Beaches

While the North coast of Cornwall is perhaps better known for its surfing beaches than the South coast, we are blessed with an impressive South East Cornwall coastline known as Cornwall’s forgotten corner. The South coast is about 10 miles from Kernock.

We have buckets, spades and fishing nets for you to use.

Seaton beach Christmas Day

If you want more rugged cliff top walks try beautiful Rame Head, where you can walk out to an abandoned chapel on the promontory. Of course, the South West Coast Path runs around the whole of the Cornwall and Devon coast (and into Dorset and Somerset, if you have time to do the full 630 miles!).

There are loads of beaches listed below, but for more comprehensive information on Cornish beaches, including detailed information on Accessibility and Dog Policy for each, click here

The North Cornwall coast is well worth a visit. There are some spectacular beaches, including Bedruthan Steps (a few miles east of Newquay), which is a National Trust heritage site – well worth a detour, but access is difficult if you have a pushchair or very small children. Details of surfing beaches can be found below.

Postcodes for SatNav (SN) are included for each beach.

Closest Beaches (South East Cornwall)

Whitsand Bay – glorious unspoilt 4 mile stretch of sand. The paths down to it are quite steep and rocky, so maybe not the best idea with pushchairs or very small children. Dog-friendly all year. Steep cliff path. SN PL11 3AZ
Seaton (the Cornwall one, not the Devon one) – long shingle beach with great rockpools. Dog-friendly all year. This beach does not have easy wheelchair access. Good beach café and dog-friendly Smugglers Inn SN PL11 3JD
Downderry – long sand & shingle beach (links with Seaton) with brilliant rockpools. Access is down a staircase or steep slope. Great for small children. Dog-friendly year round. SN PL11 3JY
Kingsand & Cawsand – these twin fishing villages have mainly golden sandy bucket-and-spade type beaches. Lots of tea rooms, quaint cottages and windy lanes to explore. Cawsand is dog-friendly out of season and Kingsand is dog-friendly all year SN PL10 1PG
Portwrinkle – shingle beach with rockpools. Eastern side (Finnygook) good for experienced surfers. Steep paths down to the beach. Dogs all year at the Finnygook end. SN PL11 3BU
Looe – popular sandy beach with good facilities. Lovely child friendly, fun beach, which the town is wrapped around, so very easy access for restaurants etc. Busy in summer. Good disabled access. No dogs allowed on the main beach. SN PL13 1BU
Talland Bay – popular family beach with great rockpools. Good access down a slope. Dogs allowed all year (on leads). Parking limited. SN PL13 2JA
Polperro – picturesque working fishing village with small sandy beach and tidal pool. Lots to do. No cars (long walk from the car park to the village, but there is a bus shuttle in summer). Steep steps to beach. SN PL13 2QY
Lantic Bay – South East Cornwall’s best kept secret! Stunning sheltered cove more like the Med than Cornwall. Nearest parking 20 minutes away, no facilities, very steep cliff path (but worth the effort if you don’t have small children). Also glorious viewed from the South West Coast Path from the top! SN PL23 1NP
Fowey – Readymoney Cove – a small, sheltered gently sloping sandy beach sheltered by cliffs on the mouth of the Fowey Estuary. SN PL23 1JH

Surfing beaches

The main Cornish and Devonian surf beaches and relevant ability levels are listed below, or see www.cornwall-calling.co.uk/surfing.htm. Locally, Whitsand Bay is used by beginners and middle ability surfers, while Pentewan is a pretty beach, used by all abilities of surfer. Paddle boards are available for hire at Cawsand. Of the North coast beaches, Bude is probably the nearest and has some good surf beaches. For novices, there are a few surf schools in the Bude and Newquay – you could try www.bigbluesurfschool.co.uk There is a more comprehensive list of surf schools on www.britsurf.org/links/Surf_Schools

North Cornwall has good surfing beaches and good walking along the SW Coastal Path.

Padstow to Hartland

Duckpool – shingle, faces west, not for beginners
Sandymouth – sandy, faces west, not for beginners SN: EX23 9EG
Northcott – punchy waves, not for beginners unless light surf SN: EX23 9ED
Crooklets – popular surfing beach with the locals. Some serious stuff SN: EX23 8NE
Summerleaze – town centre beach near the harbour breakwater SN: EX23 8HN
Widemouth Bay – the main surfing beach in this area, all abilities SN: EX23 0AH
Crackington Haven – works well on a rising tide SN: EX23 0JG
Trebarwith Strand – west facing. beach break SN: PL34 0HB
Polzeath – Great family beach, lots of sand and good surfing SN: PL27 6SS
Hayle – a good beach for learners SN: TR27 5AP
Harlyn Bay – faces north and is about 3 miles west of Padstow SN: PL28 8SB

Newquay

Has achieved its renown because there are beaches facing in all directions, because there is a good spread of types of surf, and because, with the right conditions, it has some really excellent breaks.

Mawgan Porth – only really works with easterly winds SN TR8 4BL
Watergate Bay – sandy, flat and used by learners SN TR8 4AD
Whipsiderry – sheltered from SW winds SN TR7 3LX
Newquay Bay – 3 sandy beaches, it can be crowded in summer SN TR7 1HR
Fistral – best and most famous surfing beach in Britain – Big competitions held here SN TR7 1HY
Crantock Bay – when the conditions are right this gives good surf SN TR8 5SA
Holywell – best round low tide SN TR8 5PG
Perranporth – The most southerly of the north coast surfing areas
Perran Bay – you have to walk to get there, so it has fewer surfers SN TR20 9NE
Perranporth – long sandy beach, with a whole range of surf for all abilities SN TR6 0ND
Penhale Corner – surfable when firing range not in use! SN TR6 0NQ
Trevaunace Cove – faces north, busy when the conditions are right SN TR5 0NU
Chapel Porth – tiny beach, only for experts SN TR5 0NS
Porthtowan Beach – you can get good tubing waves here SN TR4 8AW
Portreath – big swells round the harbour walls for the experts SN TR16 4NR

The West

Once you leave the main surfing areas of the north coast, you have to pick your beaches carefully…

Gwithian – good surf under most conditions SN TR27 5BU
Carbis Bay – crowded in summer, good surf when big swells are running SN TR26 2NW
Porthmeor – the beach to surf at St Ives; not for beginners SN TR26 1JZ
Sennen Cove – bracing, but can be hazardous SN TR19 7DG
Porthcurno – only for experts, good in south westerlies SN TR19 6JU

South Coast

Praa Sands – best with northerly winds, does not break well at high tide SN TR20 9TX
Porthleven – only for the experts SN TR13 9EL
Kennack Sands – south east facing, beach breaks SN TR12 7LZ