Harlyn Bay Beach

Considered one of the best family beaches in Cornwall, Harlyn Bay is a wide, sheltered, and spacious beach of golden sand and pebbles, a small stream and plenty of fascinating rock pools to explore. Backed by dunes and situated on the eastern side of Trevose Head, just west of Padstow, its crescent shaped bay is popular with families, kayakers, and novice surfers, often seen mastering the waves with local surf schools.

The south east corner of Harlyn village provides the access, next to a stream that flows on to the beach. The remains of an iron age cemetery were discovered behind the beach in the early 1900s, with eventually over 130 graves uncovered.

Lifeguards are on the beach from May until September and then weekends until October half-term, when they will be in place all week. (2022)

Surfing Information: When the swell is big on the west facing beaches and the wind is from a southwest direction, Harlyn will be the best wave around. The horseshoe shaped bay produces waves from low through to high providing rights off a rock at the east end of the beach - fast and sucky waves with a ledgy take off, to a peak in the middle producing lefts and rights which are hollow and fast.