Polzeath is a compact north‑Cornwall village built around a long, sandy bay that’s famous for surfing and family beach days; the long beach, rock platforms and strong on‑shore waves attract surf schools and seasonal crowds, while the South West Coast Path and views across the Camel estuary to Padstow make it popular with walkers. The local economy is heavily tourism‑led, with cafes, surf shops, holiday lets and lifeguarded swimming in summer, giving a lively but distinctly seasonal social rhythm.
Trebetherick, a quieter village a little inland from Daymer Bay, is best known for St Enodoc Church - the sand‑buried church restored in the 19th century and the final resting place of the poet John Betjeman - and the adjacent St Enodoc Golf Club with its classic links. Much of the surrounding coast and dunes is National Trust land, and the area combines small farming communities and second‑home ownership with a steady flow of visitors who come for the scenery, birdlife and peaceful estuary views.