Best Beaches Near Truro
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best beaches near Truro are Porthbean Beach, Porthcurnick Beach, Flushing Beach, Kiberick Cove, Perranporth Beach, Trevellas Cove, Towan Beach and Chapel Porth Beach.
Truro sits inland at the head of its river, but Cornwall's coast is never far, and two very different shores lie within easy reach. Head south-east onto the Roseland peninsula and a cluster of quiet beaches waits around Portscatho: Porthbean and Porthcurnick with its Hidden Hut cafe, the sheltered Towan Beach, and the remote Kiberick Cove below Nare Head.
Nearby, across the water toward Falmouth, the little village of Flushing keeps its own small beaches along the Penryn River. Swing north-west instead, over to the Atlantic coast near St Agnes, and the mood changes completely: the three-mile golden sweep of Perranporth for surfing, the old tin-mining valley at Trevellas Cove, and the cliff-backed cove at Chapel Porth below the Wheal Coates engine house.
Some are calm and safe for a family swim; others draw walkers and surfers to wilder sand. Whether you want a sheltered Roseland cove or the roll of the north-coast surf, there is a beach here to suit.
Here are eight beaches to seek out near Truro.
Porthbean Beach
Photo: David Brown via Geograph.org.uk
Porthbean Beach is a small, quiet beach of sand and shingle on the Roseland peninsula in Cornwall, in Gerrans Bay near Portscatho, with rock and pools uncovered at low tide. It is really a cluster of little beaches, split by a feature called Needle Rock, with the furthest reachable only over the rocks at lower tides.
There is no road down: it is reached on foot along the coast path, with steep steps, and the nearest parking is back at Portscatho. There are no facilities on the sand, which keeps it peaceful and close enough to Truro for an easy outing.
Porthcurnick Beach
Photo: Richard Rogerson via Geograph.org.uk
Porthcurnick Beach is a sheltered sandy beach on the Roseland peninsula, just north-east of Portscatho, with generally calm, safe water for swimming. Above the beach stands the Hidden Hut, a well-known outdoor cafe serving food to eat on the sand or the grassy bank, which draws people along the coast path from the village, about half a mile away.
Steep granite steps lead down to the beach, and the nearest parking is at the edge of Portscatho. Dogs are welcome all year, making it a friendly, easy day out from Truro.
Flushing Beach
Photo: SMJ via Geograph.org.uk
Flushing Beach sits at a waterside village facing Falmouth across the Penryn River in Cornwall, with small beaches along its shore. Kiln Beach looks out over the water toward the docks and the wide anchorage of the Carrick Roads, while the smaller Jericho Beach is tucked away and used mainly by locals.
Old stone quays, said to have been built by Dutch engineers, line the sheltered waterfront, and a foot ferry links the village to Falmouth across the water. It makes a calm, characterful stop not far from Truro.
Kiberick Cove
Photo: Derek Harper via Geograph.org.uk
Kiberick Cove You earn this one on foot: a long, steep path drops from the fields down to a small cove on the Roseland coast of south Cornwall, below Nare Head near Veryan. It is National Trust ground, with no parking at the shore and nothing in the way of facilities, which is rather the point.
Low tide uncovers sand beneath the cliffs, and rock pools sit among the stonier ground at the top of the beach. Reached only by that walk in and back up, it stays quiet and remote, a reward for anyone content to leave the busier Cornish beaches behind and work a little for the solitude.
Perranporth Beach
Photo: Rebecca A Wills via Geograph.org.uk
Perranporth Beach is a wide, flat beach of golden sand on the north coast of Cornwall, north-west of Truro, running for about three miles at the village of Perranporth and backed by the great dune system of Penhale Sands. The Atlantic swell makes it one of the main surfing beaches in the county, with surf schools and room for beginners and experienced surfers alike, and a stream crosses the sand at the village end.
There are cafes, car parks and lifeguards in season, and among the dunes lie the ruins of St Piran's oratory, tied to the patron saint of Cornwall.
Trevellas Cove
Photo: David Dixon via Geograph.org.uk
Trevellas Cove sits at the mouth of a steep valley near St Agnes on Cornwall's north coast, in an area known as Blue Hills. The beach is mostly pebble and rock, with a stream running down to it and the ruins of old tin mines climbing the valley sides.
Above the cove, the Blue Hills Tin Streams is a working family operation that demonstrates tin streaming and smelting, distinct from the historic mine that closed in 1897. A small car park sits by the beach, which has no lifeguard, and the coast path runs on from here.
Towan Beach
Photo: Chris Thomas-Atkin via Geograph.org.uk
Towan Beach An old wooden wreck post still stands on the shore here, once used by the coastguard to practise hauling sailors from wrecked ships. This is the Roseland peninsula's Towan Beach, near Portscatho in Cornwall, a sheltered bay of sand and shingle and a world away from its busy namesake at Newquay.
Low tide uncovers sand, rock and pools; high water brings more shingle. National Trust land backs the shore, with a car park a short walk off, a seasonal cafe and toilets, while the South West Coast Path climbs above toward Killigerran Head.
Quiet, and all the better for it.
Chapel Porth Beach
Photo: Rod Allday via Geograph.org.uk
Chapel Porth Beach is a sandy cove at the foot of a steep, cliff-backed valley on the north Cornwall coast near St Agnes, north-west of Truro. Sand runs out at low tide, while near high tide the beach shrinks back to almost nothing beneath the cliffs.
On the clifftop above stands the Wheal Coates engine house, a ruined tin mine building looking out over the sea, with more mining remains up the valley. The National Trust looks after the cove and the coast around it.
FAQs
Which beaches near Truro are best for surfing?
Perranporth, on the north coast about half an hour from Truro, is one of Cornwall's main surfing beaches, with three miles of sand, surf schools and room for beginners and old hands alike. Chapel Porth near St Agnes also picks up the Atlantic swell.
Where can you get food on the beach?
Porthcurnick, near Portscatho on the Roseland, is home to the Hidden Hut, a well-liked outdoor cafe serving food to eat on the sand or the grassy bank. It draws people along the coast path from the village, a short way from Truro.
Are the Roseland beaches good for swimming?
Yes. Porthcurnick has generally calm, safe water, and Towan Beach near Portscatho is a sheltered Roseland bay good for a paddle. Flushing, across the water from Falmouth, also has calm beaches, though always check the tide before swimming near Truro.
Conclusion
Between the sheltered Roseland and the open Atlantic shore, the beaches near Truro cover two very different moods. To the south-east, Porthbean, Porthcurnick, Towan Beach and Kiberick Cove offer calm Roseland sand, with the small beaches of Flushing looking across to Falmouth.
To the north-west, near St Agnes, Perranporth rolls out three miles of surf, and the old mining valleys hold Trevellas Cove and Chapel Porth below their ruined engine houses. Some are safe for a family swim; others carry strong currents or none of the usual facilities, so check the tides and the flags before you go.
Pick the Roseland for a gentle day or the north coast for surf and space. Whichever suits your mood, these are the beaches to seek out near Truro.
