The Best Beaches in the Cornwall
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Green Bay Beach » Isles of Scilly
The biggest, and arguably best beach on Bryher. A wide expanse of fine sand backed by trees and shrubs giving it an almost tropical feel. Green Bay faces out into the shallow waters of the channel between Bryher and Tresco which are a haven for boats of all shapes and sizes.
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Fistral Beach » North Cornish Coast
Newquay, if not Cornwall's, most popular beach and at the very heart of the British surfing scene. The beach is a wide expanse of golden sand with the headlands of Pentire and Towan to the south and north respectively. On the Towan headland, overlooking the beach, is the imposing victorian bulk of the Headlands hotel. Fistral is often dived up into…
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Porthmeor Beach » West Cornwall
Porthmeor is arguably St Ives' premier beach and as such one of Cornwall's finest. The beach consists of a long stretch of golden sand overlooked by numerous artists' studios and the Tate Gallery. Porthmeor is also St Ives' most dramatic beach facing the full force of the Atlantic Ocean and flanked by rugged headlands. As a consistent winner of the…
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Men-aver Beach » The Lizard and Falmouth
Positioned about half a mile east of Gillan and running to Parbean, Men-aver Beach is part of a series of small coves and beaches and is set beneath Lestwoder Cliff. Made up of sand and shingle with rocky ledges at low tide, it is a quiet beach that never gets busy, but makes a great location for watching the boats on the Helford River.
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Periglis Beach » Isles of Scilly
Possibly the most western beach in the guide, Periglis sits on the far side of St Agnes with just Annet and the Western Rocks between it and the coast of America. The beach here is a crescent of coarse, white sand which curves around a small natural harbour with Burnt Island to the north offering the bulk of the shelter. There are twin slipways here,…
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Appletree Bay Beach » Isles of Scilly
Whilst you could argue that Appletree Bay is the finest beach on Tresco, if not the Scillies, I find these comparisons a little pointless as virtually all the Scilly's beaches are stunning. The beach at Appletree Bay is everything you could expect and want from a beach. Over half a mile (1 km) of soft, near white sand meets the crystal clear azure…
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St Loy's Cove Beach » West Cornwall
St Loy is perhaps best known for its wooded valley leading down to the coast. This is a beautiful walk any time of year, but is possibly at its best when bluebells carpet the floor in early Spring. It is at the bottom of this woodland walk that you will find the cove. It is a fairly wide bay between Boscawen and Merthen Points. There is nothing in…
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Swanpool Beach » The Lizard and Falmouth
This popular cove is located on the outskirts of Falmouth, around a mile and a half from the town centre. Swanpool is a beach with something for everyone from families to naturalists (but possibly not naturists!). Swanpool beach itself is sheltered and reasonably safe for swimming although, somewhat surprisingly, there is no lifeguard cover. Comprising…
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Porthgwidden Beach » West Cornwall
Porthgwidden is often overlooked in the St Ives beaches stakes. Smaller than the others it does benefit from being more sheltered. It sits in the lee of the Island which blocks out most of the predominant winds and makes Porthgwidden a veritable sun trap. Despite the lack of lifeguards there are plenty of other facilities including a two-storey row…
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Porthcressa Beach » Isles of Scilly
Porthcressa beach is a beautiful sandy beach located on the southern side of the Scilly Isles 'capital', Hugh Town. Whilst Town beach to the north is just a touch easier to get to, Porthcressa is a much nicer beach. The sand here is very fine and leads down to the sheltered, turquoise waters of Porthcressa bay. It is backed by promenade which is home…