One of the most popular naturist beaches in Cornwall. This beautiful cove nestles at the foot of a spectacular cliff. A golden bay with bright blue water awaits anyone who makes the tricky scramble down.
Location
The beach is located on the South coast in West Cornwall, between Penzance and Lands End. The closest villages are Porthcurno and Treen
Access and Parking
The beach can be accessed by walking in from either Treen or Porthcurno. If you’re coming by car, there is parking in both villages, but Treen is closer and is likely not to be as busy (it’s also cheaper). Both villages are accessible from the B3315.
The nearest post code for Treen car park is: TR19 6LF
It’s also possible to access both villages by bus. There is also a campsite just West of Treen, which would be very convenient for the beach
From Treen, head south towards the South West Coast Path - at the junction with the coast path carry straight on (you’ll see a sign to Pen Vounder here) until you see a path heading off to your left heading down to the beach
From Porthcurno, head East along the coast path. Just pass the Marconi monument, take the path to your right and the head right again at the next path to head down to the beach
The path down to the beach is steep and narrow. The last 15-20 metres down to the beach is a steep scramble down rock. Some people with more limited mobility, or without a head for heights might find this very difficult. The original author's opinion is that , the easiest access is to your left where the path ends. Though warning from other members include whilst the descent is safe, it is quite scary, because it is a steep and exposed scramble down a high cliff. for safety reasons the problems are in the mind, rather than technical complexity, but if somebody who's afraid of heights attempts it they could freak out 33/4 down and become 'crag fast'. Therefore please be forewarned of potential hazards on this route.
At very low tide, it may be possible to walk or wade in from Porthcurno, but the available window between tides to do this would be very small
The Beach
The beach varies greatly depending on the tide. At high tide, the beach is limited to a small cove of fine sand
As the tide goes out, the beach opens up considerably. At low tide, it’s possible to walk for several hundred metres in both directions from the access path
The beach is sandy, and backed by cliffs along its length. There are inlets into the cliffs which make create more secluded and sheltered areas
The beach is safe for swimming, with clear water and lagoons forming as the tide goes out. At high tide, the beach shelves, so you might want to bear this in mind if you’re not a strong swimmer
There are no facilities of any sort on the beach. There are cafes and toilets in both Treen and Porthcurno, and a shop at the campsite
Naturism
The beach is well established for naturism, although not ‘official’ (not that that matters)
The beach has been mixed 50/50 naturist / non naturist - people seem to mix quite happily meaning that there isn’t a naturist ‘section’.
As noted above, there are also some more secludedinlets off of the main beach which would give some more privacy, but these wouldn’t be accessible at hightide
Updated 5.5.19 AW