Category: Favourite beaches

7 Must Do’s in Falmouth

Spend your family holiday on the beach this summer and enjoy the laid-back coastal lifestyle in Falmouth.

Known for its creative buzz, contemporary art galleries, maritime heritage and fantastic array of places to eat and drink, Falmouth in south Cornwall offers a wide range of activities suitable for all. To help you get planning, we’ve handpicked 7 must do’s, a stone’s throw from our Falmouth self-catering holiday homes.

Interested in staying in our most luxurious holiday cottages? Check out our luxury coastal cottages.

Walk the South West Coast Path

Walk onto any beach in Falmouth and you’ll spot part of the South West Coast Path to your left or right. Marvel at the pretty sea pink flowers. Amble past Pendennis Castle. Stop for a picnic at Gyllyngvase beach. Catch the sun on the rocks as it begins to set. You’re sure to find something different and exciting each turn you take.

Find your closest route.

Go rockpooling

In just a 12 minute walk from our luxury self-catering apartments, guests will find themselves at Castle beach, Falmouth’s go to spot for rockpooling. At low tide you’ll be pleasantly surprised with hundreds of rockpools just waiting to be explored. Keep your eyes peeled for the natural display of fascinating and tough creatures, including the Cornish Sucker fish, Worm Pipefish and the Common Shore Crab.

See our full guide to rockpooling and where to go.

See Falmouth from the ocean

Departing three times a day, between Truro and Falmouth, Fal River’s Enterprise Boats give you the chance to see Cornwall from a different perspective. This unique sea route will take you past iconic maritime locations, historic houses and landmarks, as well as taking you up close to the array of ocean-going vessels laid up at anchor on the upper reaches of the Fal River. Get your cameras ready while you sail past Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

See a Fal River time table.

Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP)

Offering lots of giggles as you attempt to get on the board (and stay on it), Stand Up Paddle Boarding is quickly becoming one of the go to watersports for those holidaying and living in Cornwall. Whether you want to rent a board and explore the coast yourself, or hire an instructor that will teach you how to ‘ride the waves’ this sport offers plenty of fun for all abilities.

If you don’t want to try it alone, then check out Falmouth Surf School, where up to six of you give it a go…on one board!

Enjoy Sunday lunch at Star & Garter

Star & Garter take Sunday lunch very seriously and we love it! Whether it’s moorland aged rump of beef, a luscious leg of lamb or some proper roast pork with the best crackling you can imagine. All their meat is supplied by renowned Cornish butcher Phillip Warren and served with crispy duck fat roasties, monster Yorkies, silky gravy and a selection of local, seasonal veg. So, go in and while away the afternoon in front of the fire, enjoy the view over the bay and, well, tuck in.

Roast is served 12-3pm and 6pm – 9pm.

Explore more of our 10 favourite restaurants with amazing sea views.

Sunday Roast at Star & Garter, Falmouth

Get lost in Trebah Gardens

Cornwall’s not only known for its stunning beaches, its magical gardens are home to a wealth of exciting, rare and beautiful plants and trees just waiting to be explored. Visit Trebah Gardens is a sub-tropical paradise with its very own private beach, four miles of footpath and vibrant tunnels of colour. The gardens are open daily from 10am and can be reached in a 15 minute car ride from our Falmouth holiday homes.

Check out more of what Cornwall has to offer and explore our holiday lets in The Lizard Peninsula, West Cornwall.

Trebah Gardens

Book your stay in Falmouth with Beach Retreats.

6 Secret Beaches to Explore in Cornwall

Polly Joke Beach with waves and green cliffs

Leave footprints in untouched sand whilst you discover Cornwall’s hidden gems.

We’ve put together six beaches so you can avoid the crowds no matter what time of year. No queues for parking, plenty of space to throw a ball and your pick of where to set up camp for the day on your very own secret beach. What’s not to love?

Interested in staying in our most luxurious holiday cottages? Check out our luxury coastal cottages.

