Given how close it is to Padstow, this grand beach stays surprisingly quiet most of the year. It looks out over the mouth of the Camel Estuary and, thanks to its position in the lee of Stepper Point, it's usually fairly sheltered. The beach runs from Gun Point west to the small inlets of Harbour Cove and Hawkers Cove, a total area of more than a mile of sand at low tide. There are no facilities, and no lifeguard cover.
The treacherous sandbank known as the Doom Bar sits just out to the east in the middle of the estuary, and has been the cause of more than 600 shipwrecks over the centuries.
The beach is a bit inconvenient to reach by car, but it's an easy bike ride or, even better, a fine stroll from Padstow along the coast path.
