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The Cornish Riviera has a wide range of beaches to
choose from and there is sure to be one that will suit your
particular requirements.
There are ‘family friendly’ beaches such as Looe,
Hannafore and Par Sands which all the family can enjoy as there is
car parking, facilities, toilets and they are accessible if you have
small children in pushchairs or disabled members of your family.
Many have lifeguards in the summer.
There are also hidden beaches and coves with no
facilities at all and which are difficult to get to, often involving
a walk down a steep cliff path. Often, car parking can be difficult
and they are best accessed by walking along the coastal path. Lantic
Bay, between Polperro and Polruan, is a good example of one such
beach. If you want quiet seclusion, then these beaches are definitely for
you.
There are ‘ surfer beaches’ which offer opportunities
for beginner and intermediate surfers such as Whitsand Bay.
Whatever you are looking for in a beach, you will
find it on the Riviera Coast. We are developing our beach section to
have a search facility but for now, enjoy reading about the beaches
and choose one or more that meet your needs. For sure, you could
spend a happy week on the sheltered, sunny Riviera Coast and visit a
different beach or two everyday if you wanted to !
We have found an excellent site on the internet -
the
Cornwall Beach Guide.
For your convenience, we have provided links to this site from every
beach listed and so whether we have reviewed the beach ourselves or
it has been reviewed by Simon Lewis, webmaster of the Cornwall Beach
Guide, you can discover information about the beach, it’s facilities
and location.
Please note that all information provided is
copyrighted and may not be used for commercial purposes without
express permission of
www.thingstodoincornwall.com
or, in the case of linked information
www.cornwallbeachguide.co.uk
. Photographs which appear in this section are also copyrighted by
either
www.thingstodoincornwall.com
or by
www.westcountryviews.co.uk
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Carlyon Bay |
Carlyon Beach is the site of a
£200m privately funded regeneration project that will turn it
into a ‘destination resort’ with over 500 holiday dwellings,
leisure and retail facilities. The development, first approved
in 1990 has attracted a huge amount of controversy and is now
subject to a Public Enquiry to take place in late 2006.
Carlyon Bay is actually made up
of three beaches, Crinnis, Shorthorn and Polgaver and all three
are said to be essentially made up of waste material from the
china clay industry (the quartz grains in the sand are very
similar to those found in the large mounds seen around the St
Austell area) which has been deposited since the mid 19th
century.
The beach has an
interesting history. In the first quarter of the 20th
century, development of beachfront facilities started and Edward
VIII & Mrs Simpson are said to have visited the beach whilst on
holiday in Cornwall. In 1936, The Coliseum was built and as a
concert hall, was famous in it’s heyday with acts such as Queen,
The Who, Tina Turner and Elton John appearing there. The
Colesium shut its doors some years ago. American troops
practised for the D-Day landings on Carlyon Beach and Polgaver
Beach was until recently Cornwall’s only ‘official’ Naturist
Beach. There are a number of beaches where Naturism is tolerated
and these are listed on a site dedicated to
Naturism in Cornwall.
It
is the generally held view that now is not a great time to
consider a lazy day on Carlyon Beach,
naked or otherwise, and what it will be like in years to come
remains to be seen. |
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Cawsand & Kingsand |
Rame Peninsula is surrounded on three sides by
water and in addition to Kingsand and Cawsand, the villages of
Cremyll, Millbrook, St.John, Sheviock, Crafthole, Antony &
Whitsand Bay itself are located here.
The twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand are on
eastern side of the Rame Head and offer a pair of shingle
beaches to enjoy. The villages are home to a number of pubs,
cafes, restaurants and shops and with their twin sheltered
beaches and rockpools, are popular with families.
Cawsand and Kingsand are located just near
Mount
Edgumbe
and the
Cremyll foot ferry
linking Cornwall to Devon at Plymouth as it has done for
centuries. They are very sheltered with Rame Head to the west
and Picklecombe Point to the east.
