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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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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The Bar Beach » Isles of Scilly
The Bar is a sandbar that links the Scilly Isle of St Agnes with the little island of Gugh. As you would expect from the Scillies, the sand is near white and the sea is a crystal clear blue. Where the Bar stands out from other beaches is that it has two sides; one faces out over the harbour area of St Agnes whilst the other looks south into the similarly…
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Greenbank Cove Beach » North Cornish Coast
The stretch of coast between Portreath and Gwithian known as North Cliffs is characterised by high, rugged cliffs backed by the level heathland of Reskajeage Downs. In the winter this is a foreboding place and it is not difficult to imagine why there are places with names such as Hell's Mouth and Deadman's Cove. Unbeknown to many people there are actually…
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Porthminster Beach » West Cornwall
Large sheltered sandy beach with all facilities one would expect on a Blue Flag beach. Much more sheltered than St Ives' other main beach Porthemeor making it ideal for families.
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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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Bosahan Cove Beach » The Helford
This secluded little cove backs on to the ancient woodlands of the Bosahan estate on the southern banks of the Helford River. Whilst the phrase 'hidden gem' is bandied around quite frequently, Bosahan Cove truly fits the bill. There are three ways to reach this idyllic little sandy beach and none of them involve a car. The most obvious is via the coast…
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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…