Your Basket
Your basket is empty.
Oh we do like to be beside the seaside…
The best beaches in the South West to visit this summer
Oh we do like to be beside the sea! If you want to get out and about this summer, keeping to the government guidelines on social distancing, head off to your local beach. We are lucky enough to be in the South West, an area renown for its beautiful beaches. We’ve rounded up some of our favourite South Wests best beaches.
Porthgwidden Beach, Cornwall
One of the smaller beaches in St Ives, the soft golden sands of Porthgwidden Beach is very popular with families. Colourful beach huts, that have been in situ since the 1930s, sit along the promenade. With a quintessentially British feel, this sheltered beach is a lovely little suntrap.
Bournemouth Beach, Dorset
With a long stretch of golden sand, a trip to Bournemouth beach is hard to beat. You can start your day with a wander along the pier, followed by an afternoon swim in the sea and wrap up your day with a visit to one of Bournemouth’s take-away fish and chip shops.
Croyde Beach, Devon
Picture this, a sandy path that cuts through untouched sand dunes, widening as you wander along it until it opens up to a wide golden bay and far reaching views of the sea. Beautiful, right? Croyde beach has been voted as one of the best surfing beaches in the world and we think it’s one of the most picturesque too – favoured by experienced surfers and sunbathing spectators alike.
Treyarnon Bay, Cornwall
A classic horse shoe bay, Treyarnon is the perfect location for rock pooling! The tide goes out particularly far on this beach, meaning there are plenty of shallow rock pools to search for sea life in when it does. There is larger, deeper natural rock pool in the rocks that you can even swim in when the tide is out.
Kynance Cove, Cornwall
This picture-postcard beach has recently been made more accessible via a National Trust toll road and car park. Soft, white sand and gently shelving clear blue water make this beach one of our favourites. Paddle in the shallows, look for fish swimming around the rocks or, if you visit early in the morning when the beach is empty, wander along the shore leaving your footprints in the sand and you'll feel like you're on your own private beach.
.jpg)
Bossington Beach, Somerset
Set on the edge of Exmoor, this pebble beach makes for a lovely walk, whether you choose to walk along the path that runs parallel with the beach and along the cliff top, down to the ruins of medieval Burgundy Chapel or across the far reaching beach itself. Dogs are allowed on the beach too, so you can take the whole family for a stroll and a picnic.
Tunnels Beaches, Devon
Accessed through tunnels carved out of the cliff are two of Ilfracombe’s black sand beaches. Years ago the beaches were used for swimming (if you want to learn more the history of the beaches is told at the location), with the first beach the gentleman’s beach and the second the ladies' beach. The ladies' beach has a natural tidal pool that you can still swim in and walk out around when the tide is out.
Weymouth Beach, Dorset
The sheltered, shallow waters of Weymouth’s sandy beach make it an idyllic seaside location for children and adults alike. This part of Dorset enjoys more sunshine than anywhere else in England, too, so if you’re hoping to catch some rays head to Weymouth!
Fistral Beach, Cornwall
Flanked by high cliffs and sand dunes, Fistral is renowned as one of the worlds top surfing destinations with many UK surf competitions taking place here as well as Boardmasters festival. 
Lyme Regis, Dorset
Make sure you pack your bucket and spade if you are heading to Lyme Regis. Set on the Jurassic coast, the south facing, sandy, sheltered sea front of Lyme Regis makes for the perfect playground. You could even sit along the famous Cobb wall and try your hand at crabbing. However you spend your time here, it will be hard to drag yourself away when the day is over.
If you’re heading to the beach for the day be responsible, checking the tide times before you set off. If you plan on taking a dip in the sea check that the beaches you plan to visit have a lifeguard on duty, respect the water and follow the RNLI code.
Take Miles West Country Original Tea with you in your flask and if you’ve enjoyed a picnic at the beach remember to take your litter home with you so that we can all help to keep the beach and the oceans plastic free. If you want to learn how you can help keep our oceans clean check out sas.org.uk and mcsuk.org.
We would love to hear about your adventures. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and share your photos with us with the #MilesAdventures for the chance to have your picture shared – we can’t wait to see those sandy toes!
Share a moment with friends