Kayaking at Carbis Bay

This Father’s Day, my sister, dad and I headed out to Carbis Bay for a spot of lunch and a kayaking session!

I’d never been to Carbis Bay before, but I must say it’s now one of my favourites! It’s honestly like something from the South of France…soft white sand and crystal clear waters, surrounded by posh houses and a delicious seafood restaurant.

Nestled between St. Ives harbour, Hayle, Gwithian and Godrevy, Carbis Bay is the perfect, sheltered place to practice some open sea kayaking, without being too exposed to the elements.

Luckily for us, Father’s Day happened to be a lovely warm day with only a slight breeze, so the water was reasonably calm and not too freezing cold for launching!

You may be wondering ‘what on Earth is that flimsy blow-up thing she is sitting on?!’, but allow me to introduce you to my new favourite thing.

This is the Intex K1 Challenger inflatable kayak; the cheapest kayak I could find on the internet.

I don’t go out kayaking enough to warrant the average £300 price tag of a ‘proper kayak’, and my tiny Vauxhall Corsa wouldn’t be able to transport it anyway. So this was my solution, and boy am I pleased with it!

This awesome thing cost me £59.99 on Amazon, comes with oars, a pump, a carry bag, hole patches and instructions, and only takes 10 minutes to inflate and set up. I personally think it’s easier to get in than a normal, plastic or fibreglass kayak, AND it packs away into a neat little bag. I’m only a kayaking novice, but to me, it goes along in the water just as well as normal kayaks.

Anyway, enough of that. I just wanted to explain how awesome it is!

Once we were suitably kayaked-out, we headed inland to sample the delights of the Sands Restaurant (part of the Carbis Bay Hotel & Spa).

With a stunning view all the way across to Godrevy lighthouse from the restaurant, we sat down to enjoy a delicious Father’s Day meal.

I had the prawn and bacon linguine, which was delicious and not too heavy for a hot Summer’s afternoon. I would definitely recommend the restaurant, if not only for it’s gorgeous views and atmosphere, but the food (while quite expensive) was very tasty and perfect for a special day!

*The only thing I would say is that the car park was one of the most expensive car parks I’ve been to in my life. So either come prepared or try to find a cheaper car park further away from the beach…