Par Sands Beach
- info
- weather & tides
As the name suggests, Par Sands is a wide, sandy beach in Par, just outside St Austell. The-south facing beach is backed by low sand dunes through which there are many paths as well as a small lake.
In the summer the beach can be quite busy as there is a holiday park just over the dunes. It is quite large though so it never feels crowded.
The beach slopes fairly gently here meaning there it's ideal for paddling. However, there is no lifeguard service so care should be taken if swimming.
Depending on which way you look Par Sands beach can have lovely rural views or a contrastingly industrial view of the adjacent china clay works and Par docks.
With little shelter from the southwest it can feel a bit breezy - which is good news for kite-surfers.
Type of beach
Sandy
Lifeguard service
No lifeguard cover
Dogs friendly beach?
Dogs allowed all year
Disabled access
There is level access from the car park located right behind the beach
Postcode
PL24 2AR
OS grid ref.
SX 0837 5304
Facilities
Public toilets are a short walk behind the beach. Shop/café and pub close by.
Parking
At the rear of the beach
Par Sands Beach Reviews (14)
Very dog friendly
Beautiful and large beach. Love that dogs are allowed access all year - a rarity in this part of the country (especially in emmet season).
Inclusive beach for all
An inclusive friendly beach for dog owners and children alike. Good for swimming and evening dog walks.
Like most beaches there will always be those few people who don’t keep their dogs and children under control or take their litter away. Overall a great family beach.
Wow
Lesley
Apr 29th 2022What improvement. Main east car park now pothole free with tarmac tracks around site . Beach is as it’s always been - natural. If you don’t like seaweed why are you at the beach.
Definitely recommend
This is a lively beach that is safe for even the smallest children. Compared to busy beaches like Perranporth where you struggle to find space either in the sand or in the water, this is spacious and quiet. Gentle water with very gradual incline to depth. Coffee available at car park as well as ice cream can.
Extortionate car park charge for a very uneven pothole filled area, very poor as to what it used to be, ruined my childhood memories when I returned
Miss
Dominika
Jul 07th 2024Nice& Quiet place
Very frendly. ????
Everything that’s great about Cornwall
Steve Smith
May 30th 2023Went to the site last week delighted to see dogs allowed and no charge for parking. I note other reviewers comments on rubbish on the beach but I’m afraid that’s modern uk we picked as much as we could. We were lucky with the weather
Quite nice
Philip
Mar 18th 2023Went in January as we were at the Eden Project. Expected a cold windy, wintery day, but still nice. Very clean, bins available, safe dog walking, plenty of shells and smooth sand. Sheep on the green. The car park was full of pot holes, but easy to dodge. Parking was average cost, but get there later in the day and you pay up to late afternoon, then it is free. I am sure it is lovely in the summer.
My favourite beach has to be Par Beach. I love it so much that I’ve sat for hours there before.
Awesome
Great beach, great for crabbing, swimming and water sports. There’s a place to get coffee, rent a kayak and get ice cream. It’s also dog friendly which is great, one thing that made me chuckle about other reviews were the seaweed comments.. it’s a beach right?
Par beach
Tamara j seaden
Jul 10th 2022Great now road has had pot holes covered and a nice flat 1 waybsystem put in. Lovely time spent on beach, especially after 5 its free parking. Kids would love itbas little stream that goes down tonsea that they can play in. Rubbish bins are usually full but if you take rubbish home or to wherever you stay with you there’s no problem
Horrible beach
Madeleine Marina Mitchell
Aug 22nd 2019full of rotting seaweed and bits of plastic. Hated it.
Par Sands beach
Steve
Aug 04th 2020Nicely textured sand - not too fine so easy to wash off afterwards.
Unbelievable amount of seaweed where the water meets the beach - quite slimy and disgusting.
Pretty sights to the left of the beach, but a bit industrial on the harbour side.
Overall impression is “OK, but I wouldn’t specifically seek it out”.
Kids liked it, though.
Dogs lose owners no control
C Hilled
Jul 27th 2019Just trying to eat lunch with dogs running loose with small children not ideal.
4 dogs 4 owners ...dogs running up so not ideal…better beaches for families with out pets. If you are hopeless controlling your dog you will fit in nicely.