Once a year, usually in June, the headland above Crantock Beach is completely transformed by one of the most beautiful poppy blooms in the country. Thousands of poppies blanket the field and it’s made even more special by the stunning sea backdrop. There are several great viewpoints, though walking amongst the poppies is sadly no longer allowed.
You can also continue the trail a short distance further to Crantock Beach or Vugga Cove for a relax on the sand or a refreshing dip in turquoise water.
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Poly Joke poppies.
Visiting the Polly Joke poppies
When the poppies bloom
Depending on the weather the poppy bloom usually begins in late May and runs through June, possibly into early July. This means your best bet for ensuring you see the poppies is to visit in June.
As conditions can vary a little year by year, the best thing to do is head to social media and search ‘Cornwall poppies’ or ‘Polly Joke poppies’ on Instagram, Facebook or Tiktok and you will usually see an array of recent posts to help you see whether it’s the right time to visit.
The closest car parks to the poppies
The closest car park to reach the poppies via the easiest walk is the Poly Joke Car Park - postcode TR8 5SE, which you can see here on Google maps (walking directions are in the next section).
The car park is very large, though even then it can fill up on weekends. The current charges are £2 for up to 1 hour, £4.50 for up to 4 hours or £6 for all day parking.
The Poly Joke car park is roughly 4 miles and a 15 minute drive from Newquay and just a 300m walk from the first good view of the poppies.
If the Poly Joke car park is full, you can also use the West Pentire Road car park (postcode TR8 5SE), beside the Bowgie Inn, which you can see here on Google maps.
The West Pentire Road car park charges are £2.50 for up to 2 hours, £3.50 for up to 4 hours, £5 for up to 6 hours and £8 for all day parking. There is a toilet at the car park.
The quickest walk to the poppies from the Poly Joke car park
Distance: 300-500m each way (our favourite view is at the 500m mark)
From the car park head down the road, passing the cute gramophone workshop and bear left when you reach the footpath.
Go around the gate and along the wide stony path that runs directly alongside the field - though the views are often obscured by foliage.
Before visiting I had assumed there was one main viewpoint for the poppies, but it turns out there are several dotted along the path.
Even on a weekday this early section of the path was very busy and you had to queue (albeit very briefly) to take a picture.
However, you can continue alongside the field and turn right 100m after the first gate you walked through.
This is when the footpath will become quieter and the views of the poppies are closer to the beach which makes for some nice photo ops.
Around 70m from the right turn you can scramble a couple of steps up a steep bit of dirt and get a lovely view away from the crowds.
There are several more views that don’t require any scrambling over the next 80m, with the final view offering the best look at the poppies and beach (500m from the car park).
You used to be able to walk right beside the poppies but this is no longer allowed as some people sadly trampled them. It’s also worth noting that drones are no longer allowed to be flown here either.
Continuing to Crantock Beach or Vugga Cove
By the time you have seen the best view of the poppies, 500m from the car park, you are just 220m from Crantock Beach.
Head right at the signpost just beyond the final poppy viewpoint and follow the footpath downhill. The last few metres are narrow and there’s a lot of nettles so watch out if you’re wearing shorts!
Just 200m from the junction you’ll head down some stairs and reach a rock slope that leads to the sand. The slope is just under 20m long and isn’t slippery when dry.
It should also be noted that at high tide there won’t be a beach at all and instead you’ll find a lovely cove, perfect for a calm water swim.
On a sunny day the water is turquoise and the sheltered nature of the cove makes it an ideal swim spot.
Low Tide
High Tide
Alternatively, from the junction by the final poppy view you could head left towards Vugga Cove, which is 230m away. After the left turn there are two right turns to reach Vugga Cove, the second of which is signposted.
This is a sensational wild swimming spot at high tide, you can read more about it here.
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