Polly Joke

Polly Joke Beach with waves and green cliffs

Porth Joke (also known as Polly Joke to locals), is located deep between the two headlands Crantock and Holywell Bay. Filled with rockpools, caves and a shallow stream, Porth Joke is the perfect beach for those with little ones in tow.

Dogs welcome all year round. No lifeguard cover.

Rinsey Cove

Just a few miles west of Porthleven is the pretty Rinsey Cove. Allowing dogs all year round, this cove is perfect for those holidaying with their canine friends. Spot the charming Wheal Prosper Mine as seen on the BBC One Poldark series set above its cliffs.

The beach is just a 10-minute walk from a National Trust car park, however access is steep and visitors need to climb over rocks to reach the beach.

Dogs welcome all year round. No lifeguard cover.

The Strangles

For stunning rock formations and soft sand, head to Strangles beach in north Cornwall, just 1 mile from Crackington Haven. Local photographers often come here for its stone arch and Cornwall’s highest cliff reaching over 700 feet high. When the tides out Strangles joins up with its neighbouring beach, Little Strand. Are you brave enough to join the naturists that bathe here in the summer months?

Dogs welcome all year round. No lifeguard cover.

Leggan Cove

Uniquely positioned between two quarries, Leggan Beach sits east of the Lizard Peninsula backed by high cliffs, ideal for sun worshippers wanting to shelter from the wind. The crystal-clear water makes this a great spot for snorkeling and diving and a great rock pooling for children.

Dogs welcome all year round. No lifeguard cover.

Nanjizal Cove

Remained more or less untouched, Nanjizal just 1 mile from Sennen beach is a rocky cove with spectacular clear water. The cove is extremely difficult to access, but once here, there are plenty of rock pools and caves to explore. Look out for its friendly neighbours as seals often bathe directly opposite on the cliffs.

Dogs welcome all year round. No lifeguard cover.

Find out more about Sennen in our blog all about the area.

Fancy staying in Mawgan Porth? Have a look at our Mawgan Porth holiday properties.

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A Day Out in St Ives | All You Need to Know

St Ives – the jewel of Cornwall’s crown.

With golden beaches, clear waters and a variety of waterfront eateries, St Ives is a seemingly subtropical oasis.

Here’s our guide for what to see and do in St Ives.

The town is part of West Penwith, which is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, extending around Cape Cornwall to include the central Penwith Hills.

It’s no surprise that St Ives has been attracting artists for decades who come to capture the essence of the town.

Visiting Cornwall with an electric car? Check out our holiday lets with electric car (EV) charging points.

From marine artist Henry Moore, who visited in the mid-1800s, to twentieth-century sculptor Barbara Hepworth, St Ives has attracted many painters, sculptors and ceramists.

Barbara Hepworth worked with bronze, stone and wood. Her sculptures are on display in the Museum and Garden, located in the heart of St Ives, along with paintings, drawings and archive material.

The Museum and Garden is well worth visiting for a unique experience into the work and life of one of Britain’s most important twentieth century artists.

Some of Hepworth’s sculptures can be seen around the town. Wander along pathways through trees and shrubs and discover some of her most celebrated designs.

Epidauros II Bronze casting, which is one of an edition of seven made by Hepworth in 1961, is situated on the Malakoff overlooking the harbour and Porthminster beach.

With views across to Godrevy Lighthouse, that inspired Virginia Woolf’s famous novel To the Lighthouse, Porthminster beach is the perfect place to kick off your shoes and relax.

On the beach enjoy fresh, local produce from Porthminster Beach Café. Serving delicious
food throughout the day, some of which is grown in their adjoining garden, the café has won many prestigious awards such as Coast magazine’s Best Coastal Café and The Times’ Best Coast Restaurant.

If you enjoy strolling along the beach, breathing in the fresh sea air, then you will love wandering the coastline around St Ives and discovering the sheltered coves it has to offer.

A popular beach with families, dogs and surfers, Porthmeor is perfect for hitting the surf and making a splash in the shallows.