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Downderry
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With a good pub on the beach, Inn of
the Shore, and a large sand and shingle beach with rock pools at
low tide, Downderry is very popular with locals and visitors
alike. Sometimes referred to as ‘Lord Elliot’s Beach’, the main
Downderry beach is easily accessible. The eastern end of the
beach is difficult to access and involves climbing a very steep
cliff path. It is an ‘unofficial
naturist beach’.
It is possible to walk along the beach from Seaton at low tide
but check before doing so.
There are lots of facilities at Downderry –
parking, a pub, restaurants, shops, toilets and even a post
office. Dogs allowed at certain times of the year
Downderry offers excellent snorkelling on a good
day, and if you are lucky you could stumble across the ‘Gypsy’,
the sister ship to the ‘Cutty Sark,’ that is hiding under a kelp
bed not far from the shore line. There is a slip road to the
beach enabling cars to drive right down on to the beach to
launch boats and jet skis.
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Banjo Pier |
Gyllyngvase |
Hannafore |
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Hannafore Beach |
Hannafore
Beach stretches from
Hannafore Point along Marine Drive and actually consists of two
beaches, Hannafore Beach & Wallace Beach. It is predominantly a
rocky beach with shingle and some patches of course sand at low
tide. Above the beach there are grassy banks and benches along
Marine Drive. The beach is probably best known and best enjoyed
for it’s fantastic rockpools, that are uncovered twice daily as
the tide retreats and for it’s view across to St George’s
Island, now more commonly known as Looe Island. With a south
east facing perspective, the beach is a suntrap for those who
prefer a less populated beach than the sandy beach across the
Looe
River mouth.
There
are public toilets at the beach and a the island view café, opening times for
both of which are seasonal. Tom Sawyers and Hannafore Point
Hotel both overlook the eastern end of Hannafore
Beach
and you can certainly find somewhere to eat and drink throughout
the year.
There is no lifeguard at the
beach and swimming, whilst possible, is probably not advisable
for this reason. The beach is accessible by all members of the
family including babies and small children with pushchairs.
There is a bowling green and tennis club towards the end of
Marine Drive. Dog are allowed on Hannafore beach all year round
Rockpooling is a pursuit
enjoyed by many and the rocky reef that is exposed at low tide
is the perfect environment for you to discover interesting sea
life such as sponges and sea-squirts, sea anemone various,
Furrowed Crab,
Hairy Crab,
Scorpion Spider Crab and Squat Lobsters. The reef has large
areas of flat slate and deep gullies as well as large pools so
there is a good mix of habitats for sealife. If you are
particularly interested in Rockpooling, why not check out the
British Marine Life Study Society
page which describes in more detail the sea life found at
Hannafore by a rockpooling group from Sussex, including the
probable find of a sea slug never previously known on British
shores.
Opposite
Hannafore Beach is St George’s Island, an area of outstanding
natural beauty now owned by
Cornwall Wildlife Trust
and run as a nature reserve. The island has a recorded history
dating back to the building of a Benedictine chapel in 1139 and
was a landing place for smugglers. Until recently, the island
belonged to two sisters Evelyn and Babs Atkins until they died
in 1997 and 2004 respectively. Evelyn wrote two books,
-
"We
Bought an Island"
and
"Tales
from our Cornish Island",
about the island and their lives and experiences. One can visit
the island which is non-commercialised by boat and possibly, at
extremely very low spring tides, by foot. |
King Sand |
Lantic Bay |
Lantivet Bay |
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Lansallos Beach |
Located midway between Polperro and Polruan,
Lansallos Beach is a lovely sheltered beach of sand & slate
shingle also known as West Combe
beach. Almost perfectly semi-circular, the beach is generally
quiet and is known as a good resting point for those walking
along the coastal path between Polperro and Polruan.
