Porthmeor Beach, St Ives - Best In Cornwall

Porthmeor is the main surfing beach in St Ives, a soft sandy beach tucked between two headlands. It sits right in front of Tate St Ives, and most of the beach is overlooked by buildings, though it still keeps a good deal of the coastal atmosphere. The slope into the water is gentle, and the sand stretches out in a wide, open expanse. Rock pools at the west end are good for children to explore.

The surf is the main draw. The beach is fairly exposed, but the headlands give enough shelter from the worst of the south westerly winds, so the water is less choppy than at some nearby beaches. The waves are known for being consistent and of good quality, with some hollow breaks, although the rides tend to be fairly short. There is a local St Ives surf school for beginners and for intermediates wanting to improve, and bodyboard and stand up paddleboard hire are available nearby for those who would rather stay off their feet.

Swimming is best when the wind is calm. RNLI lifeguards patrol the beach from Easter to the start of November, between 10am and 6pm, and the RNLI site has the exact dates for the year. Check the beach safety information before you go in, particularly if the surf is up, since this is a surfing beach first and a swimming beach second.

Dogs are banned from the beach between 15 May and 30 September from 10am to 6pm. At all other times they are welcome. The source doesn’t give details on toilets or beach cafes, but the town centre is a short walk away, with plenty of shops, cafes and galleries to choose from, and Tate St Ives sits just behind the beach if you want somewhere to go when the weather turns.

Great for swimming and snorkelling near the rocks on a calm day.

The postcode is TR26 2BN. The closest car park is Porthmeor Beach car park, directly behind the west end of the beach, but it is small and fills quickly. The nearest large car park is Barnoon, which also serves Tate St Ives. Like all the car parks in St Ives it is pay and display. If those are full, there is a very large car park at St Ives Rugby Football Club, about a 20 minute walk from the beach, which also has buses running to it. Bus services into St Ives include the 16 from Penzance and the Land’s End Coaster, which loops around West Cornwall.

The South West Coast Path runs past the beach, and the cliffs get more dramatic the further west you walk. In the other direction is the Island, home to the Chapel of St Nicholas, a small chapel that goes back hundreds of years. Porthmeor has won both Blue Flag and Seaside Awards, so it is well regarded for water quality, safety and environmental standards.