Tomhara is less than 50m from Rock beach where you can enjoy leisurely walks along the sand (nicknamed ‘The Caribbean’), to Daymer Bay and beyond to Polzeath. There are equally beautiful beaches on the other side of the estuary, which can be reached by the ferry or water taxi and stunning coastal walks from either side to the headlands and beyond.
Click on a link below for more information and free downloadable maps on walks around Rock:
For the surfers, a mile down the road at Polzeath, surf courses for beginners, improvers, developers and advanced, as both private and group lessons, are on offer from both the Surfs Up Surf School and the Wavehunters Surf School.
The Camel Sailing and Powerboat Centre is RLA and AAYA licensed and provides tuition and courses in many forms of sailing, and boat hire. Waterski, wakeboarding, inflatable rides, paddle boarding and kite surfing facilities are provided by the Camel Ski Schoolsize=”12px” animation=”pulse” animate_on=”load”].
Coasteering, rock climbing, wild swimming and sea kayaking can all be booked from Cornish Rock Tors, based in Polzeath.
Sea Fishing charters, for Bass, Mackerel and Tope, are available on the Rock-based Optimus Prime , just 50 yards from “Tomhara”.
There are four golf courses within easy distance of Tomhara, with the closest being the St. Enodoc Golf Club, which has its clubhouse directly behind the property. The others are The Point at Polzeath, Trevose and Bowood.
Image courtesy of St. Enedoc Golf Club.
Just across the estuary, reached by ferry or water taxi is the Camel Trail: a disused railway track providing perfect flat cycling from Padstow to Bodmin via Wadebridge. Bicyles are available for hire at all three of the above locations.
Cycle Hire is available from many outlets, including:
Within 100 metres are The Mariners and the Rock Inn, both serving food all day. Alternatively you can take the ferry or water taxi to Padstow which offers numerous pubs, cafés, restaurants and fish & chip shops.
Further afield are The Pityme Inn at the top of the village, The Oystercatcher in Polzeath, The Red Lion in the pretty village of St Kew Highway near Wadebridge, The Maltsters Arms in Chapel Amble, The Port Gaverne Restaurant and Hotel and the St Kew Inn.
The Blue Tomato, 1 minute down the beach, serves great food all day.
Chef Nathan Outlaw has two restaurants in Port Issac, Outlaw’s New Road and Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen. There are two fine dining rooms in the St Enodoc Hotel, The Waterfront in Polzeath, and there’s The Dining Room and The Mariners Beach Club by Paul Ainsworth within easy walking distance.
The ferry or water taxi will take you to Padstow for Rick Stein’s many cafés and restaurants, Paul Ainsworth’s No. 6, Margots, Rojanos and Pescadou, to name but a few.
About a mile away is the St Moritz Hotel, and a cliff top Indian, the Café India.
The mild climate afforded by the Gulf Stream makes Rock an ideal place from which to explore the many beautiful gardens such as:
Kids have miles of beach, sand and dune to go mad in, but should they require more, there are also Lobster Tanks in Padstow, and Crealy Adventure Park, go-karting and zip wires, just beyond Wadebridge.
Again, over the water by ferry or taxi, you can learn new culinary skills at Rick Stein’s Padstow Seafood School.
There is much to admire or for sale from St Ives to the smaller local galleries and even in the house itself!
- Porthilly Art Gallery, Rock
- Rock Road Gallery, Rock
- Zeath Gallery, Wadebridge
- Whitewater Gallery, Wadebridge
- Pictures and Coffee, Wadebridge
- Camel Valley Gallery, Wadebridge
- Tracey Hunter Art, Wadebridge
Linking Rock to Padstow in the evenings is the Wavehunters Water Taxi. Located less than 100m away from Tomhara it operates a continuous service up to midnight from April to October.
The Padstow Rock Ferry operates a continuous service between Rock and Padstow every day throughout the year, at 20 minutes intervals up until early evening. The Rock ferry point is less than 100m away from Tomhara.