Lansallos Beach can be best reached by walking there along the
cliff path from Polperro or by walking down from the
Lansallos
car park near to Lansallos Church. In our opinion, the path down
to the beach makes access too difficult for wheelchairs and
pushchairs. There is a small car park in Lansallos. |
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Lantic and Lantivet Bay |
Located between Polperro and Polruan, Lantic and
Lantivet beaches are a collection of small but perfectly formed
coves of which Palace Cove is the most stunning.
The white sandy beaches of Lantic and
Lantivet
Bay
are basically a secret and are likely to remain so, due to the
extreme difficulty associated with accessing them.
The climb down to them is hazardous and nearby Pencarrow
Head which provides the coves with shelter rises to 400 feet.
Frankly the very best way is to get there is go by boat which is
what we do when we get a chance !. This means finding someone to
take you there and pick you up – not impossible for one of our
guests . . ..
There are no facilities, no
toilets and no car parking so as one might imagine, these
beaches are totally unspoilt by progress . . .and long may it
continue. Swimming is considered dangerous due to currents. |
Looe Beach |
Looe Beach |
Banjo Pier |
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Looe Beach |
The main
East
Looe Beach
is a large sandy beach with man made seating areas and rocks to
one side and Banjo Pier to the other. At low tide, it is a vast
expanse of flat sand and even at high tide, a very large area of
beach remains. The sandy shelf means that the sea is shallow for
a long way out and so you can enjoy paddling or swimming.
It
is a very popular beach for families and in the height of the
season, it becomes very busy, with trampolines and other
activities taking place on the beach. If you venture in an
easterly direction, the beach becomes quieter and rockier.
There
are toilets by the beach and of course the whole of
East Looe
provides facilities for drinking, eating and shopping. Dogs are
banned from the beach all year round. ‘ Banjo
Pier’ is a very popular place for a spot of rod & line fishing
and for watching the fishing trawlers and other boats leave and
return to the harbour. Banjo Pier in its current form was the
creation of Joseph Thomas (1838 – 1901) in the late 19th
century. Joseph Thomas is a very important entrepreneur and
engineer in the history of the development of Looe and he was
responsible for such developments as Hannafore Road, Hannafore
Estate, the quayside in East Looe and the rail link to Liskeard.
More information about Joseph Thomas may be found in a very
interesting document produced by the
Cornwall Industrial Settlements
Initiative. There was an
existing pier that had been constructed to prevent sand from
silting up the Looe
River
which wasn’t working and Joseph Thomas conceived the idea of
constructing a circular head to the pier. Apparently he was so
convinced that the idea would work that he refused payment until
it was proved to have done so ! Just down from Banjo Pier on the
Joseph Thomas’s quayside you can book boat trips, fishing trips
and even take a glass bottom boat to view the local sealife.
Looe
Beach is ideal for anyone that is looking for a ‘traditional
holiday beach’ and whilst it is probably overly busy in the
summer, with the fine weather that Cornwall enjoys all year
round would be an ideal spot to sunbathe either side of the
height of season.
The beach immediately east of the
Looe
Beach
is known to the locals as ‘Second Beach’ and offers fantastic
snorkelling on the days with good visibility. Bass fishing from
this beach is very popular as the ‘king of the sea’, as it’s
known to anglers, swims in very close to the shore to feed as
the tide rises. Large schools of Mullet are often seen in the
large sandy patch that is uncovered at low tide, about half way
down the beach. At low tide you can walk along the beach to
Plaidy Beach.
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Millendreath |
Par |
Pendower |
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Millendreath |
Located about 1 mile east of Looe
is Millendreath Beach. It once had a watersports centre, shop
and café but the last time we visited Millendreath Beach,
everything was in a state of some disrepair. We are re-visiting
this beach shortly and will report shortly on the current
condition.
One point of interest for Millendreath is that there is an
American Flying Super Fortress sunk approximately ¾ of a mile
from the beach. This makes for interesting diving. Boats and jet
ski’s can be launched from Millendreath beach.
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Par Sands |
Par Sands is a wonderful, wide sandy beach
situated on the sheltered coastline of South East Cornwall.
