These nine Cornish beaches have been chosen for the highly coveted award.
As the summer approaches and people get ready to enjoy the good weather, Blue Flag have scoured the world's beaches and selected the cream of the crop for their highest award. Each of these pristine locations has to fulfil a variety of expectations before they can call themselves a Blue Flag Beach and this year Cornwall has managed to collect nine accolades.
The Cornish selection were among 151 locations in the UK given the award for their outstanding beaches. They were chosen due to their dedication to environmental protection, education programmes, and ease of access to all visitors.
1. Carbis Bay Beach, St Ives
The first of three Blue Flag beaches located in the St Ives region. Carbis Bay was most recently in the news for hosting the G7 summit. Around a mile long, the golden sands bathe in the bright light of west Cornwall and a short walk on the east side of the beach at low tide brings you to Porth Kidney sands where you’ll find a RSPB bird sanctuary.
2. Crooklets Beach, Bude
A wide expanse of golden sand is exposed at low tide, bordered by rocky outcrops ideal for rock-pooling. Crooklets is at the north side of Bude and can be reached by a short walk over the Summerleaze Down or down the hill from the town centre.
Crooklets is very popular with surfers and is home to the Bude Surf Life Saving Club.
3. Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth
One of the most popular beaches in the Falmouth area, Gyllyngvase is very popular with families thanks to its easy access and great amenities. It is also linked via the South West Coast Path to Swanpool Beach and Nature Reserve which makes for a pleasant walk.
4. Polzeath Beach
When the tide is out, Polzeath offers a huge expanse of sand attracting families who while the day away digging sandcastles and body boarding, but the beach is also popular with surfers due to its easily accessible location and long slow breaking consistent waves.
5. Porthmeor Beach, St Ives
Situated in the shadow of the iconic Tate St Ives gallery, Porthmeor is a sandy, safe beach, popular with surfers and swimmers alike. It's in an ideal location just a stone’s throw from the centre of St Ives, where you’ll find ancient pubs, trendy cafes and lots of art galleries the town is famous for.
6. Porthminster Beach, St Ives
This crescent of golden sand, framed by a glittering bay, has glorious views across to Godrevy Lighthouse, inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s famous novel ‘To the Lighthouse’. With the benefit of the mildest climate in the UK along with waving palm trees and translucent waters, there is a definite tropical feel to the place.
7. Porthtowan Beach
Located within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this Blue Flag award winning beach is one of Cornwall’s most popular surfing beaches bordered by soft golden sand and backed by large dunes and dramatic cliffs. From the beach at low tide you can walk to the neighbouring and equally stunning beach at Chapel Porth to the east.
8. Trevone Bay Beach, Padstow
This gently shelving, sandy beach is surrounded by cliffs and situated in an area of great geological interest. The beach has golden sand and little alcoves to sit and watch away the day. Popular with surfers this small cove produces good waves from low to mid tide.
9. Widemouth Bay Beach
Widemouth Bay is very long open bay popular with families and surfers and at low tide there are hundreds of rock pools to explore.
Situated just 3 miles south of Bude and accessible along the South West coast path, Widemouth Bay offers fantastic conditions to learn surfing or body-boarding, which is why many of the local surf schools are based there.
Want more from Cornwall Life?
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