My day out: Newquay and Blue Reef Aquarium

The Cornish weather in January can be a little unpredictable, so I thought it would be best to visit somewhere that would be inside, but also ensuring that they would be open at this time of year. We decided upon the Blue Reef Aquarium, a well-known visitor attraction in Newquay that I hadn’t visited myself for at least 10 years.

We parked at St Georges Road Car Park, and walked down to the aquarium. My colleagues mentioned that the aquarium wasn’t a full day out, so we decided to also have a wonder around Newquay and stopped at The Fort Inn for some lunch. 

Although it may sound obvious, but seeing all the different varieties of fish and other sea creatures was a highlight of the trip. When we arrived, they were feeding the Caiman Crocodiles which was interesting to watch and hear what the keeper had to say about the creatures, but we were also pleasantly surprised about the vast amount of variety they had in terms to the fish and sea creatures. Along with the Caiman Crocodile we saw a large Sea Turtle, Black Tip Reef Sharks, Sting Ray and a Giant Pacific Octopus just to name a few. 

The aquarium is a brilliant day out, they’ve done a really great job with the limited space next to Towan Beach, but we were a little disappointed that the experience didn’t last a little longer.

I think this is a perfect day out for families with younger children that would be fascinated to see all of the different sea creatures the aquarium has to offer. Access around the aquarium isn’t the easiest for people who struggle with mobility or are in a wheelchair, and dogs aren’t allowed.

The aquarium does have a shop and a café but we decided to go elsewhere to have some food. The Fort Inn serves lovely food and has a stunning view out to sea. 

There is plenty of parking in Newquay and between 1 November – 31 March it is only £1 to park all day however in the peak times of the year between 1 April – 31 October parking is a little bit pricier. To walk around the aquarium, I would give yourself around one and a half hours, it wouldn’t take you any longer than that but then you can wonder around Newquay itself which can take as long as you like.

About the author: Rob is a customer experience advisor and visited Newquay in January 2019.