Top 5 Beaches in Cornwall

There are a lot of things that draw people to Cornwall, the cream teas, the clotted cream ice cream and of course the fabulous authentic Cornish pasties. But behind all of the food, and the history and the myths and legends that surround this beautiful part of the UK, there are some of the most amazing beaches you could ever hope to find. Yet once you have found these beaches you will then go on to discover secluded bays and smugglers coves and by the time you get to Merlin’s cave you are back into the realm of myth and legend and will probably feel the need for another clotted cream tea!

This is a beautiful sandy beach close to Land’s End, and with the lighting just right and the beach deserted it can seem like the beach at the end of the earth itself. The beach stretches out lazily in front of the small Cornish village of Sennen, and this is a beach for everyone to enjoy. The wide expanses of sand are great for families and the waves here attract plenty of surfers. It can get busy at the height of summer though, so be prepared to share.

This is a beach of Perranporth where the sand is referred to as being coloured blonde, somewhere between the traditionally British golden coloured sand and the white sand we associate with the tropics. Behind the beach is Penhale Sands which is a special conservation area. Guarded by dramatic looking cliffs the beach is popular with everyone, families, surfers and beach combers, and being so close to a conservation area, will never be spoiled by over development.

This beach is close to St Ives and a walk along the coastal path will take you straight to Land’s End. This is one of the beaches that have given Cornwall the distinction of being an area of outstanding natural beauty, and it’s easy to understand why. The beach is framed by rugged cliffs that shelter the bay area, and there is a broad expanse of soft sand on which to spend the day.

Not named because it is filled with rocks, far from it, this is a beautiful wide expanse of beautiful sand that runs alongside the River Camel to the estuary, then to Daymer bay and Padstow beyond. Rock is the name of the location, rather than the appearance. Here you will find dramatic wind sculpted sand dunes and incredible views along the coast and out to sea.

The main features of this beach are the incredible dunes that have built up here; they are so incredible that they are protected as property of the National Trust. Though because this is National Trust land there are excellent car parking facilities. This beach is located just south west of the popular surfing beach at Newquay and it offers expansive views towards Penhale Point further down the coast.