The beach is just a stone’s throw from the town where you’ll find ancient pubs, contemporary cafes and inspirational art galleries.

Check out our luxury holiday properties in Carbis Bay by the sea.

Walk a little further and you will find a charming sandy cove called Porthgwidden nestled beneath the steep grassy slopes of St Ives “Island”. This is a popular spot for wild swimming.

Porthgwidden Beach Café, which is on a small slope up from the beach, is a great place to sit and eat lunch looking out onto the bay or to relax with a glass of wine and watch the sun set.

Watching the day pass in St Ives is one of our favourite pastimes. In the harbour, sheltered by thick stone walls, is a soft sandy beach which is revealed when the tide is out.

Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the town, the harbour beach is a perfect spot to take a picnic and watch the local fishermen land their catch of the day.

For those who enjoy being out on the water, St Ives Self Drive Boats & Kayak Rental provides you with the opportunity to explore the beautiful Bay. The boat and kayak hire company operates within the summer months.

Behind the harbour beach, on the cobbled wharf, is the fourteenth century Sloop Inn. A cosy, ancient pub, the Sloop Inn hosts live music nights most weekends and provides a great outdoor drinking area that overlooks the colourful port.

Find a discounted retreat in St Ives on our special offers page. Or, browse our other beach locations to explore more of the Cornish coastline.

Take a look at our favourite ‘must sea’ retreats and explore our other holiday lets.

A Walk Through Guide to Porthtowan & Chapel Porth

Our latest location, Porthtowan on Cornwall’s North Coast, has it all; a long low-tide beach awarded Blue Flag status, playful sand dunes, dramatic cliffs, mining heritage, and an almost wild-west frontier feeling. BBC One ‘Poldark’ fans will recognise it immediately. Just what we like from a beach.

Read our guide to Porthtowan and Chapel Porth to find out more.

Located a few miles south along the coastal path or road from the mining town of St Agnes is this relatively unknown gem. Depending on which way you arrive into the village, Porthtowan can initially seem very low key. It’s all part of this small village’s charm, and it couldn’t be further from the truth once you start exploring.

Want to stay in a luxury holiday house with a view of the sea? Check out our cottages with sea views.

The village itself has a number of family-suited restaurants, cafés, bars and shops to keep everyone well fed and watered during their stay.

And this is Porthtowan’s big pull. The Blue Flag awarded beach is one of Cornwall’s most popular surfing spots thanks to the direction it faces, the amount of swell it picks up, and good sand banks.

Join the best of them in the waves and visit Falmouth and Porthtowan Surf School, based next to The Unicorn pub, for all of your surf equipment, hire and lessons. For younger children there’s a play park, should they ever get bored of cricket on the beach.

Backed by large dunes and dramatic cliffs, the beach at low-tide reveals a long expanse of golden sand. It’s easy to see why the village lies in a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty.

Walk northwards along the sand and you’ll end up at Chapel Porth – an equally as stunning beach managed by the National Trust.

No visit here is complete without having a ‘hedgehog’ from the Trust’s café – Cornish vanilla ice cream smothered with farmhouse clotted cream and rolled in their own honey-roasted hazelnuts.

From here it’s time to climb the coastal path back to Porthtowan, passing what remains of the Wheal Charlotte engine house and some of the county’s best mining relics and stunning views out to sea.

We ended up in the Blue Bar for surf-style pub grub and the best views over the beach for a sundowner. Bliss.

Explore more of North Cornwall, and read our blog on Portreath, a short drive or walk from Porthtowan.

Take a look and book our self-catering properties at Porthtowan, or talk to a member of our team on 01637 861 005. Keep an eye on our special offers page for the latest deals and discounts, and browse our beach locations to explore more of Cornwall.

A Walk Through Guide to Porth, Cornwall

Porth Beach, sheltered by headlands on either side, is a popular beach with families. Boasting one of the longest tidal drops of all the beaches in Cornwall it’s a spacious, safe beach to enjoy with the whole family.

