Considered one of the best family beaches in Cornwall, Harlyn Bay is a wide and spacious beach of yellow sand and pebbles with plenty of interesting rock pools backed by dunes and situated on the eastern side of Trevose Head, just west of Padstow.

With its reputation as one of the safest beaches in the Cornwall, the crescent shaped bay is popular with novice surfers who can learn to master the waves with surf schools who run sessions from the beach. There’s a fascinating combination of rocky shoreline, sand, dune and tide pools to explore and the beautiful bay is also an unbeatable location to have a go at sea kayaking. For walkers there are delightful routes from the beach to Mother Ivey’s Bay and Trevose Head

The south east corner of Harlyn village provides the access to the beach next to a stream that flows on to the beach. The remains of an old iron age cemetery were discovered behind the beach below the sand. The cliffs at Trevose Head give superb views towards Pentire Head and Newquay.

Lifeguards are on the beach from 1st May until 26th September and then weekends until October half-term, when they will be in place all week. (2021)

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.

Suitable for: All levels. Dangers: crowds, hollow waves breaking into shallow water, rocks, rips at high tide. Tides: Surfable at all tides. Wind: S/SW offshore.