Top Beaches Day Trips from Truro
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Beaches Day Trips from Truro include Porthbean Beach, Porthcurnick Beach, Flushing Beach, Kiberick Cove, Perranporth Beach, Trevellas Cove, Towan Beach and Chapel Porth Beach.
Cornwall's cathedral city sits close to two very different coastlines, which makes it a fine base for hunting out a quiet beach. Head south onto the Roseland peninsula and you reach a string of sheltered coves around Portscatho: Porthbean, Porthcurnick with its well-loved Hidden Hut, and Towan, along with remote Kiberick Cove tucked below Nare Head near Veryan.
A short run down toward Falmouth brings you to Flushing, a waterside village with little beaches facing the docks across the water. Swing north-west instead and the mood changes entirely, with Atlantic surf rolling into the broad golden sands at Perranporth and the mine-scarred valleys around St Agnes leading down to Trevellas Cove and Chapel Porth.
Some of these spots have cafes and car parks; others ask for a walk down steep steps or a coast-path scramble with no facilities at all. Between them they cover calm swimming, big surf and plenty of rock pools.
Here are eight beaches for a day trip from Truro.
Porthbean Beach
Photo: David Brown via Geograph.org.uk
Porthbean Beach Just under ten kilometres south of Truro on the Roseland peninsula, Porthbean is a small, quiet beach of sand and shingle in Gerrans Bay, close to Portscatho. It is really a cluster of little coves rather than one shore, divided by a rocky feature called Needle Rock, and the furthest of them can only be reached over the rocks at lower tides.
Low water also uncovers rock and pools. There is no road down here: you walk in along the coast path and descend steep steps, with the nearest parking back at Portscatho.
Bring what you need, as there are no facilities on the sand.
Porthcurnick Beach
Photo: Richard Rogerson via Geograph.org.uk
Porthcurnick Beach A little further along the Roseland, Porthcurnick is a sheltered stretch of sand just north-east of Portscatho, where the water is generally calm and safe for a swim. Its main draw sits above the beach: the Hidden Hut, an outdoor cafe serving food to eat on the sand or the grassy bank, which pulls walkers along the coast path from the village about half a mile away.
Steep granite steps lead down to the shore, and the nearest parking is at the edge of Portscatho. Dogs are welcome here throughout the year, so it suits a family outing.
Flushing Beach
Photo: SMJ via Geograph.org.uk
Flushing Beach For something gentler, Flushing lies a little south of Truro, a waterside village looking across the Penryn River toward Falmouth. Rather than one big beach, it has a couple of small shores along its front.
Kiln Beach gazes 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 mostly by locals. Old stone quays, said to have been built by Dutch engineers, line the sheltered waterfront.
A foot ferry runs across to Falmouth, so you can easily combine the two in a single day.
Kiberick Cove
Photo: Derek Harper via Geograph.org.uk
Kiberick Cove Round on the Roseland coast below Nare Head, near Veryan, Kiberick Cove is about as out-of-the-way as beaches near Truro get. It sits on National Trust land, reached by a long, steep path down from the fields above, and there is no parking at the cove and no facilities of any kind.
At low tide sand appears below the cliffs, with rock pools to poke about in and stonier ground at the top of the beach. If you want somewhere genuinely quiet, reached only on foot, this remote little cove rewards the effort of getting down to it.
Perranporth Beach
Photo: Rebecca A Wills via Geograph.org.uk
Perranporth Beach For a complete change of scene, cross to the north coast and Perranporth, a wide, flat sweep of golden sand running about three miles and backed by the vast dunes of Penhale Sands. The Atlantic swell makes it one of Cornwall's leading surfing beaches, with surf schools and room for beginners and old hands alike, while a stream crosses the sand at the village end.
You will find cafes, car parks and seasonal lifeguards here, so it works well with children. Among the dunes lie the ruins of St Piran's oratory, tied to the patron saint of Cornwall, worth seeking out on a walk.
Trevellas Cove
Photo: David Dixon via Geograph.org.uk
Trevellas Cove Tucked at the mouth of a steep valley near St Agnes, in an area known as Blue Hills, Trevellas Cove is a rugged, atmospheric spot. The beach itself is mostly pebble and rock, with a stream running down to the sea and the ruins of old tin mines climbing the valley sides.
Above the cove, the Blue Hills Tin Streams is a working family operation demonstrating tin streaming and smelting, separate from the historic mine that closed in 1897. A small car park sits by the beach, though there is no lifeguard, and the coast path carries on from here for a longer walk.
Towan Beach
Photo: Chris Thomas-Atkin via Geograph.org.uk
Towan Beach Not to be confused with the busy Towan Beach at Newquay, this quieter namesake sits back on the Roseland near Portscatho. It is a sheltered bay of sand and shingle, with sand, rock and pools opening at low tide and more shingle showing at high water.
National Trust land backs the shore, and there is a car park a short walk away, plus a seasonal cafe and toilets. The South West Coast Path runs along the top toward Killigerran Head.
On the beach stands an old wooden wreck post, once used by the coastguard to practise rescuing sailors from wrecked ships.
Chapel Porth Beach
Photo: Rod Allday via Geograph.org.uk
Chapel Porth Beach Last of the north-coast trio, Chapel Porth is a sandy cove at the foot of a steep, cliff-backed valley near St Agnes. Time your visit for low tide, when the sand runs a long way out; near high water the beach shrinks back to almost nothing beneath the cliffs, so keep an eye on the tide.
On the clifftop above stands the Wheal Coates engine house, a ruined tin mine building looking out over the sea, with more mining remains scattered up the valley. The National Trust cares for the cove and the coast around it, keeping this dramatic stretch as it is.
FAQs
Which beaches near Truro are best for swimming?
Porthcurnick, on the Roseland peninsula close to Portscatho, has generally calm, safe water and is among the easiest swims for a day out from Truro. Sheltered Towan Beach nearby is another gentle option.
Can you surf on a day trip from Truro?
Yes. Head to the north coast, where Perranporth is one of Cornwall's main surfing beaches, with surf schools and space for beginners as well as experienced surfers, roughly twelve kilometres from Truro.
Are there quiet beaches that avoid the crowds?
Kiberick Cove, below Nare Head near Veryan, is remote and reached only on foot with no facilities, so it stays peaceful. Porthbean, near Portscatho, is similarly out of the way.
Conclusion
Whether you fancy calm water for swimming, big Atlantic surf or a remote cove all to yourself, Truro puts a broad range of coast within easy reach. The Roseland peninsula offers sheltered, family-friendly bays like Porthcurnick and Towan, along with the wilder pull of Kiberick Cove and Porthbean for those happy to walk.
Down toward Falmouth, Flushing adds a gentler, harbourside feel with its foot ferry. Cross to the north coast and the character shifts to surf, dunes and old mining valleys at Perranporth, Trevellas Cove and Chapel Porth.
Pack for the walk in where there are no facilities, check the tides before you set off, and you will find plenty to fill a day. From sand and shingle to rock pools and ruins, these are the beaches for a day trip from Truro.
