With long stretches of soft, golden sand and superb surfing conditions, it’s no wonder that beach lovers head to Cornwall for the ultimate dose of vitamin sea 🌊
Bustling coastal towns such as Polzeath and Porthmeor are ideal for those after a fun seaside atmosphere. On the other hand, remote beaches such as Harlyn and Kynance are the perfect choice for those seeking peace and tranquillity away from the crowds. There really is a beach for everyone in Cornwall.
Bude Beach
Bude’s dramatic coastline is home to demerara-soft sand, glittering seascapes and intimate sheltered coves. Being so wonderfully varied, it’s no wonder the 300+ beaches here are award-winning. There’s so much fun to get up to here. Whether it’s surfing, swimming in the turquoise waters or hunting for crabs!
Bude really is the ultimate base for adventurers and beach lovers. All lifeguarded beaches have been rated under regulations for bathing water quality and are dog-friendly.
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Crantock Beach
Crantock beach is a stunning, sweeping expanse of fine, golden sand backed by endless grassy dunes on the outskirts of Newquay. The grassy dunes, known as Rushy Green, are also an important wildlife habitat. A wonderful spot for swimming, snorkelling, surfing and windsurfing with board/canoe hire on the beach. You may even spot dolphins too! High cliffs south of the beach provide shelter from the wind, making it a calm and peaceful spot to relax.
Towards the beach’s western end, there is a significant gap in the cliffs with a cave known as Piper’s Hole, and at low tide, you can explore the cave, which has carvings dating back over 100 years. Barely a 15-minute drive outside of Newquay. It can feel like a different world here – handy for avoiding the summer crowds!
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Fistral Beach
Fistral Beach, Newquay, is known to many as the home of British surfing. The consistency and quality of the surf here attract surfers from all over the world. Surfers and spectators take pleasure in this scenic spot. From tranquil days to the adventure that ensues when Cornwall’s big waves hit the shores! All the major UK surf competitions take place here, including the Famous Night Surf, Boardmasters Surf Championships, National Surf Championships, the Groms, and lots more…
If you’ve never surfed before, there are plenty of opportunities to book surf lessons or hire gear. A complex of cafes, takeaways and shops is also located on the beach. You’re sure to work up an appetite! Or you can just chill out on the beach and watch the pros take to the waves!
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Gyllyngvase Beach
Gyllyngvase Beach is the sandy jewel in Falmouth’s crown – a sheltered, safe Blue Flag beach with crystal clear turquoise waters, ideal for all. Enjoy strolls at sunrise, yoga on the beach and barbecues in the sun. Or amble beyond Gylly towards the gentle coast path, leading towards further beaches and an unspoiled coastline brimming with natural wonders. Gylly is a popular year-round sea swimming hot spot if you’re keen to dip a toe.
At the same time, WeSUP and Gylly Adventures offer paddleboarding, coasteering, snorkelling, kayaking and more right off the beach. The beach is also only a 15-minute walk from Falmouth town centre, gently sloping, with a cafe, toilets, and a sun chair available to hire. And the surf is often better in the winter months. The views aren’t bad either, with Pendennis Point and Castle in the distance and all the shipping coming and going from Falmouth Harbour to watch. Visitors can enjoy rock pooling and explore the beautiful Queen Mary gardens planted between the car park and the beach. The sub-tropical Gyllyngdune Gardens are behind the beach on the steep beach slope up to the Princess Pavilion.
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Harlyn Bay Beach
Known by many as one of the best family beaches in Cornwall, Harlyn Bay is vast and spacious, with golden sand and pebbles. There’s a charming combination of rocky shoreline, sand, dune and tide pools to explore, and the picturesque bay is also an unbeatable location for kayaking. With its reputation as one of the safest beaches in Cornwall, the crescent-shaped bay is ideal for novice surfers who can learn to master the waves with surf schools that run sessions from the beach.
If you fancy a stroll, there are some lovely routes from the beach to Mother Ivey’s Bay and Trevose Head. You can also stumble upon the remains of an old Iron Age cemetery found behind the beach underneath the sand. And if all that isn’t enough, the cliffs at Trevose Head give superb views towards Pentire Head and Newquay.
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Holywell Bay
This vast beach of fine golden sand backed by grass-tufted dunes is a classic example of the north coast’s wide open bays. Big enough for everyone to enjoy, you can go bodyboarding, watch wild storms in winter or stroll across the sands with your dog. Being exposed to large Atlantic swells makes it a well-loved beach with surfers. Holywell Beach is also ideal for relaxing and reading a good book while the kids play in the stream or enjoy the waves.
