Padstow is a pretty port town facing into the Camel Estuary. There is still an active fishing fleet at Padstow and the National Lobster Hatchery is based beside the car park. In Summer, short cruises are available to the offshore islands which have colonies of seabirds; there are also fishing trips and boats for hire.
Like many ports in North Cornwall, Padstow's economy was based on a mixture of fishing and import/export, notably timber from Quebec in Victorian times. Padstow was notorious for the Doom Bar - a sand bar which has caused many ship and small boat wrecks. For ships sailing into the bay on the prevailing SW wind, a great hazard was caused by the immediate loss of power due to the shelter from the cliffs. Once becalmed they would drift helplessly and run aground on the Doom Bar. Therefore rockets were fired from the cliffs to place a line on board to allow ships to be winched in more safely. Along the coastal path on the cliff top is an abandoned manual capstan which was used to winch in the ships.
There are plenty of small shops, cafés and restaurants in Padstow as well as the well-known the restaurants and café run by Rick Stein. Padstow also has plenty of pubs which include:
- The Shipwrights Inn on the North Quay of the harbour
- The Old Ship Hotel on Mill Square off North Quay
- The Golden Lion on Lanadwell St - the oldest Inn in Padstow (14th century)
- The London Inn also on Lanadwell St
- The Old Custom House on the South Quay of the harbour
- The Harbour Inn on Strand Street off South Quay
A number of local traditions still survive in Padstow - the Obby Oss festival on May Day and the Mummer's days of Boxing Day and New Year's Day.
The tourist information centre in Tintagel has leaflets (costing 60 or 70p) for a 7 mile circular walk around Padstow or more leisurely 1.5 mile "town trail" which both have interesting information about the local history. There is also a Padstow history walk on the BBC website.
A passenger ferry (who will let you take bikes across if it's not too busy) to Rock runs frequently.
On the road out of Padstow is Prideaux place - a manor house which has been the home of Prideaux family for 14 generations. Afternoon tours are available from Sunday to Thursday from May until October.