Pretty UK seaside town named Britain's best hidden gem for one reason

Mawgan Porth in Cornwall is a world away from two crowded and bustling seaside towns which it sits between, making it a perfect place to visit.

Sandwiched between the ever-popular Cornish towns of Padstow and Newquay lies perhaps the lesser-known seaside town of Mawgan Porth and it's accompanying village of St Mawgan.

Cornwall is a summer staple for staycations and tourists, with endless coastline and stunning rugged cliffs to marvel at. But many of the well-known towns are often extremely busy, especially in good weather. This has led to an uptick of travellers seeking out more hidden, tranquil places to beat the crowds. Last year Conde Nast Traveller named Mawgan Porth as one of England's best seaside locations, claiming it has been out of the spotlight on purpose, with locals "keeping the hidden gem under the radar for many years."

And it's not hard to see why residents wouldn't want to keep it to themselves. Mawgan Porth's information page dubs it the "perfect location for a peaceful, relaxing and wonderfully memorable holiday here in Cornwall." Despite it being, perhaps, less busy than its more famous neighbours, it does still attract visitors year after year. One major factor has to be its immaculate coastline, which was a Sunday Times award winner. The beach itself allows dogs all year round and there's surfing, shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants catering for everyone.

TripAdvisor reviews of its picturesque beach are also glowing. One visitor said: "Beautiful beach . Great vibe . Lovely sands & blue sea . Fantastic cafes yards from the sands . Dog friendly & parking close by." Another added: "A lovely wide clean sandy beach. Excellent for surfing and during day hours manned by the RNLI life guards. Good facilities. Parking at a premium but nothing less than you would expect for a busy tourist area."

Visit Cornwall describes the town as having a "laid back atmosphere" and an ideal place to start out with surfing. Walkers are also in for a treat as the South West Coast Path is in reaching passing directly through Mawgan Porth.

"Walking northwards brings you to the legendary Bedruthan Steps, supposedly named after the giant Bedruthan who used the rock stacks as stepping stones, Visit Cornwall said. "The landscape is synonymous with shipwrecks and smugglers but there's also evidence of people living in the area 4000 years ago."

The path climbs up to Berryl's Point and towards Watergate Bay, where there's plenty of places to stop for a bite to eat before catching the bus back.

How to get there

With Mawgan being just four miles from Newquay, there is a bizarrely unusual way to arrive at the seaside town - and that's by flying, Cornish Secrets says. Humberside, Gatwick and Heathrow all offer direct flights to Newquay, operated by Eastern Airways. Although these are put on seasonally. BA, easyJet and Loganair also offer such services.

Otherwise, people can access the seaside town via the M5, A30, A39 towards Newquay and then by following road-signs to Watergate Bay and Mawgan Porth. Visit Cornwall tells people using the train to board the Newquay Branch Line at Par, with Newquay being the closest station. Buses and taxis offer services to Mawgan thereafter.