Whenever I post pictures of The River Gannel I get asked where it is. The water is turquoise and the scenery is to die for. This is a must-do for your paddle adventures!
Location
The River Gannel is in North Cornwall, it’s the west side of the Pentire – location below. It’s a river that runs to Crantock Beach, the other side of Newquay.

Where to get in
There’s a few spots you can get in – the easiest one where you can leave your call all day is the National Trust car park at Crantock Beach (on the map above it’s called Crantock Beach Car Park). It’s just a 3 minute walk from the car park to the river.
Tides – When to hop in
When the tide is low, there isn’t much depth to paddle so don’t go when tide is at it’s lowest, apart from that, go anytime. When you’re in, go up the river (turn right!), it’s really beautiful!
Cautions
There’s a few rips at Crantock Beach, avoid going left to the beach, stay on the river. Check what the tide is doing when you get in so you know what to expect – if it’s going out, it will be a harder paddle up the river but it will be a lovely paddle back (vice versa!)
It does get busy in the summer so watch out for swimmers!
You can read more about The Gannel here.