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.