Our Top 5 Favourite Beaches in Cornwall

Hi. We are Jonny and Hannah and we are travel content creators called Finding Our Adventure. Having spent much of the last 6 years exploring the world and creating Finding Our Adventure, 2020 and Covid really changed things.

The sudden inability to choose a destination, jump on a flight and experience new cultures and locations was a bitter pill to swallow. Lockdown gave us plenty of time to reassess our plans, business and future goals. We have previously explored Scotland and Iceland via motorhomes and campervans and we had been looking into a motorhome as a way to travel the UK and Europe in 2021. We decided that we would just have to move our plans forward by a few months and Bailey became the ideal partner to explore our own backyard in the comfort and convenience of a home on wheels. With Covid likely to stay with us for the next few years a motorhome is now the ideal way to travel, socially distance and explore new places.

Bailey has asked us to explore some of the best beaches that the UK has to offer, in a Bailey Autograph 69-2. What better place to start than Cornwall, long praised as having some of the best beaches in the UK. We have chosen 5 of our favourite Cornish beaches.

Pedn Vounder
Until recently this beach was only known to the locals. In the last 5 years it has been discovered and become more popular. It is only accessible when the tide starts to go out and the difficult climb down a rock face and the lack of signs mean that it retains some of its unknown charm. Pedn Vounder has often been compared to beaches of the Caribbean and the real highlight is when the tide is fully out. Sand bars appear and the shallow water becomes crystal clear, you can then explore further round the coast and you really do have to question whether you are in the UK still.

Porthcurno
Just around the corner from Pedn Vounder, Porthcurno is another beach that is hard to believe is located in the UK. The white sand beach and turquoise water would not be out of place in a tropical climate. The route to Porthcurno is sign posted, has a car park and is far easier to access than Pedn Vounder. This makes it a great family beach and the perfect place to spend an entire day. The views from the steps up above leading to the Minack theatre are the best of Porthcurno and have to be taken in.

Gwithian (Towans)
Gwithian Beach is part of Towans, the incredibly large beach to the East of St Ives. Standing in St Ives you can see right along the coast and this beach stretches for miles. We’ve chosen the Gwithian section as it was our favourite for surfing and there are hidden private spots you can sunbathe on when the tide is in. The coast further on is also magical and you can even spot seals sleeping in hidden coves from the cliffs above.

Kynance Cove
Located in the Lizard Coast Kynance is a cove full of charm and mystique. Kynance is cut in half when the tide comes in, but the water colour here and the views from the cliffs above make this a must visit when in Cornwall. The lizard Coast itself is full of incredible little coves and Kynance is king of them all. As with most Cornish coves and beaches you need to be careful with the speed of the tide coming in as not to get stranded. Many calls are made to the coast guard because of the tide catching people out.

Holywell
Often used as the backdrop to the TV series Poldark, Holywell is beautiful. Whether seen from the cliffs above or on the beach itself the beauty of such a beach is mesmerising. The iconic rocks out to sea, the secret Holy Well cave and the large warm golden sand beach make this a perfect spot for everyone. We found that the far end of the beach was very quiet and a great place to spend an afternoon sunbathing. The water here is generally safe and good for surfing and bodyboarding.

Cornwall has more than 300 beaches so to choose just 5 is not an easy challenge but we hope this selection will help you find some magical locations on your next adventure in Cornwall.