Padstow Anchorage

Drop the hook in the Camel Estuary just off Padstow and you've got one of Cornwall's most characterful towns right on your doorstep — Rick Stein's restaurants, the harbour bustle, and the South West Coast Path all within dinghy or tender reach. The estuary setting is scenic but tidal and can get choppy with wind against tide, so time your arrival well and keep an eye on the notorious Doom Bar sandbank guarding the river mouth. Holding is generally good in the sandy bottom, but swell can push in from the northwest, making this more comfortable as a fair-weather stop.