Pick a beach

Sand, sun, surf, cliffs, crabs and caves. Cornwall's coast provides a variety of beach environments from secluded coves to wide open expanses of golden sand. With more than 200 miles of coastline, Cornwall has no shortage of beaches. Wherever you are in Cornwall, there's a beach not very far away.

Best beaches

We've picked some of Cornwall's best beaches to show you, beaches that, as you can see, have loads to offer, be it a walk with the dog, exploring rock pools with the kids, an evening barbecue, or something involving a bit more action.

Wind and waves

For surfing, kitesurfing, kiteboarding, kitebuggying, mountainboarding, bodyboarding, any other wind and wave sports that you can think of - and let's not forget swimming, Cornwall has it all, in abundance.

If you're a beginner, or want to improve your skills contact one of the approved training schools. The Extreme Academy at Watergate Bay covers everything from surfing to mountain boarding. For kitesurfing we can personally recommend Mobius.

Beach Safety

Many of Cornwall's beaches are lifeguarded during the summer months. Patrolled areas for swimmers and bodyboarders are marked by red and yellow flags (like these on Newquay's Towan beach) and surfing areas by black and white chequered flags. Many of Cornwall's beaches are submerged at high tide, be aware of tide times and be careful not to get cut off by an incoming tide. Beach safety advice from the RNLI

Dog-friendly beaches

Dog bans apply on some Cornish beaches from Easter Day until October 1st and a small number of beaches impose year-round bans. On other beaches dogs are welcome any time. The bans do not apply to guide dogs. Full details of when and where the dog bans apply can be found in the Cornwall Visitor Guide for Dog owners (PDF), published by Visit Cornwall.

Accommodation at the beach

If you want a beach holiday in Cornwall there are a number of options for accommodation. One approach is to camp, which often means you can get right on the waterfront, or a self-catering break in a cottage is a perennial favourite. If you want a bit more comfort there is a wide range of hotels near the beach in Cornwall. You can find listings of some of the best options in our places to stay section.