Gwenver Beach - West Cornwall
Also known as Gwynver
Cornwall Beaches > West Cornwall > Gwenver Beach
Gwenver's name is derived from Gwynevere of Authurian legend and it does have a beauty about it. Situated at the base of a grassy cliff the beach is just about secluded and in-accessible enough to not get really crowded.
The beach itself is sandy and around 150 metres long. At high tide the beach slopes steeply into the sea and can be dangerous, at low tide Gwenver joins up with Sennen beach
On a clear day the Scilly Isles can be easily made out from the beach as can the nearby Brisons rocks 1 mile off the coast of Cape Cornwall.
directions: Head towards Lands End on the A30 and turn right by the Chapel just before Sennen.
Gwenver Beach map: Drag the map with your mouse to navigate and use the + and - buttons to zoom in and out.
parking: There is a car park open in summer at the top off the cliff costing around £1.50.
It's a fair 10-15 mins hike down a well trodden path from here.
Surfing at Gwenver Beach
Quite possibly the most exposed beach in England. Facing almost due west and located less than 2 miles from Land's End takes the full brunt of the Atlantic Ocean. As it works best on smallish to medium swells this means Gwenver is out of bounds for a large part of the winter.
Gwenver is bounded to the north by Ayr point which despite it's name never really works as a point break. That's not, however, to say it doesn't work. "The point" is capable of holding a solid 6ft swell and on a good day is an A-frame peak with a useful rip running up the point.
The banks at Gwenver tend to shift a lot so it can be epic one week and un-surfable the next on an identical swell. One thing that is consistent though is the power of it's waves. Combined with strong rips and a handful of locals with a very protective attitude, this doesn't make it ideal for beginners.
lifeguard service: Full time lifguard service from 10am - 6pm during summer.
Dogs: Dogs allowed
Nearest town: Penzance