Summer days by the sea
If you’re thinking about a trip to the coast this summer, here’s a reminder of some of our local beauty spots, all linked by the South West Coast Path which was originally created by coastguards on the look-out for smugglers.
Best for rockpooling
Wembury Beach is one of the best locations in the country to try your hand at rockpooling, with a host of sea life to find from crabs and sea anemones to starfish, pipe fish and blennies. Visit Wembury Marine Centre, before going on a guided rockpool safari, or just explore the rockpools by yourself, but check out the seashore code to keep yourself and wildlife safe at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wembury. As well as rockpool safaris you can also book a snorkel safari around Wembury Bay looking at underwater marine life – see www.wemburymarinecentre.org/events.
Facilities & access: National Trust car park, toilets, seasonal café, access not suitable for wheelchairs, no dogs 1st May - 30th Sep, PL9 0JG
Activities: rockpooling, kayaking, sailing, surfing, coastal walks (seasonal foot-ferry at Yealm Estuary)
Nice and close
Bovisand Bay is a great beach for families, with room to play games or enjoy swimming and snorkelling. At neighbouring Crownhill Bay there is a pleasant, grassed picnic area above the picturesque cove.
Bovisand facilities & access: car park, steep path with steps, no dogs 1st May - 30th Sep, PL9 0AD
Crownhill Bay facilities & access: car park, toilets, beach shop/café, short steep paths, no dogs
Activities: swimming, suitable for beach games, coastal walks
One of Cornwall’s longest beaches
Whitsand Bay is a beautiful 3-mile sandy beach with superb views from Rame Head to Looe. All the access paths are steep but it’s worth the walk as you always find an uncrowded stretch of beach. It’s also popular for surfers but dangerous rip currents mean caution is necessary.
Facilities & access: parking at Tregantle, Sharrow Point & Tregonhawke, clifftop cafés at Tregonhawke and Eddystone Café (with customer toilets) on the beach, lifeguards May – Sep, steep access paths from Tregantle, Sharrow Point, Freathy and Tregonhawke, dogs allowed all year, PL10 1JT
Activities: surfing, swimming, walking, suitable for beach games, monthly beach clean (see www.ramepbc.org)
Events: 20-22 September Looe Live! – a whole town music festival with 5 stages, see www.visitcornwall.com/whats-on
Old smuggling haunts
The sheltered beaches of Cawsand and Kingsand are great for swimming, snorkelling and boating, and you can even arrive by boat if you catch the seasonal Cawsand Ferry from the Barbican in Plymouth. The quaint fishing villages were a key smuggling centre for the region in the 1700s and early 1800s, when Cawsand was located in Cornwall and Kingsand in Devon – a sign still marks the dividing line.
Facilities & access
Cawsand: car park, toilets, pubs, cafés, shops, beach suitable for wheelchairs, no dogs Easter - 30th Sep, PL10 1PJ
Kingsand: car park, toilets, pubs, cafés, shops, no beach access for wheelchairs, dogs allowed all year, PL10 1NF
Activities: swimming, snorkelling, sailing, canoeing, coastal walks
Events: 13 – 15 September Cawsand Bay Guitar Fest 2019 - an exciting weekend of classical guitar plus coastal walks, surfing lessons, coasteering, paddle boarding www.cawsandbayguitarfest.co.uk
Author’s paradise
The beach at Bigbury on Sea has everything – a wide expanse of sand, views across to Bantham and Burgh Island, with the eye-catching Art Deco hotel which inspired two of Agatha Christie’s novels, rockpools, watersports and an easy stroll from the car park. The tidal causeway to Burgh Island adds another exciting element and if you get cut off you can always take a ride on the sea tractor.
Facilities & access: car park, toilets, café, shop, pub on Burgh Island, lifeguard May – Sep, disabled access to the beach & wheelchair hire from the café, dogs allowed on part of beach, TQ7 4AS
Activities: swimming, bodyboarding, surfing, windsurfing, kite-surfing (hire facilities on beach), coastal walks
Haven for nature
The one and a half mile long sandy beach at Dawlish Warren is not only beautiful but also has one of the most important locations in the South West for rare species of wildfowl, wading birds and plants at the National Nature Reserve. There are also plenty of amusements and activities to keep everyone occupied and it has retained its Blue Flag award for an impressive 21 consecutive years.
Facilities & access: car parks, toilets, cafés, shops, pubs, lifeguards May – Sep, disabled access to all areas, dogs allowed on beach, groynes 4 - 9 all year (restrictions apply elsewhere), EX7 0NF
Activities: wildlife visitor centre, swimming, surfing, go karts, rides, amusements, coastal walks
Events: August 10-16 Dawlish Carnival Week, see dawlishcelebratescarnival.co.uk
For more information see www.visitsouthdevon.co.uk; www.visitcornwall.co.uk; www.nationaltrust.org.uk; www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk; www.cornwall-aonb.gov.uk; www.southdevonaonb.org.uk