurfing accompany surfing, as well as good old-fashioned swimming and fishing. After all that action, appetites can be satiated with Cornish ice-cream, Cornish pasties and scones smothered in clotted cream. The Blue Reef Aquarium has a good underwater tunnel for close-up sealife.

DOWNSIDE

The summer season can be overcrowded, and the town can feel decidedly bleak during the winter months. Off-season jobs are hard to find, and Newquay’s Gannel ward rates highly for deprivation. Many of the town’s buildings lack beauty and do not do justice to its natural surroundings.

£208,000 The average property price in Newquay
Source: Hometrack

10% The increase in property prices in Newquay over the past year
Source: Halifax

227% The increase in property prices in Newquay over ten years
Source: Halifax

15ft The height of the biggest wave surfed at Newquay’s Cribbar reef
Source: British Surfing Association

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