Located at Par, a lovely village between Fowey and St Austell,
the beach is very popular with families as it offers lots of
sand, safe bathing and has achieved the Mandatory Water Quality
standard. There are sand dunes providing a perfect environment
for children to explore and there is a lagoon that attracts
interesting wildlife. Windsurfing is very popular and dogs are
allowed all year round.
The beach provides Disabled
Access, toilets and a café and there are local shops and The
Britannia Inn pub in Par. There is a large car park and picnic
area. Par Beach can be reached by public transport as there is a
bus stop at the entrance and a mainline railway station at Par
itself.
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Pentewan |
Pentewan
sands is a private beach but access is allowed from Pentewan
village. A short walk past the old harbour takes you to the long
stretch of sandy beach, which offers safe bathing and offers the
award for high quality water. There is a small green area for
playing ball games and a park on the beach for the younger
child. Water sports, refreshments and toilets can all be found
in the holiday park adjoining the beach.
Pentewan
village is found between St Austell and Mevagissey offering a
peaceful, picturesque setting. Here you will find The Ship Inn
offering an extensive lunchtime and evening menu, the School
House restaurant offering a superb a La Carte menu and a
shop/café with a wide selection of ice creams. The car park in
the village is small so arrive early.
Dogs are
banned from the beach all year.
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Plaidy Beach |
Plaidy Beach is a sandy beach with rock pools. It
is largely covered at high tide. It is about ½ mile from Looe
beach along a nice footpath. Plaidy Beach is utilised by holiday
makers staying at the Millendreath Holiday Village but as there
are no facilities, toilets or car parking at Plaidy, it can be
reasonably quiet. Dogs are allowed at certain times of the year.
It is possible to park at Millendreath and walk along to Plaidy. |
Plaidy |
Polkerris |
Polperro |
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Polperro |
Unspoilt by progress, the ancient
fishing village of Polperro is a Conservation Village surrounded
by an area of outstanding natural beauty situated in a sheltered
cliff inlet.
At low tide, the small sandy
Polperro Beach appears as the waters of the Outer Harbour recede
only to disappear again a few hours later as the tide returns.
Obviously it is a nice clean beach !
The other side of Peak Rock, the
large rock that defends the entrance to the harbour, is Chaipel
Pool, a part natural, part man-made sea water swimming pool.
There are many wonderful walks to have from Polperro, either
eastwards towards Talland Bay or westerly towards Lansallos.
Every day from Easter until
October there are ½ hour boat trips available along the coast
and also mackerel trips by arrangement or possibly on spec.
There is lots to do in Polperro with a museum displaying the
smuggling & fishing history of the village, lots of pubs,
restaurants and cafes as well as shops and a variety of stores.
Click this link for more
information on
Polperro |
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Polruan |
Polruan has a tiny beach which is
only exposed at low tide next to the quayside at Polruan.
It
is from this quay that the foot ferry leaves for Fowey and the
beach is overlooked amongst others by locals and visitors
enjoying a pint at The Lugger Inn and the shipbuilders at Tom’s
Boatyard. There isn’t much privacy but its ideal for
exhibitionists with perfect figures and children who really
don’t care. Personally, I like the little beach and always have
a paddle as a minimum when I am taking the ferry across to Fowey.
There are toilets at the quayside and shops
nearby. Car Parking is difficult in ‘lower Polruan’ but there is
plenty of parking at the top. Polruan is very interesting and
the local history includes attacks by the Spanish in the 14th
century and by the French in the 15th century. There
are the remains of a 14th century defensive
‘Blockhouse’ at Polruan from which a chain was hung to a similar
structure on the Fowey side preventing attacking ships entering
the harbour. |
Porthpean |
Porthluney Cove |
Porthcurnick |
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Porthpean |
Porthpean
beach is a safe, sheltered, sandy cove popular with families
because of its safe bathing and array of exploratory rock
pools. Sailing and restricted boat launching also available.
The waters
here have reached the UK standard for high water quality.
