Accessible Beaches in Cornwall
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The accessible beaches in Cornwall are Dollar Cove, Porthbeer Cove, Kynance Cove, Housel Bay, Crackington Beach, Sandways Beach, Porthcothan Beach and Polridmouth Cove.
Cornwall's coastline is long and varied, and not every beach asks the same of you to reach it. Some sit at the foot of a valley or behind a village where the walk is short and level, while others reward a steeper effort with quiet sand and clear water.
For anyone who values an easier approach, a car park close to the shore or a gentle stretch of ground, it helps to know which coves suit and which involve steps or a scramble. This roundup gathers beaches from across the county, from the Lizard peninsula in the south to the Atlantic coast near Padstow and the sheltered shores of the Rame peninsula by Plymouth.
On the Lizard you will find Dollar Cove, Kynance Cove and Housel Bay; further north sit Crackington Haven and Porthcothan; and to the south-east lie Sandway Beach and Polridmouth. We have been honest throughout about what each approach involves, so you can pick the one that fits your day.
Here are eight accessible beaches to seek out in Cornwall.
Dollar Cove
Photo: Rob Farrow via Geograph.org.uk
Dollar Cove is one of two sandy, rocky beaches at Gunwalloe on the Lizard coast in Cornwall, sitting right next to Church Cove. The medieval church of St Winwaloe stands close by the shore between the two coves, its bell tower set separately into the hillside behind.
At low tide rock pools open below the cliffs, good for a slow poke about. The cove owes its name to an old story of a treasure ship wrecked here, its coins said to have washed up on the sand.
It is a characterful spot on a striking stretch of the southern Lizard, well worth seeking out.
Porthbeer Cove
Photo: Chris Gorringe via Geograph.org.uk
Porthbeer Cove is a secluded cove on the eastern side of the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall, in the parish of St Keverne, with Coverack the nearest village. Sand shows at low water, dotted with dark serpentine boulders, and as the tide rises the sand covers over so only the boulders remain.
You reach it on foot along the South West Coast Path, with a sculpture park nearby and no facilities at the shore. It makes a quiet spot for a walk and a swim, with those boulders worth watching for in the water.
This is a beach for those content to walk in, rather than drive right up.
Kynance Cove
Photo: Roger D Kidd via Geograph.org.uk
Kynance Cove is one of the most admired coves on the Lizard in Cornwall, a National Trust beach of white sand, clear turquoise water and dark serpentine rock. Tall rock stacks and small islands rise from the sand, pierced with caves, and much of the beach covers over at high tide.
There is a clifftop car park with a cafe down at the shore, which helps, though be aware the path down is steep and includes steps. The sea and rock together make it one of the finest beaches in the county, and well worth the descent for those able.
Housel Bay
Photo: David Dixon via Geograph.org.uk
Housel Bay, also called Housel Cove, is a small cove on the south coast of the Lizard in Cornwall, tucked between Lizard Point and Bass Point. A little beach sits below the cliffs, reached by steps and a path down from the coast path above, so the approach is not level.
The Housel Bay Hotel stands on the cliff overlooking the cove, with the restored Lloyd's signal station nearby toward Bass Point. It is a quiet spot on a fine stretch of the Lizard coast, and the hotel above gives somewhere to pause if the descent is more than you fancy.
Crackington Beach
Photo: Robin Drayton via Geograph.org.uk
Crackington Haven is a cove at the head of a valley on the north Cornish coast, between Bude and Boscastle. Because it sits at the valley bottom, the shore is easier to reach than many of the county's cliff-backed coves.
The beach is stony, with sand showing at low tide, hemmed by high cliffs of dark, sharply folded rock. Those contorted layers give their name to a whole geological formation and draw students of the subject.
South of the cove the ground climbs to High Cliff, the highest sheer cliff in Cornwall. A scenic and fairly gentle spot on this rugged coast.
Sandways Beach
Photo: Darren Rosson via Geograph.org.uk
Sandway Beach is a small beach of mixed sand, pebble and rock between the twin fishing villages of Kingsand and Cawsand, on the Rame peninsula in south-east Cornwall, across the water from Plymouth. More sand shows at lower tides, and rows of pastel-painted old cottages frame the shore along the South West Coast Path.
With the villages right behind for shops, pubs and cafes, the approach is short and the setting sheltered on Plymouth Sound. There is little in the way of facilities on the beach itself, but everything you might want sits a few steps away in Kingsand and Cawsand.
Porthcothan Beach
Photo: Roy Parkhouse via Geograph.org.uk
Porthcothan is a fairly flat, sheltered sandy bay at the mouth of a valley on the north Cornwall coast, a few miles south of Padstow, with a stream crossing the sand and gorse-covered headlands and caves at the sides. Open to the Atlantic swell, it draws surfers and bodyboarders, while its shallow, sheltered water suits families.
Helpfully, there is a car park, toilets and a nearby shop, with lifeguards on patrol in season. The flat, valley-mouth setting makes the walk to the sand an easy one.
It is also known as Porthcothan Bay.
Polridmouth Cove
Photo: Jonathan Billinger via Geograph.org.uk
Polridmouth Cove is a small, sheltered cove on the coast west of Fowey in Cornwall, on the Menabilly estate, split into two little bays by a rocky outcrop at high tide. Behind the shore lie ornamental lakes and a seawater bathing pool cut into the rock by the estate's former owners, and the red and white daymark tower on Gribbin Head stands close by.
It is reached only on foot along the coast path, which keeps it quiet, so this is a walk-in beach rather than an easy one. This stretch was the world of writer Daphne du Maurier, who drew on it for Rebecca, and the cove is sometimes called Menabilly Beach.
FAQs
Which Cornish beach is easiest to reach in this list?
Porthcothan, near Padstow on the north Cornwall coast, is among the most straightforward: it is a fairly flat, valley-mouth bay with a car park, toilets and a nearby shop, plus seasonal lifeguards.
Are there beaches here without a steep path down?
Yes. Crackington Haven sits at the bottom of a valley, and Sandway Beach lies right behind the villages of Kingsand and Cawsand, so both spare you the long clifftop descent found at coves like Kynance in Cornwall.
Do any of these Cornwall beaches have toilets and parking?
Porthcothan has a car park, toilets and a shop nearby, while Kynance Cove has a clifftop car park and a cafe at the shore, though the path down to Kynance is steep with steps.
Conclusion
Cornwall's coves vary widely in how easily you can get to them, and it pays to match the beach to the day you have in mind. A few here, such as Porthcothan with its flat approach, car park and toilets, or Sandway Beach with its villages close behind, are genuinely straightforward to reach.
Others, like Kynance Cove, Housel Bay and Polridmouth, reward a steeper walk or a flight of steps with quiet sand and clear water, so it is worth knowing what lies ahead before you set off. Whether you want a short stroll from the car or are happy to earn your view, there is a stretch of the Cornish coast to suit.
From the Lizard to the north coast and the Rame peninsula, these are the accessible beaches to seek out in Cornwall.
