Visit West Cornwall

The Bay of St Ives has more than its fair share of beaches and for fifty miles along the length of Cornish coastline there are magnificent open stretches of silky white and glowing sands.

They are clean too; the completion of the £100 million 'Clean Sweep' scheme for Mount's Bay, St. Ives and Hayle, the West Cornwall area can boast probably the cleanest bathing waters in Western Europe. There are award-winning beaches at Porthminster, Porthmeor and Carbis Bay, St. Ives, Marazion near Penzance and at Sennen, near to Lands End where European Blue Flag and Tidy Britain awards have been given for several years. Today the West Cornwall beaches measure up to the European Commission guidelines through South West Water's ambitious programme.

Each beach has its own charm and appeal; there are busy family beaches to popular watersports venues and wide-open flat sands and tucked away hidden suntraps.

Most of the beaches employ fully qualified Lifeguards during the summer months.

Porthmeor:
Good sand and sunbathing.
Good surf conditions prevail frequently
Surfboard and Bodyboard area marked with orange buoys.
Generally safe bathing - check with lifeguards
Parking at Barnoon and above beach.
Restaurant and café facilities on the beach.
Also toilets and beach huts.

Porthgwidden:
Small sandy cove and delightful sun-trap with safe bathing but keep inside line of buoys.
Nearest car park on the Island.
Restaurant and café.
Beach huts for hire.
Toilets.

Harbour:
Very sheltered sandy area in the harbour.
Perfect sun-trap in the heart of town.
Nearest toilets and car park behind the Sloop Inn.

Porthminster:
A half-mile of golden sands with calm sea conditions.
Very safe for bathing, sheltered from most winds.
Parking at railway station.
Restaurant and café facilities.
Scenic cliff walk to Carbis Bay.
Putting green.
Beach huts for hire.
Toilets.

Carbis Bay:
A large sandy beach with very safe bathing and almost always calm conditions
Lovely spot for children
Cliff walk to Porthkidney sands
Café and toilet facilities
Good parking

Porthkidney, Lelant:
A vast expanse of sand
It is a good five-minute walk from the parking area to the beach.
There are sand dunes behind and at low tide it can be almost a mile to the water's edge.
This beach is never overcrowded.
It is dangerous to bathe in the river estuary but very safe in the sea if you keep between the flags.