Newquay Mystery: The Disappearing Surfer
Mystery Walks in Cornwall - Explore Cornish Towns/Villages as an Outdoor Escape Room

Newquay: The Disappearing Surfer

Explore Newquay as a self-guided outdoor escape room. Use the app to solve puzzles and unlock the directions of a walking route as you explore Newquay and help a detective to find a missing surfer.

A surfer walking along a beach

The Story

Surfer Jono has gone missing! He was last seen paddling out to the reef break at Fistral Beach and then vanished. His board is missing, and his friends are worried sick. A legendary local detective needs your help to solve the mystery. Use your detective skills and solve puzzles to unlock directions for a walking route that will lead you to clues about Jono's disappearance.

Stats

  • Distance: 4.5 miles/7.2 km
  • Approximate duration: 3-4 hours
  • Steepness grade: Easy
  • Puzzles: 49
  • Dogs: considerations
  • Access for wheels: no

Gradients

One path involves two short flights of steps. One path about half-way around the route involves some more steps (not steep though). There's also a short, moderately steep climb to a high point.

We had a happy 3 hours searching for Jono, the lost surfer, cracking the codes and disentangling the mystery as we walked around the town. Chat, laughter, and puzzles to test the brain: what could be better?

Get the app

A family doing a mystery walk
The mystery walks are an outdoor escape room combined with a mystery tour. They are done using a mobile app.
Phone showing walk directions page in the iWalk Cornwall app
For each one, there is a story with an overall mystery to solve. To do this, you solve puzzles to unlock each direction of a walking route.
Walking along a path
Each step of the way there are detailed walking directions and live map showing where you're headed to next.
Solving a puzzle
The puzzles also gradually build up a set clues to solve the overall mystery when the end of the walk is reached.
Phone showing facts section in iWalk Cornwall app
The puzzles are designed for adults although children may enjoy helping to spot clues and helping to solve some of the easier ones.
Couple solving a puzzle
Every puzzle has a ladder of hints starting from harder and progressing to very easy to cater for a range of aptitudes.
Solving clue overlooking the sea
A mystery typically takes around 3 hours to complete. It's not a race so you can take your time, take photos, stop for refreshments etc. and have a nice day out.
A family
The price (per group) is £14.99. It can be done all in one day or split over two.
Puzzle by a Celtic church
Once a mystery has been downloaded, it runs completely offline using GPS with no need for a phone signal or data/internet connection (it's Cornwall-proof).
Phone showing iWalk Cornwall in the App Store
Download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play and then browse/purchase the mysteries using that.