In the coming weeks we’ll be start to publish our “Best for …” series of articles designed to pick out the best set of beaches for certain activies. It could be the best beaches for rock pools, or the best beaches for ice cream, and most certainly the best beaches for sand castles.
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Sennen Cove is a fabulous, wide, sandy beach at the south-west tip of Cornwall, with rock pools for exploring and perfect sand for building sand castles. It is exposed to the Atlantic and picks up any swell, particularly the northern area and Gwevner beach. As a result, the beach is popular with surfers and there is a surf school. It has designated swim areas and surf areas to allow fun in the sea without too many collisions!
Additional activities include walking to Lands End (just a 20 minute stroll away), buses to and from Penzance Town, or simply watching the tides as come in fast but safe.
There are plenty of ice-cream and snack facilities by the beach and along the promenade behind. There is also a restaurant , fish and chip shop and a surf shop, and a chance to attend surf school or hire equipment. Toilet facilities small but close by.
rightbeach recommends Sennen Cove for all things family, especially children who are confident swimmers and enjoy the water.
Beach blurb
See Sennen Cove beach on a map …
Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:
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Area
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Rating
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Observation
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| Beach |  |
Rock pools, shallow pools for swimming, freshwater rivulets, big waves, shallow paddling in the sea. Pretty amazing really! |
| Crowded (1=deserted) |
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| Surf | |
Surfing and body boarding are popular. |
| Sand | |
Flat and fine sand and there’s sand at all times despite the varying tide. |
| Toilets | |
Toilet facilities small but close by. |
| Parking | |
Two fairly small car parks close by and a larger one a short but steep walk, so it’s best to get there early. |
| Food | |
Plenty of ice-cream and snack facilities by the beach and along the promenade behind. Fish and Chips too! Maybe visit more than once this holiday to sample all the foodie delights! |
| Shopping | |
Well stocked with shops including craft and surf shops. |
reviewed by Maria D
Harlyn Bay is a super beach for kids. It’s wide, sandy and rich in ice cream vans. But significantly it also has a couple of warm, shallow pools in the sand during low tide which are perfect for fledgling bathers. Large wide spaces even when reasonably busy. rightbeach took a super whizzy frisbee which was very popular with the kiddies.
It’s an old-fashioned classic beach. Lots of sand, wind breaks, and families (some with kites, some with grannies), probably influenced by the proximity of the Harlyn Sands Holiday Park.
It also has a pub/shop in the shape of the Harlyn Inn tucked behind the sand dunes which also hires out boards and wetsuits.
rightbeach recommends Harlyn beach for all generations of beach loving families (and the dog too!)
Beach blurb
See Harlyn Bay beach on a map …
Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:
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Area
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Rating
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Observation
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| Beach | |
It’s an okay beach – it’s size and the kid-friendly tidal pools are it’s best features. |
| Crowded (1=deserted) |
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Can get busy in patches. |
| Surf | |
Pretty reliable North Cornish surf. |
| Sand | |
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| Toilets | |
An uber trek across two car parks. |
| Parking | |
Lots of parking over looking the beach. Expect to pay around £3-4 for the whole day in peak season. |
| Food | |
A pub and ice cream vans. |
| Shopping | |
A beach shop which doubles as an surf hire place. |
review by The rightbeach Team
Crackington Haven is a little charmer of a beach. The winding road down eventually leads you out to the hamlet which contains a couple of cafes, a shop, a pub and a small pay and display car park (there is another overflow car park slight further up the hill). There are a surprising amount of good things crammed into this small beach.
The beach itself is a sequence of pebbles, shingle and sand as you get closer to the sea, with the sand covered by the tide as it draws in.
There’s some pretty robust surf, a nice collection of rock pools and impressive scenery formed by the steep hills and cliffs which is also why it’s popular with walkers.
rightbeach wholeheartedly recommends (and frequently uses) Crackington Haven for a crab sandwich lunch with the children followed by an ice cream on the beach hunting for interesting pebbles to plop into the pools.
Beach blurb
See Crackington Haven beach on a map …
Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:
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Area
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Rating
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Observation
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| Beach | |
What it lacks for in wide expanse of sand it makes up for in character. |
| Crowded (1=deserted) |
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It’s never too bad there although the car parks and cafes can get busy. |
| Surf | |
Body boarding is big on the beach. |
| Sand | |
There’s nothing wrong with the sand but it’s covered by the sea around high tide and at other times it remains wet. |
| Toilets | |
Nice and close to the beach. |
| Parking | |
One small (50 spaces) pay-and-display close to the beach which always seems to be on the full side. There’s an overflow car park somewhat up the hill. |
| Food | |
Two cafes – our favourite being the excellent Haven Cafe (not the cheapest but good food). Plus there’s a pub with its own car park for patrons. |
| Shopping | |
Two shops pretty well stocked with beach goodies. |
reviewed by The rightbeach Team
Daymer Bay is a golden strip of sand in the Camel Estuary near to Rock. Its sheltered and gently sloping beach means it’s ideal for younger children. There’s plenty of space to spread out even at high tide, and together with rock pools, sand dunes and sandcastle/beach cricket sand you can happily keep the family amused for the whole day.
When the tide’s out the sand stretches all the way around rocks to Rock beach, and so it’s good for a nice extended stroll round the coast to Polzeath (maybe after that enormous picnic you packed and then consumed!)
rightbeach thoroughly recommends this beach for a full on family day of fun on the beach. Pack all the kit and stay out until the kids have just enough energy to walk back up the steps to the car.
Beach blurb
See Daymer Bay beach on a map …
Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:
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Area
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Rating
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Observation
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| Beach | |
Pretty good all-rounder, although lack of surf may put off teens. |
| Crowded (1=deserted) |
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Lots of space, especially at low tide when you can walk all the way around to Rock. |
| Surf | |
Its location in the estuary means that surf is pretty minimal. |
| Sand | |
It’s lovely golden sand and there’s lots and lots of it. |
| Toilets | |
Pretty average – bit of a trek from the beach. |
| Parking | |
One large car park, which doesn’t look like it fills up completely. Last time rightbeach was there it was £3.50 for the whole day (mid summer). |
| Food | |
Just the one cafe which seemed on the expensive side. |
| Shopping | |
Again – just one shop which didn’t have beach shoes (rightbeach had tumble dried theirs the night before and melted them!) |
review by rightbeach
Trebarwith is, in rightbeach‘s opinion, the jewel of the North Cornish Coast. It’s a tidal beach – completely covered by the sea three hours before and after high tide, meaning that you have to time your visits right to get the maximum time to explore and enjoy the fab surroundings. It does have a tricky slipway entrance to the beach so take it easy and wear appropriate footwear!
Here’s a round up of its many attractions: golden sandcastle sand; decent surf; fabulous kid-friendly paddling pools of sea water with sandy bottoms; beautiful sheltering surrounding cliffs; cute gift shops and nice cafe choices. In past years, rightbeach has turned ‘beach left’ to set up camp by the freshwater stream flowing onto the beach, and also ‘beach right’ to find the more secluded and very safe sandy pools. rightbeach also likes to go climbing and see how high we can get (maybe not with the small children!)
rightbeach recommends Trebarwith Strand for families with young and/or older children (and the family dog!). Oh, and great for surfing if you manage to find a safe place to leave the children! Do check the tide times first though or there may be no beach at all.
Beach blurb
See Trebarwith Strand beach on a map …
Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:
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Area
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Rating
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Observation
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| Beach | |
Awesome when the tide times fit with your holiday dates but sadly that’s out of our control. |
| Crowded (1=deserted) |
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Lots of mini camps of groups of families together. |
| Surf | |
Pretty reliable rollers. Popular with body boarders and surfers alike. |
| Sand | |
Coarsish but good for digging and epic sandcastles. |
| Toilets | |
Pretty average – bit of a bind having to walk up the slipway from the beach. |
| Parking | |
Two car parks. The closest one is quite expensive (£6-ish for all day – price drops as tide comes in) and fills up quickly. Get their for 10am to ensure a space. |
| Food | |
Nice selection of hot, cold and ice cream vendors. |
| Shopping | |
A couple of art galleries and the usual beach shop offerings. We like the Crazy Mermaid for wacky prints and paintings. |
review by The rightbeach Team
Polzeath (also known as Hayle Bay) is a big lively wedge of sand ideal for active families and families with older children. It nestles nicely between rising cliffs on either side and is a popular part of the North Cornish coastal path for walkers.
It’s probably best known for its reliable surf credentials which draws in surfers and body boarders by the drove. In fact, rightbeach felt positively out of place in old skool swimming cossies as opposed to the much-in-evidence wetsuits. rightbeach‘s neice had her very first surf lesson there this Summer. Hopefully no real wipe outs!
Past the on-beach car park sporting SUVs galore, there’s a broad flat expanse of sand (especially huge at low tide) ideal for beach cricket although not all of it stays dry during tidal cycles.
The little town of Polzeath has grown into a mini resort over the years and now features a couple of “fairground rides” and a scattering of bars and cafes, taking advantage of the coolish/semi-bohemian vibe.
rightbeach recommends Polzeath for families of all shapes and sizes. Tiddlers will be catered for by easy parking and the opportunity to ‘pop back to the car’ for feeding or just quiet time out of the elements. Toddlers will love the sandy pools and digging channels to their moat. Teens will enjoy the beach life and surf lessons. The rest of us will be grateful the kids have got so much to do and can grab a quick coffee.
Beach blurb
Things to note to ensure your trip goes well:
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Area
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Rating
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Observation
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| Beach | |
No rock pools, sand gets a bit soggy and there’s a fair amount of litter as it’s such a well-used beach. |
| Crowded (1=deserted) | |
It’s a busy beach, popular beach. On warm days the sea in particularly can be rammed with body boarders and surfers meaning that swimmers and splashers are forced into certain areas. |
| Surf | |
Reliable rollers, hence it’s popularity. |
| Sand | |
Sandy beach, although it can be a bit slimy in places due to the proximity of the car park to the rivulet running off into the beach. |
| Toilets | |
No problems. |
| Parking | |
Two car parks means you should always be in with a shout to get a space. One smaller pay and display on the beach (high tide can spill into this one!), and another larger one up on the cliff over looking the beach. |
| Food | |
The town is fairly lively, so there’s plenty of choice with pubs, beach cafes and shops. |
| Shopping | |
Again, lots of shops in the town. |
Review by rightbeach, Tom v A and Sam T
This category will include articles featuring the best beaches for things like: walks, icecreams, dogs, rock pooling.
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