The beach
offers a small car park close by, toilets, disabled access and a
snack shop open during the summer season.
Dogs are
banned here from Easter to 1st October. |
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Portwrinkle |
Portwrinkle has two beaches - a shingle
beach to the west and an ever popular sandy beach, Finnygook,
to the east of the village. Portwrinkle is located at the
western extreme of Whitsand Bay where the Royal Navy recently
sank HMS Scylla to create an artificial reef. There are great
views of Rame Head and Looe from Portwrinkle and there are some
very nice
beach lodges.
If you like the beach so
much, you may wish to stay there !
Access to the beaches at
Portwrinkle is not easy and they are probably not suitable for
disabled people or pushchairs. There are two car parks but they
are small and become very crowded. There are toilets but no
other facilities at the beach. |
Seaton |
Readymoney Cove |
Portwrinkle |
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Seaton |
Seaton is a large and popular family beach with grey sand as is
common in South East Cornwall. There are a number of facilities
at Seaton such as public toilets, a café and a beach shop. There
is a local pub, The Smugglers Inn, and a restaurant, Sands
Bistro.
The car parks at Seaton are small and will become full in the
summer on hot days and at weekends. The beach is easily
accessible and suitable for all the family. Dogs are banned at
certain times of the year |
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Talland Bay |
Talland Bay has two sheltered shingle beaches,
Talland Sand and Rotterdam Beach, and some nice big rocks to the
side which make for a comfortable place to sunbathe. A low tide
there is some sand but of course it’s wet ! There are rock pools
to explore.
On the beachfront is the Talland Bay Beach
Café which was renovated in 2005 and is a very pleasant place to
rest during a walk from Looe or Polperro or visit by car.
Offering a good selection of Panninis, Sandwiches, Pasties,
Soup, Cakes & Muffins as well as Cornish Cream Teas, fresh
coffees and Roskillys award winning ice creams, the Talland Bay
Beach Café also has car parking by the beach and a number
of nice tables outside the café.There are toilets and road
parking at Talland. Up the hill is Talland Bay Hotel which is
excellent for dining.
Talland is also a must for the snorkeller with
the regular Pollack and colourful Rass, to the occasional flash
of the silver Bass. Talland is a good beach for catching edible
crabs - if they have not crawled in to the pots that are dotted
a short distance out to sea by the local crab and lobster
fishing boats. |
Talland Bay |
Swanpool Beach |
St Mawes Beach |
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Whitsand Bay |
Whitsand Bay has the best beaches in the area for
sand and surfing. It is a four mile long sandy beach but the
problem is that it is not easily accessible. There are no
toilets and the cliff path to the beach is very steep .
For surfers, the beach
is suitable for beginners through to intermediates and there is
a review of it on the
BBC site
- beware the rip currents.
At the western end of Tregantle beach (also known
as Long Sands Beach) is Tregantle Fort, a MOD firing range.
During firing sessions, the beach is closed by means of a ‘red
flag’. Details of firing times are posted through notices issued
to the local parish councils, Harbour Masters, Post Offices,
coastguards, and published in the Cornish Times and The Western
Morning News or can be found by calling 01752 822516.
Around the middle of Whitsand Bay
is Freathy Beach which has a café above it and to the easterly
end is Tregonhawke Beach. There is some parking available in
lay-bys along the coast road and there are lifeguards in summer. |
Riviera Sunset |
Towan Beach |
Whitsand Beach |
We hope that you have found our
review of Riviera beaches useful. Please bookmark this page as we
will continue to develop our review from personal and guest
experiences.
If you have any comments to
make about a particular beach, you can use our
‘Blog’ page to feedback your comments.
We should like to thank Simon
Lewis for his contributions to this website page and for the use of
his photos from
www.westcountryviews.co.uk.
Please note
that ALL photographs and text appearing on this or linked pages are
copyrighted. For a full copyright statement, please visit West Country Views and
Things to do in
Cornwall.
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