Portscatho Beach

Set in Porscatho village this mainly rocky beach overlooks Gerrans Bay on the lovely Roseland peninsula. At low tide there is a fair sized sandy patch, which on occasions stretches along the whole bay, as far as Porthcurnick Beach. While most beaches in Cornwall face west, Portscatho Beach is one of the few which face east meaning it is often sheltered from the prevailing winds. 

There are shops in the nearby village of Portscatho, as well as a pub, gift shops, and galleries; or it's a brisk five minute walk to another pub in the village of Gerrans, with a medieval church opposite. 

Portscatho is still an active fishing port: in the 1700s to the 1800s the sheltered position of the beach made it an ideal base for the pilchard fleets. This sheltered location also makes it a safe swimming option, popular with families and close to many other excellent sandy beaches. You can spend a whole day enjoying scenic circular walks from Portscatho. They're well signed, often by the National Trust, which owns large tracts of the land in the area.