Guest Information – Excellent North Cornish Beaches

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Excellent North Cornish Beaches

Cornwall offers over a hundred beaches, with the water and air temperatures raised by the Gulf Stream. Between them they offer all the beach activities you could want – sandy beaches for sunbathing and sandcastles, rock pools, and the UK’s best surfing, with lessons & wetsuit hire. Many of the beaches are dog friendly, and the coastal paths above the beaches are stunning. Don’t forget to check the tide. 

Coombe Farm is well located to access all of Cornwall. Here are some of our favourite beaches:

Widemouth Bay – a huge sandy beach with large areas of rock to the south and north of the beach. Part of the beach is popular with surfers, lifeguards are on duty in the summer. Two car parks and facilities are right by the beach. Dogs allowed on the south end off the beach all year. You can always get onto this beach even when the tide is in.

EX23 0AW (approx. 25 mins)

Trebarwith Strand – a sandy & rocky beach popular with families, dogs and surfers. There are rocks to clamber on when the tide is out. Facilities include a beach shop for those all-important ice creams, café, and pub looking over the bay, and two car parks.  Dogs are allowed all year. When the tide is out this beach is difficult to beat. The rock formations and large caves are amazing.

PL34 0HB (approx. 25 mins)

Crackington Haven – a popular beach with patches of sand, stunning rock formations and rock pools at low tide. Another good surf beach. A small car park and facilities are across from the beach. You can walk up on either side and there are excellent views from the nearby 400-foot cliffs at St. Gennys. Dogs allowed only out of season (October to April). Good place for a BBQ, as there is less sand!

EX23 0JG (approx. 25 mins)

Harlyn Beach at Padstow – Considered one of the best family beaches in Cornwall Harlyn Bay is a wide and spacious beach of yellow sand and pebbles with plenty of interesting rock pools backed by dunes. Considered one of the safer places to surf as the bay is horseshoe shaped. Dog friendly.

PL28 8SB (approx. 45 mins)

Summerleaze Beach at Bude – Bude is a large seaside resort with an excellent sandy beach with a free tidal swimming pool – the Bude Sea Pool. Summerleaze has a unique appeal, it has it has the river and the breakwater making the beach popular with families and surfers. There are shops and cafes in Bude, and pleasant walks along the Bude Canal.  There is a large car park nearby, and lifeguards in summer.  Dogs are allowed all year, though they must be on leads May-Sept.

EX23 8HJ (approx. 30 mins)

Crooklets Beach at Bude – Just along from Summerleaze beach you will find Crooklets. This smaller beach can get busy in summer, but is always great for rock pooling and surfing. It’s a blue flag beach so has a high level of facilities. No dogs in summer. There is a lovely walk up past the beach huts, past the sea pool and onto Summerleaze.

EX23 8NE (approx. 30 mins)

Polzeath Beach – An award-winning beach that attracts surfers due to its easily accessible location and long slow breaking consistent waves. This beach offers everything needed for a great day out. There are also nice shops and good surf shops to have a potter around. Best for surfing / coasteer-ing.

PL27 6SS (approx. 45 mins)

Daymer Bay Beach at Rock – This is a stunning beach that at low tide forms long stretches of golden sand backed by dunes all the way to Rock with by superb views across the Camel Estuary. Dog friendly all year. Café, shop and toilets are all near the car park. A personal favourite. You can catch a ferry from Rock (5 mins away) over to Padstow. Walk back from the beach across the golf course to the public footpath and find the (formerly buried by sand) church of St Enodoc where John Betjeman is buried.

PL27 6SA (approx. 45 mins)

Millock Haven Beach – 2 miles on from Widemouth Bay you will find this large pebble beach and it’s cliffs with amazing geological patterns. It is very rugged and wild, and a great place to collect driftwood and clamber on the rocks. Likely to be quiet as parking is limited. Dogs allowed all year. Very steep (but fairly short) walk up/down from the car park on the top on the cliffs, but worth it for the views.

EX23 0DQ (approx. 25 mins)

Duckpool Beach – nr Bude. Another in the wild, romantic category. Less busy. Great for walks into Coombe Valley, and the location of Steeple Point Cliff (over 100m high), where Poldark was often filmed galloping on his horse! Free car park. Dogs welcome. No swimming or surfing as currents is strong. It’s a lovely walk over the cliffs from Crooklets Beach in Bude to Duckpool.

EX23 9HW (approx. 30 mins)

Hawkers Cove – nr Padstow. A bit further away but well worth it for a day trip. Secluded sandy beach, perfect for BBQs and just so beautiful. Dogs allowed all year, bit of a walk from the car park. No surf, great for paddleboards one of our favourites.

PL28 8LR


Check out: Dog Friendly Beaches – these beaches are dog friendly all year