A holiday to the south coast just wouldn’t be complete without a trip to one of Cornwall’s stunning beaches. With over 250 miles of stunning, unspoilt coastline, and over 300 beaches to explore along the way, including many family friendly beaches, you’re spoilt for choice!
With so many to choose from, we’ve put together this guide to the Cornish beaches that have been awarded the Blue Flag in 2026.
Make your stay at our self catering cottages in Cornwall memorable with a day at one of these fantastic beaches.
What is a Blue Flag Beach?
It’s all well and good for us to rave about Blue Flag beaches, but what does it mean?
The Blue Flag programme is run by the Foundation for Environmental Education, who work to educate people across the globe on the importance of sustainability and creating a more environmentally conscious world.
The Blue Flag is awarded to beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators who have met a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria. So far, the Blue Flag has been awarded to 4,820 locations in 49 countries across the world!
Blue Flag Beaches in Cornwall 2026
Beaches in Cornwall are known for their gorgeous sands and beautifully clear waters. Whether you’re looking for a fab surf spot or just somewhere for you and the family to relax by the sea, one of these Blue Flag beaches is bound to tempt you.
And the best thing about them? They’re all within a 90-minute drive of us here at The Valley!
1. Porthtowan Beach, Porthtowan
23 minutes from The Valley
Porthtowan Beach is one of Cornwall’s most popular surfing beaches, but with large expanses of soft, golden sand, it’s the perfect spot for plenty of seaside activities.
With lifeguard cover daily from 5th May to 30th September, and weekends during October, Porthtowan is a great spot for families and even has a children’s play park at the top end of the beach.
There is a seasonal dog ban from 15th May to 30th September (10am to 6pm).
2. Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth
23 minutes from The Valley
Perhaps one of the most popular beaches in Cornwall, Gyllyngvase Beach, known locally as “Gylly”, is only a ten-minute walk from the centre of Falmouth.
This marvellous crescent of sand offers the perfect location for water sports, and thanks to its wide assortment of amenities, it’s also a popular spot for families. With public toilets, a car park within 100 yards of the beach as well as being buggy friendly, and daily lifeguard cover from 16 May to 27 September, usually from 10 am to 6 pm, it’s no wonder that this beach was awarded the Blue Flag award this year.
3. Carbis Bay, St Ives
33 Minutes From The Valley
With rarely any surf, Carbis Bay is the perfect beach for families with young children –the sea here is perfect for swimming in.
The wide sandy beach has many great facilities including a beach shop, cafe, nearby toilets and plenty of parking available, offering easy access.
From a lost child centre to a first aid post and daily lifeguard cover from 18th July to 6th September, between 10am and 6pm, this beach is definitely a favourite among families.
Dogs are not allowed on Carbis Bay Beach from 15th May until 30th September between 10 am and 6 pm, but are welcome outside of these times.
4. Porthmeor Beach, St Ives
42 minutes from The Valley
Just a stone’s throw from all the brilliant attractions in the St Ives town centre, you’ll find Porthmeor Beach sitting in the shadow of the Tate St Ives gallery.
This lovely, sandy beach is popular with surfers and swimmers as well as offering the perfect spot for a seaside picnic. It’s worth noting that due to its easy access, this beach does get rather busy in the summer months, so make sure you get there early to nab the best spots! There are daily lifeguard patrols from the Easter bank holiday through to the end of October between 10am and 6pm.
5. Trevone Bay
45 minutes from The Valley
The lovely cove of Trevone Bay is incredibly popular with intermediate and experienced surfers thanks to its great waves from low to mid tide.
This beach offers beautiful golden sands as well as rocky alcoves to sit and watch the day go by. If you fancy taking in some of the stunning scenery, the cliffs to the northeast of the beach offer views of Hawkers Cove, the Camel Estuary and beyond.
There are lifeguard patrols between 16th May and 27th September, usually between 10 am and 6 pm. Always swim or bodyboard between the red and yellow flags; no flags means no lifeguard service.
There is a seasonal dog ban in place from 15th May to 30th September between 10am and 6pm.
6. Polzeath Beach
60 minutes from The Valley
Polzeath Beach is a haven for those who want that postcard beach day. When the tide goes out, the beach offers a huge expanse of golden sand that is perfect for building sandcastles! The water is also perfect for both surfing and bodyboarding with long, slow-breaking, consistent waves.
Keep your eye out though, once the tide comes in, the sand is almost entirely covered. Luckily, the village is packed with cafes, pubs and little shops to browse so you won’t feel like your day has been wasted!
There is lifeguard cover on the Easter bank holiday, weekends during April, daily from 5th May to 30th September and weekends during October.
There is a seasonal dog ban from 15th May to 30th September from 10am to 6pm.
7. Crooklets Beach, Bude
90 minutes from The Valley
While this might seem like quite a trek for a beach, the golden sands of Crooklets Beach in Bude are well worth the trip! Surrounded by rocky outcrops that are perfect for rock pooling, this beach is very popular with families.
Only a short walk from the town centre, Crooklets Beach also offers some great amenities, including level access, a large car park, a play area, a skate park, a cafe and even beach huts for hire.
There is lifeguard service from 19th May to 30th September. A seasonal dog ban is in place from 15th May to 30th September between 10am and 6pm.
9. Widemouth Bay Beach, Bude
90 minutes from The Valley
Another Bude beach awarded the Blue Flag this year is Widemouth Bay. Only three miles south of the town of Bude, this beach is popular with newbie surfers and families.
Because of the great surfing conditions, many local surf schools are based in Widemouth Bay, making it the perfect spot to first take to the water. And if surfing is a bit too extreme for you, the waves are also great for body-boarding!
There is lifeguard cover on the Easter bank holiday, Weekends during April, daily from 5th May to 30th September and weekends during October.
Dogs are allowed all year on the Black Rock / South Beach parts of the beach. On the rest of the beach dogs are banned from15th May to 30th September between 10am and 6pm.
10. Summerleaze Beach, Bude
With sand in every direction, this is a fantastic and popular beach in Bude.
RNLI lifeguards are on duty from 5th May to 30th September and on the Easter bank holiday.
Dogs are allowed all year, but must be on lead from 15th May to 30th Sept from 10am-6pm.
Seaside Award: Great Western Beach, Newquay
30 minutes from The Valley
The Seaside Award is presented to the best beaches in England and celebrates the quality and diversity of our coastline, and Great Western Beach is one of five in Cornwall awarded in 2026. Surrounded by cliffs and rockpools, Great Western Beach is one of four beaches in Newquay that’s popular with families and surfers alike.
As well as only being a short walk from the amenities in Newquay, at low tide, you can even walk along the golden sands to either Towan or Tolcarne beach.
We hope this guide to some of Cornwall’s award-winning beaches helps you narrow down your choices while on your holiday this year.
If we’ve left you feeling inspired for a seaside holiday, why not get in touch with us and book your perfect family getaway today.
Image Credit: Visit Cornwall