Fistral is the most famous beach in Cornwall and arguably the best surf beach in England. It faces directly west into the Atlantic, picks up every available swell, and has been hosting international surf competitions since the 1980s. At low tide, the full mile of beach opens up and it looks genuinely spectacular — golden sand, turquoise water, open ocean all the way to America.

Even if you're not surfing, Fistral is worth a visit. The clifftop walk around Pentire Head above the beach gives the best elevated view on the north coast. The Fish House restaurant at the south end of the beach is excellent. Surf lessons and water sports activities run daily from the beach throughout summer — most beginners stand up on their first lesson.

Watergate Bay is the answer to "I love Fistral but I want more space." It's longer, less crowded, and if anything even more dramatic — the cliffs at both ends are spectacular. The wave tends to be a bit gentler than Fistral which makes it good for beginner and intermediate surfers. It's also one of the best dog beaches on the north coast, with no summer restrictions.

The Watergate Bay Hotel and the Beach Hut café give it good facilities without losing the wild edge. Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Cornwall was here until 2019 — the view it had is still there even if the restaurant isn't. On a clear evening, the sunset from the beach is some of the best light in Cornwall.

Perranporth is a 3-mile straight of beach backed by dunes — one of the longest in Cornwall. It's genuinely impressive. The village at the south end is low-key and well-stocked with pasty shops and surf hire, and the beach itself has a reliably good beach break that works in most swell conditions.

What makes Perranporth special is the scale. Walk north from the village and within 20 minutes you're on a beach that feels genuinely remote. The dunes behind conceal an oratory — the ruins of St Piran's Oratory, Cornwall's oldest surviving building, is a 15-minute walk through the sand. It's a strange and memorable place to come across.

Polzeath is the north coast's best family surf beach — sheltered enough to be safe for children, with enough wave to make a surf lesson genuinely fun. The beach faces Pentire Point and the Camel Estuary, giving it a slightly more sheltered exposure than the Newquay beaches. The surf school here is excellent and there's a reliable cluster of food vans and beach cafés at the top of the beach.

The village is small and well-resourced for a beach day. The walk from Polzeath south along the coast path to Daymer Bay (past Trebetherick, where John Betjeman is buried) takes about 45 minutes and is one of the best short coastal walks in Cornwall.

Harlyn Bay is the north coast's best-kept family secret. While Polzeath and Fistral get all the attention, Harlyn sits tucked around the headland from Padstow, facing north-north-east — which means it's sheltered when the Atlantic swell is too big for the main surf beaches. It's also one of the few north coast beaches with no summer dog restrictions.

The beach is compact, arc-shaped, and exceptionally beautiful at low tide when the full sandy expanse is revealed. The village behind has a small shop and pub. It's 10 minutes by car from the Padstow ferry, which makes it an easy addition to a Padstow day trip.

Widemouth Bay sits just south of Bude at the very top of Cornwall. It's a wide, flat beach with a consistent but gentle beach break — ideal for learners and one of the best surf beaches in Cornwall for complete beginners. The South West Coast Path runs along the cliffs above, and the walk south towards Millook Haven and Crackington Haven is outstanding.

It tends to be less crowded than the Newquay-area beaches and the village behind has everything you need for a day on the beach. It's also one of the longest stretches of manageable surf in the county — at low tide the wave peels for a long distance before closing out.

Kynance Cove is the most photographed and most beautiful beach in Cornwall. The combination of serpentine rock stacks (dark green, red, and purple), white shell-sand, and extraordinarily clear turquoise water is genuinely unlike anywhere else in the UK. The Cornwall Wildlife Trust manages the surrounding heathland — a National Nature Reserve that's extraordinary for wildflowers in June and July.

The catch: it's tide-dependent. The beach almost disappears at high tide, and the cove gets completely cut off. Plan your visit around low to mid tide — check the tide times before you go. The walk down from the National Trust car park takes about 15 minutes. There's a café at the beach that's open in summer and it's genuinely excellent.

Porthcurno has the clearest, most turquoise water in Cornwall. On a sunny day — and there are many in this corner of Penwith — it looks Caribbean. The beach is a wedge of brilliant white sand between granite headlands, sheltered from the Atlantic by the cliffs that tower above it. The water is extraordinarily transparent because the beach is made from crushed shell rather than regular sand.

Above the beach sits the Minack Theatre — an open-air cliff theatre carved into the rock in the 1930s by Rowena Cade, one of the most extraordinary things in Cornwall. Even if you're not seeing a show, the view from the theatre over Porthcurno is spectacular and worth the short walk up from the beach.

Sennen Cove is the westernmost beach in England and one of the best. A long crescent of white sand in a natural bay below the cliffs of Cape Cornwall, it picks up Atlantic swell that's been building across thousands of miles of open ocean. The surf is consistently good — better and less crowded than the Newquay beaches for much of the year. The sunsets here, with the sun dropping into the sea beyond Land's End, are some of the best in Cornwall.

The village has a good selection of food and the Sennen Cove café at the beach is reliably excellent. The walk north along the coast path towards Cape Cornwall is one of the classic Penwith walks — wild, exposed, and spectacular.

Praa Sands is one of the longest south-facing beaches in Cornwall — which means it gets more direct sun than the west-facing Atlantic surf beaches. It's sheltered from the prevailing wind, the water is generally calmer, and it has a reliably long swimming season. Popular with families for all these reasons. The beach stretches nearly a mile and has lifeguard cover throughout summer.

