The Best Beaches In Cornwall You Need To Visit

Last Updated on 12th March 2023

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The Best Beaches In Cornwall You Need To Visit - Top Cornwall Beaches

When you think of some of the best beaches in the world, your mind will probably think of places like Australia, the Maldives, Thailand and more; you almost certainly won’t think of anywhere in the UK being home to some of the most breathtaking beaches.

However, the beaches in Cornwall are undoubtedly some of the best in the whole of the United Kingdom and while they might not exactly offer a tropical vibe or even a lot of warm weather for most of the year, there are still many beaches in Cornwall that are truly beautiful and if you’re prepared to brave the cold British sea, you’re sure to enjoy these remarkable beaches in Cornwall!

If you’re thinking of heading on a road trip in the southwest of England, be sure to check out my ultimate guide of the best beaches in Cornwall below!

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Kynance Cove – best beaches in Cornwall

Kynance Cove is a beach that I’d seen splashed all over the likes of Tik Tok and Instagram and almost every single picture I’d seen made it look like a beach that’d been taken straight off a Greek island.

Unfortunately, when we were there the weather was incredibly miserable and grey, so we didn’t quite see Kynance Cove in all its magnificent blue-sky/blue-sea glory. Despite it looking ridiculously moody, I actually loved seeing Kynance Cove like this as I think it made it look truly otherworldly. I’d certainly recommend trying to visit Kynance Cove in good weather so that you can truly appreciate the stunning beach and gorgeous blue water in the hot summer sun, but if you happen to stumble across a bad weather day like we did, I promise you won’t be disappointed either way.

Porthcurno Beach

Porthcurno Beach really is like something straight out of a film. From the vantage point that’s pretty much adjacent to the Minack Theatre entrance (pictured above), you can see Porthcurno Beach in all its magnificent glory.

Of course, being on the actual beach itself is also a dream, but seeing it from above, you get a clear understanding of just how breathtaking the water is, how imposing the rocks are and of course, just how stunning the beach actually is.

Tintagel Castle (Merlin’s Cave)

Be blow away by the landscape at Tintagel Castle

Tintagel Castle is one of the most incredible natural landscapes I’ve seen in the UK and it was undoubtedly one of my very favourite things we saw/did on our South Coast England road trip.

While the beach here isn’t actually all that incredible in terms of sunbathing or swimming, it’s the remarkable landscape that makes the beach at Tintagel Castle one of the very best in Cornwall. The mystery surrounding this location is also truly fascinating and it’s here that you’ll find Merlin’s Cave and Arthur’s Statue from the legendary story.

Perranporth

Perranporth is a place that I’d visited on a family holiday when I was younger and even though I can’t really remember it from my previous visits, our most recent trip there made me realise why it’s one of the most popular beaches in Cornwall for families.

The vast expanse of beach at Perranporth makes it the perfect place for family days on the beach and the town itself is also an awesome place to hang out thanks to its myriad ice cream parlours and delicious fish and chips eateries. We shared an insanely yummy portion of cheesy chips when we were in Perranporth while enjoying the views of the beach and sea from a nearby car park (pictured above).

Sennen Cove

When we were in Cornwall, we didn’t actually go onto the beach at Sennen Cove, instead, we enjoyed the beautiful views of it from the Mayon Cliff Old Coastguard Lookout along the coastal walk from Land’s End.

Sennen Cove is an incredibly popular destination to visit in Cornwall and it’s clear to see why; beautiful stretches of beach, gorgeous water and an adorable fishing village, it really is a beautiful part of Cornwall.

Lantic Bay – best beaches in Cornwall

Lantic Bay was yet another one of my favourite places in Cornwall and indeed the whole of our South Coast trip. The beach here is stony as opposed to sandy and while I normally hate this, Lantic Bay feels like something out of paradise so it’s hard to ‘hate’ anything about it.

Despite it being a stony beach, there were still lots of families playing on the beach and frolicking in the sea. The best part of Lantic Bay, however, isn’t actually being on the beach itself, but the views from the coastal walk high up on the cliffs above. Check out my post about the best things to do in Cornwall to see what I mean.

Fistral Beach

Fistral Beach is a very famous beach in Cornwall and that’s largely thanks to the fame it acquired after the nearby The Headland Hotel was featured in The Witches movie.

As you can see from the picture above, Fistral Beach is positively teeming with holidaymakers during the summer, even on cloudy and overcast days, so if you don’t want to brave the crowds and actually set up for the day on the beach, I’d still recommend spending some time in Newquay and perhaps having a strong along the beach of you can avoid sunbathers!

Marazion Beach

Unfortunately, I don’t really have a proper picture of Marazion Beach as we accidentally timed our visit when the tide was in so there wasn’t really much beach to be seen.

Marazion Beach itself isn’t really anything to shout home about; the main appeal of it is heading across to the little island known as St Michael’s Mount. If you manage to time your visit much better than us, you’ll get the chance to walk across the causeway to St Michael’s Mount while you’re there.

Gwithian Beach

Gwithian Beach might just be one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve been to in the whole of the UK, never mind just in Cornwall.

The sand at Gwithian Beach is utterly pristine and it seems to go on for miles. The water is also lush here and while it’s likely to be pretty chilly for most of the year, I bet it’s also pretty refreshing on a beautiful summer’s day. We were pretty lucky to experience Gwithian Beach when it was practically empty, but I’ve also seen pictures of it when it’s absolutely heaving with holidaymakers.

Porthmeor Beach

Day 13 - St Ives, Gwithian Beach, Perranporth, Newquay, Fistral Beach, Port Isaac, Tintagel Castle

Porthmeor Beach is located in the lovely seaside town of St Ives and is known for being a surfing hub for avid wave-riders.

As you can see from the picture above, it was an incredibly overcast day when we visited Porthmeor Beach so we didn’t quite get the chance to see it in all its usual beautiful glory, but I have it on good authority from fellow travellers and Cornwall-lovers that it’s a fab beach to enjoy in good weather.

Bonus best beaches in Cornwall

While we were lucky to visit a fair few beaches during our trip to Cornwall, we didn’t quite manage to experience every single one in great detail, but I’ve added a few bonus beaches that you need to visit in Cornwall below that also came very highly recommended.