If there's such a thing as a typical seaside holiday village in Cornwall, Perranporth is it. At low tide the beach is over two miles long, here on top of Chapel Rock you get an excellent view of Perranporth beach at low tide, extending Northwards to Penhale Sands.

Look down and you'll see there's a natural open air pool which is filled with sea water at high tide and warmed by the sun during the day. Turn inland and in the dunes at the foot of the hills you'll see the tented frontage of the Watering Hole pub, where you can enjoy a pint on the beach and which serves food all day. The Watering Hole also has live music in the evenings.

Perranporth is one of the more popular holiday destinations in Cornwall, with a number of holiday parks, camping and caravan sites, holiday hotels and bed and breakfasts. It's well served by local shops which cater for everyday needs as well as holiday things like surf board hire, wetsuits, T-shirts, sun block and ice cream.

In high Summer the South end of the beach near the entrance can get very crowded but, if you don't mind a walk, you can escape the crowds by heading North towards Penhale Sands. The beach is lifeguarded in Summer and there are usually two patrolled swimming areas. At high tide the sea covers almost the entire beach, extending past the Watering Hole towards the car park, so plan your day to make the most of the low tide period and take care not to get cut off by incoming tides. Tide times.