The village behind has basic facilities and a pub. It's close to Porthleven — one of the best small towns in Cornwall for food, with the Porthleven Fish Quay and several excellent restaurants clustered around the harbour.

Gyllyngvase is the best town beach in Cornwall — flat, calm, and right on the edge of Falmouth, which is the best town on the south coast. The beach faces south, the water is Carrick Roads-calm, and the facilities (beach café, showers, lifeguards) are excellent. It's the beach you choose when you want easy access to good food and the option of a post-beach stroll around one of the most interesting waterfronts in Cornwall.

Falmouth itself is worth a day — the National Maritime Museum, Pendennis Castle, and a consistently good restaurant scene. Book accommodation in Falmouth early in summer — the town fills up fast, especially around the Falmouth Tall Ships and Oyster Festival.

Porthminster is the best family beach in St Ives and one of the best in Cornwall. It's sheltered, south-facing, and reliably calm — completely different to the surf beaches a few hundred metres around the headland. The water is clear, the beach is well-managed, and the Porthminster Café directly above it is one of the best beach restaurants in England. The view from the café terrace at lunch — blue sea, white sand, St Ives rooftops — is exceptional.

St Ives itself is unmissable. The Tate St Ives gallery sits directly above Porthmeor Beach with extraordinary sea views from every room. The town's winding streets and excellent galleries reward an afternoon of wandering. Park at Lelant and take the scenic railway into town — it's far easier than driving in.

Porthmeor is the surf side of St Ives — north-facing, Atlantic-exposed, and with a consistently fun wave. The Tate St Ives gallery sits at the east end of the beach; the contrast between seeing contemporary art and then walking down onto a proper surf beach is one of those quintessentially St Ives experiences. The beach café is good and the beach itself, backed by the town's characteristic whitewashed cottages, is genuinely beautiful even on a grey day.

Carbis Bay is the calmer, posher alternative to St Ives' main beaches — a Blue Flag beach just a mile east of the town, sheltered in a south-east-facing bay, with reliably clear water. The Carbis Bay Hotel — which hosted the G7 Summit in 2021 — sits above the beach and dominates the hillside, but the beach itself is accessible to anyone and consistently excellent.

The train from St Ives to Carbis Bay runs every 30 minutes in summer — one of the most pleasant short train journeys in the country. Good for families and anyone who wants calm, swimmable water without the Porthminster crowds.

Godrevy and Gwithian form a 3-mile arc of beach sweeping around St Ives Bay below the famous Godrevy Lighthouse (the one that inspired Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse). It's one of the best dog beaches in Cornwall — National Trust-managed, year-round dog access, and enough space to give any dog a proper run. There are also grey seals hauled out on Godrevy Island which can be seen from the beach and cliff tops.

The surf here can be excellent, especially at Gwithian towards the south end. The National Trust café at the Godrevy car park is reliably good. On a clear day the views south to St Ives and north along the Bay of St Ives are extraordinary.

Pedn Vounder is arguably the most beautiful hidden beach in Cornwall. Tucked below the cliffs a 20-minute walk east of Porthcurno, it has the same extraordinarily clear turquoise water as its famous neighbour — but almost nobody there. The access is a steep scramble down a cliff path (not suitable for young children or anyone not confident on uneven ground). At low to mid tide, the beach is large and spectacular. At high tide it disappears almost entirely.

It's also a traditional naturist beach — so be aware. Most visitors are fully clothed but it's worth knowing.

Nanjizal is the wildest beach in Cornwall. Set in a dramatic valley with a stream running down to the sea, surrounded by ancient cliffs and accessible only by a 45-minute walk along the coast path from Porthgwarra, it feels genuinely like the end of the world — which in terms of England's geography it nearly is. The rock arch at the north end of the beach is one of the most photographed geological features on the entire coast path.

There are no facilities, no lifeguards, and no easy exit in rough conditions. It's a place for experienced coastal walkers who want genuine seclusion. The reward is a beach that feels entirely untouched — remarkable for such a small country.

Lantic Bay is the finest hidden beach on the south coast — a half-moon of sand and shingle tucked below dramatic National Trust cliffs near Fowey. The descent is steep (20 minutes down, harder coming back up) but the beach is genuinely extraordinary: clear green water, complete privacy, and one of the best views along the south coast in either direction. On a calm summer day the swimming is excellent.

Park at Pencarrow Head and follow the coast path signs. Get there early — by 11am in summer even this hidden gem has gathered a crowd.

Rinsey Cove is not a swimming beach — it's a photography destination. A rocky cove below the ruins of Wheal Prosper tin mine (National Trust-owned), with dark volcanic cliffs, surging Atlantic water, and one of the most dramatic industrial heritage views in Cornwall. The ruins of the engine house perched on the cliff are extraordinary at sunset. The walk south along the cliff from the car park is excellent.

Don't attempt to swim here — the rocks and swell are dangerous. But for a sunset walk with a camera, it's hard to beat anywhere in Cornwall.

Porthchapel is the beach directly below the Minack Theatre — smaller and rockier than Porthcurno, but with the same extraordinary turquoise clarity. Most visitors to the Minack walk down to Porthcurno instead, which means Porthchapel is often nearly empty. The water is swimmable at mid-tide and the rock pools at low tide are excellent for children. Walk south from the Minack Theatre car park, turn right at the coast path, and the descent to Porthchapel takes about 15 minutes.