what is the best beach in Cornwall?

[michaelad]

...iyho...?

Going there in the summer and need some tips on the "must go to" beaches!!

Ooh, a difficult one. Where to start? What do you want to do (swim, surf, just make sandcastles)?

Sennen Cove
Hayle/Gwithian
Kynance Cove
Porthcurno
Rushy Bay, Bryher, Isles of Scilly
Praa Sands

Porthcurno is my very favourite - as it's so beautiful (when not heaving!)

Sandymouth (NT) is also nice with more room, although a longer downhill walk to the beach & of course uphill on the way back

It really depends on what you want from the beach. All the really popular ones are packed in the summer. That said, we've had some lovely evening BBQ's on the beach starting at 5pm just as all the tourists were off home for the day!

Hayle & Church Cove (v.near to Kynance) were two of my favourites.

What area of Cornwall are you going to?

dh (who is Cornish, but I still love him) says Godreavy, which is quite near St Ives.

My faves in no particular order are:

Polzeath (nightmare in the summer hols though)
Whipsiderry (130 odd steps down to it and no facilities)
Crantock
Polly Joke
Sennen
Praa Sands (never been in summer hols)
Kynance Cove

Which part of Cornwall?

BTN, Godrevy is the lighthouse in my 2nd link. The best beach round there, though, is Gwithian. At Godrevy itself the beach is more rocky.

Whitsand Bay between Plymouth and Looe is beauuuuuuutiful. Various places to get down - lots of steps and definitely not buggy friendly. Also tidal - no beach when tide is in. I used to carry my dd down in a backpack.

Gwithian or Porth Towan.....

My fave is crantock ..breathtakingly beautiful

Thanks everybody for all the info! Got distracted by ds1 and had to log off.. Will definitely make a list of all the places suggested and take it with us. We're going to be near St. Brewards but don't mind travelling a fair bit if it's worth it. And from some of the pictures I've seen some of the beaches definitely are!! What we are basically after is a good beach for a 5 and a 3 year old which doesn't involve too much clambering to get to..

Go to Polzeath! Get there early if you're going at weekends/school hols, and you can park on the beach which makes it so much easier. Clean loos, shops for buckets and spaces, suncream, hats etc. and great coffee and ice creams. Fabulous stretch of sand, rock pools for little ones to sit in down sides of beach. Check tides though, much less sand at high tide! We're locals - 40 mins from Polzeath - and it's our favourite by far.

Holywell Bay is lovely and not too busy

gymkhana, what constitutes early?

michaelad, that depends on the day. If it is August bank holiday, then before 9am. If it is a sunny summer Sunday, then before 10am. Always before 11am. Most of the time visitors arrive at places (beaches, play parks etc)around 11am and leave around 4pm, so go anywhere before 11 or after 4 and except on the busiest days you're OK. Except for the main routes into or out of the region which should be avoided on Saturday mornings in July/August, you can have a good holiday even in the height of the season if you get up and out before the rest!

You're near Polzeath at St Breward. Trebarwith Strand is another of my faves in that area, but almost completely covered at high tide.

Port Isaac (Doc Martin) is lovely and worth a visit.

Daymer Bay is lovely too and good for kite flying. You can get a little ferry across to Padstow from there too.

where is that old thread it was fabulous.......

I really like godreavy. It is so huge that you are never really crowded and can find a spot somewhere between the lighthouse and Hayle. But sounds like a bit of a trek from where you are going to be....

oldy but goody

My fave is Perran Sands - but there are so many and all beautiful in their own way.

We are hitting Polzeath again this summer (just booked our campsite). We had a fantastic last night beach bbq at Daymer, beautiful.

We walked round to Daymer for Hot Choc too (remember last August - the cold wet one) good little cafe/shop.

oh beach and minnock sounds fab but no chance of watching anything with the los! Would it still be worth it and which beach would be the best then? Sennen or another one?

..the more I think about this one the more I love it..

Go to a beach in the morning, go for a little bit of a walk and the end up at Minnock..is that doable (and advisable)with a 5 and a 3 year old?

trebarwith strand

millock is secluded, rocky too, lots of rock pools etc to mooch about in

crackington haven is where we usually go

Ok, noted!
anymore info on the idea of a daytrip including beach and the minnock theatre anyone?

anyone? recommendations for the best combined daytrip to do beach and minnock theatre in one go?

Minnack theatre is situated on cliffs above Porthcurno beach. so you can easily do both in a day- just a short but steep walk between the two. the beach is lovely and the theatre won't disappoint even if you don't see a play but just mooch around it.