Newquay has been a crowd pleasing resort for more than one hundred years, principally because of its coastline and nine long and accessible sandy beaches. These include Fistral, which could claim to the best-known surfing beach in the united kingdom. Around 22,000 people live in Newquay, but the inhabitants can swell to 100,000 or more in the summer because Newquay has a large stock of hotels.

Newquay has even been seen as the Blackpool of the South West but although it is undoubtedly an leisure town, some major differences remain between Lancashire and Cornwall.

Created in sections throughout the 20th century, Trenance Leisure Gardens are sited in woodland, formerly marshy valley on the less noisy edge of Newquay, stretching down to the Gannel Estuary. From the Edwardian era it provided things to do for holidaymakers with walks, tennis courts and a bowling green, all still popular right now. In the gardens, which are bridged by the arches of the stone railway viaduct, people have long been able to enjoy a stroll through the lovely Trenance Gardens with their mature trees and heritage cottages, leading to the Boating lake. This was excavated during the depression of the 1930s as a work creation scheme. In the late 1960s, further enterprises were established by the council, including mini-golf, a swimming pool, the Little Western miniature railway and Newquay Zoo, which started taking visitors in the late 60s.

Newquay is also applauded for the Run to the Sun event, which always happens during the bank holiday on the last weekend in May at Trevelgue Holiday Park. People stay at the town in VW campers , Beetles and other custom cars.
The 629 miles South West Coast Path passes through the town.

Some people are pondering whether Newquay will have 1,000,000 or just 750,000 visitors in this year.