Carlyon Bay

Carlyon Bay sits just east of St Austell on Cornwall’s south coast, offering a broad, sheltered beach backed by low cliffs and woodland. It’s a quieter alternative to the busier north coast beaches — the water is generally calmer here, making it a solid choice for families with younger children. The beach itself is a mix of sand and shingle, with rock pools to explore at low tide.

The bay has a slightly different character to much of Cornwall. There’s a golf course running along the clifftop, a spa hotel, and a generally relaxed feel that suits couples and families looking for a slower pace. The South West Coast Path passes right through, connecting to the pretty harbour village of Charlestown to the west — worth the walk for its tall ships and unspoilt Georgian harbour, which has doubled as a film set for Poldark and other period dramas.

Location-wise, Carlyon Bay is hard to beat for accessing some of mid-Cornwall’s best attractions. The Eden Project is barely ten minutes away by car, the Lost Gardens of Heligan about the same, and the Wheal Martyn clay country park is just up the road. You get the beach, the walks and the big-ticket days out without having to drive far for any of them.