Exploring the fascinating grotto-like Holywell Cave with its calcium deposits at low tide is possible, but be careful not to get cut off. The wreck of an old Argentinian coaster can also be seen just offshore at low tide. Holywell was one of the backdrops for the BAFTA-winning TV series Poldark!
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Kynance Cove
Renowned for its white sand, turquoise sea, and rock stacks, this classic north Cornish beach has a blanket of golden sand and a towering dune system. It’s clear, azure water is perfect for snorkelling and swimming, and the extraordinary serpentine rock towers encourage dare-devil jumpers. At low tide, you can scour the towering rock stacks and the caves with names such as The Parlour and The Drawing Room.
If all this excitement makes you peckish, you can find an eco-friendly café that sells Cornish pasties, fresh sandwiches, baguettes, homemade cakes, scones and cream teas, and beach goods just above the beach. From Kynance, there is a fantastic 2-mile scenic walk around the coast to Lizard Point, mainland UK’s most southerly point. Most probably one of the most photographed and painted beauty spots in Cornwall, the contrast between the cove’s white sand beach and the dark red and green serpentine rock creates a sensational sight.
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Maenporth Beach
Maenporth Beach is a gorgeous sandy cove, approximately 2 miles from Falmouth town centre, perfect for sunbathing, rock pooling, fishing and boating. Situated at the head of a small, sheltered bay with lovely views south. Coastlines to the east and west offer protection from the wind and waves, making Maenporth a great place to paddle, swim and enjoy the water safely. Discover rugged cliffs, rolling green fields, wildflowers and hidden beaches against the rocks and creeks.
There are miles of wonderful coastline to explore from Maenporth, and walking the coast path is a pleasure for visitors and locals alike. Maenporth Beach offers superb views across Falmouth Bay towards Pendennis Castle and some superb coastal walking opportunities towards the Helford River area. At low water, the shipwreck of the Ben Asdale can be seen, while marine activities such as sailing, kayaking, diving and sea safaris are available for the more adventurous.
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Mount’s Bay
With endless views of the iconic St Michael’s Mount, the countryside surrounding Mount’s Bay offers a varied landscape of low hills and golden sandy beaches. It’s no wonder it’s been hailed as one of the ‘Most Beautiful Bays in the World’. It is a praise that is undoubtedly deserved by this landscape of sparkling water and its stunning coastline that runs in a great arc from Land’s End to Lizard Point. Scattered along the Bay are the communities of Mousehole, Newlyn, Penzance and Marazion, each offering something a little different.
With galleries and gardens, vineyards and ancient monuments, the area around Mount’s Bay has plenty to fill a few days away. Magnificent cliffs, rocky coves, spotless sandy beaches and crystal clear seas blend with the heather and gorse of the moors and early Christian and Bronze Age sites to form a terrain that is the heritage of a proud culture and a source of inspiration for artists, writers and poets. Mount’s Bay is often likened to Paria Bay in Venezuela, San Francisco Bay and Cape Cod in the United States, and Santorini Bay in Greece as a prestigious worldwide association member.
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Newquay Beach
Beach towns in Britain don’t get much more famous than Newquay. A haven for surfers, nature lovers and holidaymakers, this stunning fishing port in Cornwall boasts nine beautiful stretches of sandy beach. The area is widely regarded as Britain’s surfing capital, with the waves at Fistral Bay being the first choice for board lovers from around the country.
You’ll also find a lively nightlife in Newquay, with a mixture of laid-back chill-out bars and more buzzy live music venues.
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Par Sands Beach
Par Sands is a vast, sandy beach in Par, just outside St Austell. The south-facing beach is backed by low sand dunes through which there are many paths and a small lake. The beach can be pretty busy in the summer as there is a holiday park just over the dunes. It is relatively large, though, so it never feels crowded. The beach slopes reasonably gently here, meaning it’s ideal for paddling there. However, there is no lifeguard on-site, so care should be taken if swimming. It can feel breezy with little shelter from the southwest, which is good news for kite surfers.
Depending on where you’re looking from, Par Sands Beach has wonderful rural views or a contrastingly industrial view of the adjacent china clay works and Par docks. This south-facing beach is very popular in the summer and can be reached from the large car park.
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Perranporth Beach
It’s not hard to see why so many people love this beach. An excellent place for surfing, snorkelling, sailing, and generally splashing around makes it a hit with families. Couple that with the miles of golden sand, vast surf, and sand dunes, and you’ve got a pretty special place. Because the beach is so massive, it almost feels like you have the place to yourself, and the fresh air of the ocean is exhilarating.
Early morning,g you’ll probably see a few horses and their riders having a paddle in the surf, and in the evening, you’ll be treated to the sight of the sand dunes teeming with wildlife such as butterflies and lizards. There are rock pools, caves, a stream and Chapel Rock, with a small bathing pool on the seaward side. If you get thirsty, fear not. You will find a charming pub called the ‘Watering Hole’, not just overlooking the beach, but actually right on the beach! The beach also backs right onto the village, and there is a large car park, a mere hop, skip and a jump from the beach itself.
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Polzeath Beach
Polzeath is a hugely popular beach and seaside resort, and it’s easy to see why. This beautiful golden sand, laid-back beach vibes, and ideal conditions for learning to surf make it a winner. Polzeath is also one of the safest beaches along this coast, with gently shelving sand and lifeguard service in the high season. Along with all the facilities and water quality you would expect from a Blue Flag beach, Polzeath is an ideal place to visit with the family. The area is also rich in sea and birdlife, with common dolphin sightings and the odd puffin. Another great feature is that you can park right on the beach!
For walkers, there’s a pleasant and easy 2-mile walk from the beach to nearby Daymer Bay and Rock, which sit at the mouth of the Camel Estuary. And if you want somewhere a little less busy, Polzeath’s little sister beach, New Polzeath to the right of the bay, is a favoured location for swimming away from the surfboards and catching the last of the sun. The small town of Polzeath has a relaxed atmosphere, with the shops aimed at surfers and a handy Spar for refuelling.
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Porthcurno Beach
Described by many as a paradise, Porthcurno Beach, located in the far west of Cornwall, has won many awards, and it’s not hard to see why. Gorgeous soft white sand, crystal clear turquoise sea and an amphitheatre of rugged granite cliffs as a backdrop. It truly is an oasis of raw natural beauty. Not only does the sand here look special – it is genuinely unique. Made up of seashells pounded to smithereens by the sea over millions of years, it is partly responsible for the exquisite colour of the sea here. This large beach, popular with families, also has a stream that flows down one side, often forming a large pool ideal for paddling.
At low tide, the sand stretches around to neighbouring Pedn Vounder, and the scenery is at its finest, with shallow pools of translucent water and islands of sand forming across the beach. It is a pleasant walk between the two coves, but make sure you don’t get cut off unless you want to climb up the cliff “path” from Penn. And upon the cliffs is the internationally renowned Minack Theatre, built in the 1920s by theatrical visionary Rowena Wade and her faithful gardener, which you can visit all year round.
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Porthmeor Beach
Porthmeor is arguably St Ives’ most picturesque beach and one of Cornwall’s most refined. Located on the Northside of St Ives, it has a gorgeous stretch of fine golden sand with beautiful topaz blue waters overlooked by the world-famous Tate Gallery. And just a short walk from the centre of St Ives, where you’ll find ancient pubs, trendy cafes and art galleries, the town is famous for.
Porthmeor is a sandy, safe beach. It is busy in summer with families who enjoy the easy access, and in winter, the surf brigade piles in. Porthmeor has also won the prestigious Blue Flag Award 2021, recognising water quality, safety, environmental management and education. Porthmeor is a wonderful family beach and has all the facilities you need, including a charming beachside café, a surf school and a seasonal lifeguard service.
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Porthtowan Beach
Appointed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this Blue Flag award-winning beach is one of Cornwall’s most popular surfing beaches, filled with soft golden sand and backed by extensive dunes and scenic cliffs. Porthtowan’s large expanse of sand, ideal for a game of rounders or cricket, makes Porthtowan a go-to destination for families. There’s even a children’s play park at the top end of the beach. Porthtowan’s sandy beach is excellent for surfing for the more adventurous, and it has lots of rock pools to discover and explore for kids.
At low tide, you can stroll to the neighbouring and equally stunning beach at Chapel Porth to the east of the beach. Being only eight miles north of Truro, it is ideally situated for exploring all that Cornwall has to offer. Porthtowan is also located within a World Heritage Mining area, and many historic engine houses can be seen nearby. The sheltered valleys leading into Porthtowan are covered in broadleaved woodland, supporting a substantial, diverse and plentiful range of wildlife.
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Praa Sands Beach
The village of Praa Sands is located roughly halfway between the towns of Penzance and Helston, and here you will find the gorgeous mile-long stretch of soft white sand and crystal clear waters. The sand is so white that it’s almost blinding in the sunshine due to the sand’s formation from seashells pulverised by wave action over millions of years. It’s a fantastic destination if you have kids to entertain. The sand here is the perfect texture for sandcastles, and the shallows on the shoreline are great for splashing about in. Plus, you won’t have to walk miles from the car park.
Further out, surfers take on some surprisingly big waves. And on the green behind the middle of the beach is a memorial to the crew of a British seaplane that crash-landed here in 1943. Other facilities in the town include a fish and chip shop, a lively pub right on the beachfront, a post office, general stores, a surf shop and a golf club.
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Seaton Beach
Overlooking Lyme Bay and surrounded by beautiful countryside, Seaton Beach is a large pebble beach stretching over a mile long. Gently sloping, the beach is ideal for swimming or water sports, and kayaks and paddleboards can be hired on-site. The esplanade is next to the beach, a flat walking area alongside the coastline, with the town at one end and a cafe at the other. The South West Coast Path also runs alongside this gorgeous beach, and you can walk to the nearby delightful village of Beer. A relaxing and charming pedestrianised town centre features many fine examples of Victorian and Edwardian architecture, beautiful gardens, shops and cafes.
Seaton is set in a landscape of outstanding natural beauty and is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Start your journey, explore the Jurassic Coast Visitor Centre at Seaton, and learn about this fantastic area. From Seaton, it is possible to see, walk to, and visit all three eras in this 185 million-year ‘geological walk through time’.
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Sennen Cove Beach
Sennen Cove Beach is situated just around the corner from Sennen Beach and the most westerly point in mainland Britain. Its superior water quality and golden sand make it picture-perfect while facing the Atlantic Ocean’s full force, making it a prime spot for surfers. A well-equipped lifeguard service operates in the summer when it is generally safe to swim. The sea is very inviting too, with its crystal clear, jade green colour, and it has a comfortable swimming temperature into late autumn.
The Penn-men-du, a promontory at the southern end of the bay, protects the cove from the westerly Atlantic gales. The views are spectacular from the lookout point, whilst the granite cliffs are a popular haunt for climbers. The beach is accessible from the large car park, and there are toilets here. The village centre is located just a minute or two away with a couple of shops, cafes and a pub. There’s also a restaurant right on the beach.
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St. Ives
The dazzling jewel in Cornwall’s crown, St Ives, is a picturesque fishing harbour and seaside town. The town is situated on a narrow peninsula framed by sandy beaches, and radiating out from the idyllic harbour is a maze of delightfully quaint cobbled streets lined with fishermen’s cottages. Four beaches are within walking distance of the town, each with a different character.
The vast and sandy Porthmeor beach is one of the most popular surfing beaches in West Cornwall and is overlooked by the Tate Gallery. Porthminster is the second biggest and is conveniently located next to the train and bus stations. The Harbour Beach is a lovely, safe family option in the middle of town. Last but not least, Porthgwidden is tucked away around the corner from all the hustle and bustle, with beach huts available and is an ideal place for swimming. St Ives also has a rich artistic heritage celebrated with a plethora of galleries from the small to the internationally acclaimed.
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Towan Beach
While this beach is actually Towan, many people mistakenly call it ‘Town Beach’ as it is so near to Newquay’s town centre. Located at the bottom of the aptly named Beach Road, Towan Beach is a stretch of the same soft, golden sand found all along Newquay Bay. At low tide, the sand at Towan runs parallel with Great Western Beach and all the other beaches of Newquay Bay to make a flowing 2-mile stretch of beach. However, as the tide comes in, Towan shrinks significantly, becoming a cosy little cove. The rear of the beach is lined with a raised promenade that leads to the grassy clifftop lawns of Killacourt.
Positioned right on the beachfront is the Blue Reef Aquarium, one of Newquay’s most popular tourist attractions. Perhaps the beach’s most iconic feature is ‘the Island’, or Jago’s Island to give it the correct name. This towering stack of rock at the eastern end of the beach seems an unlikely place for a home, but that’s precisely what it is. A house has sat atop this island from the beginning of the twentieth century. Built in 1901, its various notable owners have including Alexander Lodge, the inventor of the spark plug, who entertained guests such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. As well as being conveniently located on the town’s doorstep, there are lots of facilities on and around the beach. Disabled access can be arranged via the sand chair hire scheme, and there is a lifeguard service during the summer months.
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Watergate
Topping the Telegraph’s top UK beaches list back in 2015, Watergate Bay, situated in the popular Cornish town of Newquay, has everything needed for a stunning summer’s day. As well as 2 miles of golden sand to enjoy, the bay is also a fantastic spot for water sports. The beach attracts kite surfers and surfers alike and is home to the Extreme Academy Surf School, where novices can learn new water sports skills.
After an energetic day at the beach, there are plenty of top-rated restaurants where you can enjoy the area’s freshest and most delicious food. Many of the restaurants at Watergate Bay offer incredible sea views to go with their fresh, inviting local food. Whether it’s a taste of locally sourced fish at The Beach Hut, or a homemade pizza at Wax, there’s enough variety for everyone.
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