Short answer: Towan and Great Western are tucked in behind the headland and far more sheltered than Fistral. If the flags are down at Fistral, they may well be flying round the corner.
Newquay's beaches face different directions and get very different conditions on the same day — which is genuinely useful information when the surf is up.
It faces west into the open Atlantic with nothing in the way. That's exactly why surfers love it and why it's often unsuitable for a family swim.
Tucked behind the headland and considerably more sheltered. Central, with facilities close by, and often calm when Fistral isn't.
Similar shelter, slightly quieter than Towan, and reachable from the town centre.
A narrow inlet that takes the edge off incoming swell — one of the calmer Newquay options and good with younger children.
Lifeguard flags are the real indicator. Red means don't go in, regardless of how it looks from the car park. Rip currents at Fistral are genuinely strong and not always visible.
Newquay Zoo, Lappa Valley and the Blue Reef Aquarium are all indoor or partly indoor, and all work on a rough day.
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