Arguably the finest stretch of sands in south east Cornwall, Whitsand Bay beach is actually a sequence of beaches which, combined, stretch around 4 miles from Portwrinkle to Rame Head. The beach, which is south west facing, is only available at low tide – beware of being cut off at high tide.
Vault Beach is a long, south-facing beach which lies to the south of Gorran Haven, Cornwall, in the shadow of Dodman Point. Vault is a crescent-shaped, sand and fine shingle beach which is often pleasantly quiet.
Torpoint is a relatively modern Cornish town on the Rame Peninsula. The city of Plymouth sits on the opposing, Devon, side of the River Tamar. Some stretches of Torpoint Beach are revealed at low tide, but the setting is not traditionally picturesque.
Talland Bay, near Polperro, Cornwall, boasts two sheltered, sand and shingle beaches – Talland Sand and Rotterdam Beach – in an area once synonymous with smuggling. Talland Bay is one of Cornwall’s most unspoilt areas, and a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Seaton Beach is a wide, south-facing beach at the foot of the River Seaton valley near Looe in south-east Cornwall. Seaton’s steeply-sloping, sand and pebble beach is reasonably popular with families during peak summer months.
Readymoney Cove Beach is a sandy, south-east facing beach in the picturesque working harbour town of Fowey, Cornwall. It lies in a small, sheltered cove overlooking Polruan, at the mouth of the Fowey Estuary. The remains of the 16th century St Catherine’s Castle stand on a headland above the beach.
Portwrinkle’s two beaches are located at the western-most end of Whitsand Bay in south east Cornwall. The eastern-most beach at Portwrinkle, Finnybook Beach, is the more popular of the two – a pleasant, sandy beach, popular with families and experienced surfers alike.
Portmellon Beach sits in a small, sheltered cove, little more than half a mile from the centre of Mevagissey, Cornwall. It is normally a very quiet beach, tourists preferring to visit its better-known neighbours, where access for boats is provided by a slipway.
Porthpean Beach is a south-east facing beach in St Austell Bay, on the south Cornwall coast. Its aspect, location (close to some of Cornwall’s finest attractions), and relatively safe bathing in its sheltered waters, make Porthpean a particularly popular family beach.
Polstreath Beach is a sand and shingle beach just outside the picturesque fishing town of Mevagissey, Cornwall. It is a fairly wide, east-facing beach which offers good bathing and a peaceful haven. The beach can be accessed, with difficulty, only via the South West Coast Path.