Hayle
HaylA World Heritage harbour
Hayle sits on the edge of a beautiful estuary leading into St Ives Bay. To the north lie three miles of golden sand, whilst the town itself has changed greatly since its days as an industrial heartland during Cornwall’s mining boom years.
Hayle
Travelling through Hayle for the first time gives the impression it’s a big town. This is because it’s really three settlements in one that have joined up over the years. At the southern end, around the viaduct, is the area known as Foundry, a reminder of its industrial past. Here you will find the quirky shops on Penrose Terrace, the Hayle Heritage Centre, allegedly the best pasty shop in Cornwall, and Paradise Park, home to over 1000 birds!
Continuing north along the main road you will arrive at the other end of Hayle in Copperhouse where a rival foundry was built in the 1800s. Along the way there’s plenty of shops, pubs and cafes to keep you entertained. Don’t miss the subtropical King George V Memorial Walk. Take a stroll here and see the astonishing display of flowers and plants that thrive in the mild climate.
But Hayle doesn’t end there, on the other side of Copperhouse Pool are the towans, tall sand dunes that drop down to three miles of sands stretching all the way to Godrevy. Here you will find the most touristy parts of Hayle with chalets, caravan parks and beachside bars, great for watching the sunsets across St Ives Bay.
Three miles of beach
To the north of Hayle stretches three miles of golden sands and, with a constant breeze off the Atlantic, the area is well-known for its surfing and wind sailing. The beaches are known as Hayle Towans, Mexico Towans, Upton Towans, Gwithian Towans and Godrevy Beach, a towan being the Cornish name for a sand dune.
If surfing is your bag, Gwithian is the best place to go. This part of the beach is a surfer’s paradise where you can hire wetsuits, surf boards and grab a lesson or two from the local surf school. Hayle Towans is more sheltered from the swell than Gwithian and Godrevy, so perhaps better for beginners?
For a more relaxing day on the beach with family and friends, you should head for Godrevy Beach at the northern end. Overlooked by the island and its iconic lighthouse, this area is perfect for messing around in the rock pools, and if you’re lucky you might spot a seal.
Out of season, the beach is perfect for long walks with the dog, whilst history and nature buffs should climb up into the dunes to discover the remains of the gunpowder works or spot birds blown in across the Atlantic.
World Heritage
In the early 1800s, Hayle was the most important mining port and home to the biggest steam engine manufactures in the world. Two of the most important iron foundries were based here and give their names to each end of the town, Foundry and Copperhouse. A fierce and long-running rivalry grew between the competing foundries as they battled over access to the sea, the main way of transporting both the machinery built here, and the coal needed to fire the foundries.
Today much of the industrial heritage has disappeared, although the town trail will help discover it. A visit to the Heritage Centre, beside the railway viaduct is also recommended. Having been the work place and meeting place of famous engineers such as Richard Trevithick, Hayle was awarded World Heritage status in 2006.
Accommodation
Three Mile Beach
Luxury self-catering beach houses in Gwithian Towans, St Ives Bay. We’re less than five minutes’ walk away from three miles of beautiful beaches, wilderness, wildlife, water sports and walks.
See accommodation
Beachside Holiday Park
Beachside Holiday Park is situated in the fabulous St Ives Bay. Famous for its golden sands, temperate climate and artistic reputation. Beachside is family-run especially for families and many people ...
See accommodationThings to do in Hayle
Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary & JungleBarn Indoor Play Centre
An Award-winning wildlife sanctuary set in beautiful exotic gardens with views to the sea, home to over 1,200 birds plus rare red pandas, red squirrels, otters, tiny harvest mice and farm animals.
St Ives, HayleRead morePlan your trip
Everything you need to know to plan your perfect trip to Hayle
From the M5 at Exeter take the A30 down through Cornwall until you see signs to Hayle. Once off the A30 you are straight into the town.
National Express coaches serve Hayle stopping at both ends of the town.
There are regular bus services to all the major towns in West Cornwall.
Hayle has a mainline railway station in the Foundry area. However to travel to St Ives you will need to change at St Erth.
FAQ's
View allSpoilt for choice!
St Ives alone has five wonderful beaches, with both Porthminster and Porthmeor being awarded Blue Flags in 2022. Across the bay you will find three miles of golden sand stretching north from the Hayle Estuary. Then there's Porthtowan and Portreath just up the coast...
Sennen Cove right down near Land's End is another popular stretch both with surfers and families, whilst Mount's Bay provides endless walking and is often home to kite surfers.
There's also countless small secret coves, ideal for hiding away in, we would tell you where they are, but they wouldn't be secret then!
Hayle is famous for being at the forefront of the Cornish mining industry in the 1800s. It was here that most of the machinery built to power and pump out mines all over the world at that time was built.
These days it's probably better known for being close to some of the finest beaches in Cornwall, and home to Phillps, makers of Cornish pasties.
Yes you can, the best way is along the South West Coast Path which leaves Hayle and follows the estuary inland past the RSPB nature reserve. It then heads for Lelant before rounding the mouth of the estuary on the west side and heading through Carbis Bay to St Ives.
Approximately seven miles of easy walking, should take about three hours to complete.
You can catch a bus back.
There's a good selection of shops, from galleries and antique shops to large supermarkets such as ASDA and Lidl. On the A30 where you turn off to Hayle is a small out of town shopping area with a M&S and Next amongst other shops.
At Godrevy you can spot the largest seal colony in Cornwall. You need to walk out to the east side of the headland and look down into Mutton Cove.
The cove is home to a large colony of North Atlantic Grey Seals. The best time to see them is in the winter but even in the summer you will probably see a few seals hauled up on the beach.
Please take notice of the signage around the top of the cove, keep quiet, keep dogs on leads and make no attempt to climb down the cliff.
Your weekly dose of Cornish cheer!
When you can’t be in your favourite place all the time, catch up on the latest stories, upcoming events, holiday ideas, and offers with a newsletter straight to your inbox. Terms and Conditions / GDPR compliance: by providing personally identifiable information Visit Cornwall will use it to provide you with ongoing information about their products and services. No one from Visit Cornwall will rent, sell or lease this personally identifiable information to other companies or individuals.
Stay connected
Find us on socials and stay connected with the Cornwall you love.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads and to analyse our traffic. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. (Privacy Policy)