Beaches and attractions in the St.Austell area

Pentewan - Between St Austell & Mevagissey
A long flat sandy beach popular with families.  Forms part of a large camp/caravan site.
Limited parking in Pentewan village, there is no public access through the camp site.
Usually calm but occasionally good for surfing.
Good pub and restaurant in the village.
Public toilets in the village.
Fishing for flounder and bass on the left hand side

Caerhayes - Close to Gorran Haven 
A popular little cove nestling below Caerhayes Castle
A gentle shelving beach with good sand, usually calm for children but faces towards the Southwest and can be good for surfing.
Parking/toilets/refreshments on the beach.
Gets busy in high season
Good cliff path walks

Charlestown - Home of the Tall ships
A picturesque little village with a good pub/restaurant.
Parking in the village, or if a patron, in the pub car park.
There is a small beach but it is very stony and not recommended.
Nice walk along the cliff path to Carlyon Bay

Crinnis Beach at Carlyon Bay -
A mile long stretch of sandy beach
Usually calm for swimming but shelves steeply, especially on high water
Rarely gets busy with plenty of room to move around
Not suitable for the bucket and spade brigade as the sand is quite coarse
Car park directly on the sea front
Toilets on the beach
Cafeteria on the beach
Crazy golf course
Nightclub (Gossips) for young late night revellers

Porthpean Beach
A sheltered little cove, usually calm, and gently shelving.
The sand is soft and a favourite with local children
Car park just 100 yards along a private access road to the beach
Small cafeteria/ice creams etc.
Toilets on the beach

Par - Between St Austell & Fowey
A wide open expanse of soft sand, sheltered and very gently shelving
Borders a caravan park but rarely gets busy
Safe children bathing
Parking on the beach
Toilet facilities

Polkerris - Between St Austell & Fowey
A sheltered little cove with soft sand that shelves very gently
A slight problem with parking, this is about a 10 minute walk from the beach
Toilet facilities nearby
The beach has the added advantage of having a good pub. This has a seating area directly overlooking the beach, the walls of which act as a breakwater at high tide
Breakwater wall - fishing for mackerel, flounders on high water

Gorran Haven - Near Mevagissey
A gently shelving small soft sandy beach, very popular with local and visitors alike.
Sheltered location and usually calm, ideal for children
Car park 5 minutes walk
Toilets closeby
Ice creams/refreshments etc.
There is a harbour wall with fishing for pollack, mackerel, flounders and bass when rough, usually at night)
Gets busy in high season

Vault Beach Nr. Gorran Haven
A mile long stretch of sand under the Dodman Point.
Not easily accessible except either by walking along the cliff path from Gorran Haven or from the National Trust car park above the beach. The walk from Gorran Haven is quite rugged, the walk from the car park is straight forward but quite steep.
Its inaccessibility makes this a very quiet little known beach, but the coastal walks around and to the Dodman Point are highly recommended.
The beach itself has quite course sand but there are some excellent small rock pools for children with their nets.
The area is totally unspoiled.
For further views along the cliff path see the Mevagissey section.
 

Roche Rock
A very mysterious place, where Cornish legend and stories of mad monks are abound... 

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