19 of the most beautiful beaches in Cornwall to visit this summer

Some of the UK’s best shores can be found on its southwestern tip. The poster child of the British coastline, Cornwall, draws swarms of tourists to its shores each summer for good reason. From the golden sands of Summerleaze to Porthcurno and Crantock, the coastal county does beaches best. To ride a wave on a body board, pop a parasol or paddle in the often frigid waters of the English Channel, the staycation hotspot on the UK’s southwestern tip is a sand-sure hit with holidaymakers when the sun is shining.

With more than 400 sandy swathes to bathe on between pasties, it can be hard to choose where to sink your toes along Cornwall’s 422-mile coastline. To help guide surfers, swimmers and sunbathers alike, here are some of the best Cornish beaches to lay your towel in the UK’s ultimate seaside county. Read more: UK beaches that look like they’re abroad. With clear blue waters and pristine sands tucked under the Treen Cliffs, tidal beach Pedn Vounder feels more Caribbean than Cornish. A favourite swathe with the local naturist community, it’s a hard hike down to the cove’s lively rock pools and turquoise shallows but undoubtedly well worth the walk.

Where to stay. Bude’s Summerleaze is a Blue Flag beach primed for watersports, saltwater swimming and surfing the waves. The expansive sands are a hit for families pitching up with a bucket, spade and some sand-crusted sandwiches in the summer, with beach huts bookable from £10 per day. On the outskirts of Falmouth, Swanpool Beach is a stretch of sand and shingle and a sheltered swimming spot for those braving a cool dip. In front of the Swanpool Lake Nature Reserve, the wildlife hotspot promises beachgoers some serious birdwatching between kayaking, windsurfing and ice creams in the beach cafe.

Craggy cliffs back the dog-friendly beach at Watergate Bay. Aside from the miles of golden sand for sunbathing and sandcastle construction, Watergate’s waves and Atlantic swells host the English Nationals Surfing Championships and Boardmasters crowds come summer. The sands at Sennen Cove are some of Cornwall’s best for a beach holiday, with great waves, shops and cafes servicing the stunning western swathe just north of Land's End.

Lay a towel on Porthchapel to paddle in calm shallows and stretch out on a secluded Cornish cove – you may even spot a seal after making the journey down the narrow cliff path through a wooded valley and climbing the granite cliffs to the beach. Star of St Ives, Porthmeor’s fine sands are ideal for rambles through rockpools and bodyboarding the breaks. Al fresco cafes have lunch sorted in summer with the Tate St Ives showcasing dynamic art exhibitions to take cover should the great British weather take a turn...

Looking to shake the crowds? Nanjizal Bay’s clear waters and mystical sea cave pools make a great escape for beachgoers outside peak season. The Zawn Pyg, or Song of the Sea, rock arch is an impressive frame for sunset, especially in winter and at low tide. Crantock Beach is a National Trust-owned expanse of golden sand between Pentire and West Pentire headlands. Lapped by a palette of blue waves and backed by high dunes the beach is a magnet for seabirds and surfers alike.

Scramble down the cliffside to secluded Pentire Steps cove for fine, flat sand. The South West Coast Path runs close by for keen hikers to admire the view from above, with the better-known sea stacks of Bedruthan Steps just a cove away. Although shingly in spots, Lantic Bay is ideal for picnics and paddling near Polruan. At low tide splits into two smaller beaches: Little Lantic and Great Lantic Beach. Moor by boat in summer or make the challenging 20-minute walk to the crystal shoreline along the South West Coast Path or from the National Trust car park.

Surf’s up at Newquay’s Fistral Beach. Bookended between dramatic headlands, the “home of British surfing” is renowned for its wild waves, Atlantic swells and competitions on some of the UK’s best breaks. Pipped as the county’s answer to Bondi, here gold sands and surf schools are fringed by high-end seafood restaurants. With serpentinite rock stacks, white sand and turquoise seas, Kynance Cove is famously one of Cornwall’s best swathes when the tide is out. So much so the idyllic spot on the Lizard peninsula was recently seen on screen in House of the Dragon, with Queen Victoria and poet Alfred Tennyson among past visitors.

Slap on some sun cream and head to Porthcurno to bathe on white sands sheltered from the wind and walk into turquoise waters. The backdrop to the famed open-air Minack Theatre, Porthcurno’s dramatic shoreline is bookended by high headlands for dreamy beach days. Holywell Bay has all the spectacle and scenery of a Hollywood film – the golden sand and turquoise waters backed by high grassy dunes. Catch the mineral formations of St Cuthbert's Cave at low tide, dig in to build a sandcastle or hire a board to ride the waves offshore.