Porthminster

Porthminster is surprisingly tucked away on the outskirts of St. Ives. and is easy to pass by without noticing when you are intent on getting to the town proper.
Stand here today in the pouring rain, and you can make out Hayle's miles of golden sand as a long, pale line across the horizon. The sky still seems as gently luminous as anywhere in fabled St. Ives and the colours of sea and sand are just unreal...

Postscript: Treyarnon

When conditions change so swiftly, as happened yesterday at Treyarnon, it is impossible to pick just one moment that captures the memory. However, someone points out that my diary notes and my photo yesterday were somewhat at odds, so although I usually try to avoid setting sun pictures, here is one taken just a few minutes after....

Treyarnon

Treyarnon can seem impossibly far away through narrow winding back roads, but the surfers are out in force, and one even braves the water without a wetsuit. A gloriously sunny day, softening as it approached its end. Lovely to just be here as the light fades, altering minute by minute. Colours are soft and luminous one minute, rich and saturated the next, and then glowing, as the red dying sun occasionally appears from behind the clouds.

Vugga Cove

Vugga Cove is a narrow sandy cove with rocky sides, a sort of appendix to Crantock Beach. It is easily missed by people who, at low water, clamber up and down its rocky sides to get to and from Crantock. which is a pity because It's worth pausing here; where Crantock is all sand and dunes, Vugga is rocks and tide pools when the water is out, with a wonderful view of Crantock, East Pentire and the whole bay. After dusk today a blue purple haze blankets the sky, and Vugga feels far more isolated and lonely than its bigger neighbour ever could.

St. Mawes Castle

From the Castle car park, you can go down a narrow unmarked path, through the heady perfume of wild garlic blossom, down to the shore. This is the first of the string of small beaches along this headland towards St. Just. From here, you can see where the Carrick Roads open out into Falmouth Bay. A hazy day, with a watery sun; the water laps gently along this shore at high water, even if the winds are prone to fluky gusts. St Anthony's lighthouse visible on the left mournfully sounds its distant horn in the lingering haze and mist.

Constantine bay

A surfing beach on the north coast; today you can see why - from time to time, the water seems to just stand up, forming a wall that first leans towards you and then curls as it rushes to shore, stumbling over itself and crashing into surf. Walking along the shoreline, there is something compelling about letting it only just wet your feet...

Bow (or Vault)

The day is filled with mist and drizzle, and Vault Beach seems even more isolated and lonely than usual. It is actually not that far from Goran Haven on the south coast but can be reached only by a good walk along the coast path. Following its long arc along the waterline after high tide, the only tracks in the sand are yours, and the beach has that timeless, prehistoric quality that makes you want to leave your mark - even if only a cairn of stones, a Stonehenge in miniature

Swanpool

It is late with a chill in the air, but the beach comes alive as a young group gather round their impromptu barbeque and the charcoal smoke drifts temptingly across the sands. The last light goes quickly this evening; soon, across the dark water you can just make out the soft glow of Pendennis Castle, and the winking of St. Anthony lighthouse on the left. Deck lights shine brightly on a couple of ships at anchor in Falmouth Bay.

Hawker's Cove

A nice way to approach Hawker's Cove is along the coast path from Padstow, a 30 minute walk. Today the water is almost at its highest, and there is no beach at all for most of the way - and even when you get there, it is only the merest sliver of sand. Sit here on the dunes and watch the sun setting in clear sky and the calm sea begin to ebb. Regretfully I set off and it is only on the long trail back, after sundown, that gentler colours paint the skies and a ring of purple violet haze circles the horizon.

Lower Beach (Padstow)

When the tide is out, the Lower Beach is used by the ferry across to Rock and by other boats taking tourists out for trips. The tarmac'ed path down does not promise much, and you get there to find a small rocky cove that on summer days is busy with people waiting for and getting on and off boats. Today, the mist lingers everywhere, the boats are all moored, and in the quiet it's hard to believe that busy Padstow and Rock are just there, behind the mist...

St. Just-in-Roseland

If you start at the picturesque country church, you can walk down its peaceful gardens to where the sandbar at the bottom has created a tranquil backwater, just off the Carrick Roads. The shingly foreshore is not the nicest of beaches for anything but launching boats and waling on, but the soothing surroundings and the views are always worth a few hours of your time. You leave feeling alive, and glad to be so...

Rock

Rock is on the Camel estuary on the opposite bank to Padstow, and the little ferry that does regular crossings is a pleasant way to enjoy both sides. The long stretches of sand along this estuary make lovely golden beaches fringed by low grassy dunes, perfect for lazing about in the sun. The breeze funnels straight in from the sea, but it is very warm in the welcome shelter of the dunes. Today with the Easter weekend crowds it has a distinctly social air about it, but because it is so so long and spacious you don't get any hemmed-in feeling.

Porthcothan

Porthcothan is a deep, gently shelving sandy cove not far from Padstow. It is family friendly, and there are interesting bits of rocky sides and covelets (?) when the tide is out, when you might have to walk 400 yards or more to get to the water's edge. The tide comes in quite quickly when it returns, and leaves maybe 20 - 30 yards of beach. But you can still enjoy sitting in the low dunes at the back and bask in the remaining sun.

Looe (East)

Looe is a bustling seaside town. Today it is glorious sunshine and t-shirt weather so the East beach - its main (only?) sandy beach - is full of life. Children paddling, lads playing ball on the beach, kites flying, even strange, serious men sweeping the beach with metal detectors - they are all out today along with the rainbow coloured wind breaks and beach shelters. It is Easter week, and holiday season has arrived in Cornwall again. But then, who can blame them...

Trevone

A popular family beach near Padstow because it is gently shelving sand and when the tide is out there are lots of shallow tide pools, rock pools and sandy coves along the sides where the kids can play; it also has a handy beach cafe! Today ibeing a bright though overcast Sunday and at low tide, families are out in force. Two children are actually playing in the water, but the chill is still enough to send you retreating instead to the home fireside.