Beach in Cornwall

Perranporth Beach on the north Cornish coast is one of the finest surf beaches in Cornwall, a three-mile expanse of north-facing sand backed by extensive dune systems that receives consistent Atlantic swell and has developed a surf culture over the past half century that makes it one of the most popular beach destinations on this section of the coast. The combination of the long sandy beach, the surfing conditions, the dune walks and the attractive village of Perranporth above the beach creates a destination of considerable appeal for families, surfers and walkers alike. The beach is divided into three sections by rock outcrops that create distinct zones with different surf and swimming conditions, the lifeguard-supervised swimming area between the flags providing safe bathing while the outer sections offer more challenging surf. The rock outcrops exposed at low tide create rock pools of considerable richness and the cave accessible at low water at the south end of the beach, known as the Cathedral Cave, is a large and impressive sea cave worth seeking out. The dune system behind the beach, part of the Penhale Dunes Site of Special Scientific Interest, is one of the most extensive in Cornwall and supports a range of rare dune plants and insects. The Perran Sands holiday park occupies the northern part of the dune system and provides accommodation at the beach. Behind the dunes the grassland of the Penhale Army Camp provides additional open space accessible on public rights of way. The lost city of Perranzabuloe, a chapel and settlement buried by the advancing dunes and now partially excavated, provides an unusual archaeological feature in the dune landscape, and the oratory associated with St Piran is claimed to be the oldest Christian building in England.

Porthcurno Beach in the far southwest of the Penwith Peninsula is one of the most beautiful beaches in Cornwall, a north-facing cove of brilliant white shell-sand enclosed between towering granite cliffs and the headland of Porthcurno Point whose combination of the extraordinary sand colour, the clarity of the turquoise water and the dramatic clifftop setting of the Minack Theatre above creates one of the most visually spectacular small beach environments in Britain. The beach faces north into St Loy's Cove and receives enough wave energy to provide decent body boarding conditions without the exposure of the more Atlantic-facing north Cornish beaches. The sand at Porthcurno is composed largely of crushed shell rather than quartz, giving it the brilliant white colour and fine texture that makes it among the most photogenic of all Cornish beaches. The clarity of the water over this pale sand produces the turquoise colour that appears in photographs of the beach and that gives it its occasionally claimed resemblance to the waters of the Mediterranean, an improbable comparison for Cornwall that is nevertheless periodically justified in the conditions of a fine summer day. The Minack Theatre on the headland above the western end of the beach is one of the most extraordinary outdoor theatres in the world, its clifftop granite seating overlooking the stage with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop, and the combination of the beach and a performance at the Minack provides one of the most distinctive leisure experiences available in Cornwall. The Museum of Global Communications at Porthcurno documents the village's extraordinary history as the landing point for the first transatlantic telegraph cables and the nerve centre of British imperial communications from the 1870s onward, a history of world historical significance concealed in this remote Cornish valley.

Sennen Cove sits at the base of Land's End, the westernmost point of mainland England, within a curving bay that faces directly west into the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of Cornwall's most beautiful beaches and most popular surf locations, a broad crescent of pale sand backed by the whitewashed cottages and lifeboat station of the small village, with the Land's End headland rising to the north and the open Atlantic stretching to the horizon in every other direction. The beach benefits from the Atlantic swells that have crossed thousands of kilometres of open ocean to arrive at this corner of Cornwall with all their energy intact. The consistent quality of the surf here attracts surfers of all levels throughout the year, with conditions suitable for beginners in gentler summer swells and challenging waves for experienced surfers during autumn and winter storms. The beach's west-facing aspect means it can pick up swell from a wide range of angles, and its relatively sheltered position within the cove provides some protection from the most extreme conditions. The village of Sennen has maintained its character as a working harbour community alongside its role as a tourist destination. The lifeboat station, now housing one of the most modern lifeboats in the RNLI fleet, represents a tradition of maritime rescue service that stretches back to 1853 and reflects the historic dangers of this exposed stretch of coast. The harbour itself, used by local fishing boats and pleasure craft, retains much of its original structure and the Round House at the harbour entrance is one of the most photographed buildings in Cornwall. Land's End, a mile or so north along the coastal path, provides the dramatic clifftop scenery and the famous signposts indicating distances to various world cities. The South West Coast Path running through Sennen toward Land's End and north toward Cape Cornwall passes through some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in southwest England, with ancient granite cliffs carved into extraordinary shapes by centuries of Atlantic battering. The sunsets over the Atlantic from Sennen Cove are among the finest in Britain, and the absence of light pollution in this remote corner of Cornwall makes the night sky here exceptional for stargazing.

Watergate Bay is a long, surf-exposed beach on the north Cornish coast between Newquay and Padstow, a two-mile arc of Atlantic-facing sand that receives consistent swell from the open ocean and has developed into one of the most dynamic and fashionable beach destinations in Cornwall. The beach lies below dramatic red sandstone cliffs and benefits from a south-westerly aspect that catches the prevailing Atlantic swell reliably enough to have attracted a dedicated surfing community and a cluster of beach-focused businesses that have given the bay a reputation for combining high-quality food and accommodation with serious wave sports. The character of surfing at Watergate Bay tends toward the powerful and consistent end of the Cornish spectrum. The beach's exposure to open Atlantic swell and its relatively gradual profile produce reliable, shapely waves across a range of swell sizes, making it suitable for surfers of varying ability while retaining the character and energy that more experienced surfers seek. The Extreme Academy, based at the beach, offers tuition in surfing and a range of other wave and wind sports that have made Watergate a centre for adventure sports tourism. The beach is particularly associated with the Hotel and Extreme Academy beach venue that sits above the shore, which has become one of the most celebrated beach restaurants in the southwest, combining locally sourced Cornish produce with the casual, high-energy atmosphere appropriate to its surfing context. The model of quality food in an informal beach setting has influenced beach hospitality across Cornwall and beyond. The cliffs above the beach provide good walking with views along the coast in both directions, and the South West Coast Path runs along the clifftop. The walk between Watergate Bay and Newquay to the south follows dramatic cliffs above a succession of smaller coves that provide a good introduction to this section of the north Cornish coast.