Complete with crashing surf carving into the rocks, and an island accessed by footbridge, Porth is the perfect place to grab the camera and explore.

Here’s our guide to Porth, so you can make the most of this family-favourite beach.

Visiting with a large group? Discover our large holiday homes perfect for big families or friend groups.

Starting at Porth Island we tracked the path to the footbridge taking in the views of Watergate Bay and Whipsiderry Beach, North, and Newquay, South.

Fancy staying in Watergate Bay? Check out our luxury holiday properties in Watergate Bay, Newquay.

 

During winter, Porth Island is a great place for storm-watching. At mid-tide, at the end of the island, is a blow hole that, timed right, sends the Atlantic Ocean washing over it shooting up into the air.

Hungry for an ice cream we headed back towards the beach. As Porth has such a long tidal drop the sand levels remain high far out to sea. Taking care you can wade into the water enjoying yourself without getting your hair wet.

Spotting Roo’s Beach ice cream shop we stopped for a delicious tub of Moomaid ice-cream, which we recently made into a delicious cocktail with the help of Fifteen Cornwall.

Throughout the summer Roo’s Beach are also offering artisan coffee and running a pop up Kingsurf Shop, closely linking Porth beach and Mawgan Porth.

After a bit too much retail therapy the sun began to set, drenching the village in beautiful evening sunshine.

Learn about more areas of Cornwall, such as Portwrinkle with our blog filled with expert tips to making the most of Portwrinkle.

If you enjoyed our Porth, Cornwall guide, find a retreat on our special offers page. Or, browse our beach locations to explore more of the coastline.

Best dog friendly beaches in North Cornwall

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again…we love dogs and dogs love Cornwall, especially the beaches. With over 150 beaches to explore, dig, run and play on, you and your dog are more than catered for.

We’ve compiled a list of the best dog-friendly beaches in North Cornwall, including the closest ones to our Beach Retreats properties.

Thinking about bringing your dog on holiday? Check out our dog-friendly holiday properties.

Watergate Bay

Watergate Bay is dog-friendly year-round and encourages you to bring your dogs onto the sand to play. With over two miles of sandy beach with rock pools and sea caves to explore, it’s fair to say your dog will love it here. And once you’re both tired out there is The Beach Hut and Living Space restaurants for something to eat and drink, again both dog friendly.

Porth beach

Porth Beach, situated between Newquay and Watergate Bay, is a large, west-facing, sandy beach with a long tidal drop. Porth beach welcomes dogs through the winter months of October to Easter but there is a seasonal ban throughout the summer months.

 

Whipsiderry Beach

Dog friendly year round. Whipsiderry Beach is a beautiful, quiet beach, with sheltering cliffs and an abundance of rock pools and caves for hours of exploring fun. There are a set of steep steps to gain access to the beach but it’s worth the climb.

Perranporth

Dog friendly year round. At low tide Perranporth beach and neighbouring Penhale sands join together to make one of the largest stretches of unbroken sand on the North Coast. Let your dog off the lead and send them chasing after their ball along the shore, they’ll love it. And then recharge in The Watering Hole, also dog friendly.

Check out our holiday lets in Perranporth.

 

Mawgan Porth

Mawgan Porth is another year round dog friendly beach. Even at high tide Mawgan Porth has plenty of sand to run ragged on. Compared to other beaches on the North Cornwall coast, Mawgan Porth is fairly quiet allowing you and your dog a more peaceful visit.

Fistral beach

Fistral is possibly the most popular beach in North Cornwall, being at the very heart of the British surfing scene. The beach is a wide expanse of sand sheltered by two headlands. Dogs are welcome at Fistral beach year round.

 

Discover dog-friendly restaurants in Cornwall with Beach Retreats.

 

Search our dog friendly properties and book your stay with Beach Retreats at one of our many beach locations around Cornwall. Keep an eye on our special offers page, too, for the latest discounts and deals.