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A Guide to Crabbing in Padstow Cornwall

If you are a regular reader of Mudpie Fridays you will know that we love to go crabbing. In fact, I really struggle to get the boys to do anything else by the seaside. Over the years we have tried our luck catching crabs in various places all over the U.K. But our experiences in Cornwall have been some of the best. Having great experiences and catching plenty of crabs in both Looe and Fowey. However, this year when we visited Cornwall we decided to try somewhere different and went crabbing in Padstow.

However, this wasn’t entirely planned as we have visited Padstow several times before. And I’ve always found it to be busy and chaotic. So instead we had intended on going to Port Isaac. However that didn’t quite work out when we arrived and the high tide was very far in. I had not done my research properly to make sure that we could actually crab with the tide in. Turns out we couldn’t as the breakers are really quite far out and only reachable at low tide. With two slightly depressed children on a whim, I decided to head to Padstow as I knew that there was a harbour there and a good chance that we would be able to crab regardless.

Table of Contents

A Guide to Crabbing in Padstow Cornwall

How to get to Padstow

Padstow is located on the North coast of Cornwall and can be easily reached by car. It is around a five-hour drive from London assuming the traffic behaves and 2.5 hours from Bristol. If you are travelling by public transport then the nearest train station to Padstow is the Bodmin Parkway, which is about a 30-minute drive away. From Bodmin Parkway, you can take a taxi or bus to Padstow. Local bus services also run from towns such as Newquay and Wadebridge.

Parking in Padstow

If you want to park down by Padstow Harbour then you need to arrive early preferably before 10:30 am. Any time after this there’s a chance that you’ll have to wait for a car park space. Although there are several places to park down by the seafront. There is also a carpark a little up the hill where you are more likely to get a space during peaking season.

Use postcode PL28 8BY for the harbour carpark and PL28 8EX for the one which is 10 minute walk away.

We were lucky when we visited and managed to get the car park space at the harbour. It costs £3 for two hours or £6.50 for four hours. From here it is a short walk to the picturesque harbour.

Where is the best place to go crabbing in Padstow?

The perfect place to crab in Padstow is on the harbour wall. Which goes around in an almost complete circle. With part of it backing onto a row of shops and restaurants and the other side backing onto the car park. Depending on where you decide to crab, there is also an area with a metal railing. Which might be more suitable for younger children. Although many people just sit on the edge of the quay and dangle their crab line and nets in.

It is a popular pastime and a great place to explore so be prepared to squeeze amongst the other tourists, who are also looking for a good spot for catching crabs in Padstow. We visited in October, I would imagine in peak season and the Summer months you may have a difficult time getting close to the water’s edge.

We opted for the quieter side next to the car park and away from the road finding a suitable spot. Initially next to the ice cream van which is in the far corner. Thinking it would be convenient for ice creams. However, we soon realised our mistake. The best place to catch crab in Padstow is next to the entrance of the harbour. You could see a mark difference in the number of crabs in the buckets at the end of the harbour. When we moved from our original spot to this end, we caught crab. Before this, we had not caught anything. We did not change our bait, we always use raw bacon or anything that would’ve had an effect on our success rate other than the location.

What did we catch when we went crabbing at Padstow?

We caught a number of green shore crab. Along with some shrimp. It is possible to catch edible crab in the Cornish waters. Harry also had a good attempt at trying to catch some of the small shoals of fish.

Unlike other places, we have tried in the local area the crab were actually a really good size. We didn’t have any small ones instead we caught some of the biggest crab we have seen when crab fishing. Most of them were at least 2 to 3 inches across. Although we didn’t catch that many compared to other spots. Only three in total. But that could be something to do with the fact that it is middle to late October. The best time to crab in the UK is between May and September when the weather is warmer. However, we did have bright sunlight that day which would have helped to warm up the water.

Not that it really mattered as the boys were happy and had a great time and that’s the main thing.

Tips for crabbing on the Cornish coast

Crabbing is great fun and the boys are a little obsessed. It is a great holiday activity since it is suitable for the whole family and also doesn’t need to cost very much! If you are thinking of going crabbing for the first time then here are some tips to make your trip more successful.

We generally find that a crab net is better than a crabbing line. Especially with children as you are less likely to lose the crab when you pull up the line. A crab line just has a bait bag at the end so there is plenty of opportunity for your crab to let go.
Bait is important and for us, the best bait is raw bacon, the smokier the better.
It is worth doing some research to find the ideal location. Look for people who have actually visited the popular spots and had success. During our trip to Cornwall this year we tried crabbing in Falmouth. Having read a blog about the best places to crab in Cornwall which recommended Falmouth and after two hours we left empty handed. Below are some other successful crabbing locations which we have actually tried out and can vouch that they are excellent spot and we have caught lots of crabs.
Once you have caught some crab try to keep them out of direct sunlight.
Padstow Harbour is a working fishing port and commercial fishing boats do operate. While crabbing and having fun try to be aware of this and keep out of their way as they work.
Crabbing season in the UK is generally in the Summer months when the water is warmer meaning happy crabs. Although you can try all year round but you are more likely to have better success the warmer it is. The best crabbing times are deemed to be at slack tide or slack water. This is the period of time when the tide is not coming in or going out.

Amenities at Padstow

Something else which makes Padstow a great spot for crabbing is the amenities. You can really make a family day of your visit since the charming fishing village is a day out in its own right. As well as a huge choice of places to eat and drink and get an ice cream.

You can catch a boat trip from the inner harbour across the Camel estuary to the beautiful beaches of Rock. The sandy beach tends to be one of the quieter ones we have discovered in Cornwall. There is also the National Lobster Hatchery to explore should the weather turn and you need something to do inside. Located next to the harbour car park the boys really enjoyed our visit.

If you need to purchase crabbing gear then there was a little stall on the quay side. Selling nets, lines and bait. There is also a local shop which sells buckets and everything you need. There are also several public toilets in Padstow, the closest to the harbour being the ones next to Rick Stein’s fish and chip shop.

Related Blogs

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post on going crabbing in Padstow. You may also want to read about our crabbing experience in East Looe and in the Fowey Estuary. If you are visiting Cornwall for a holiday then you may also find these of interest: