9 Blue Flag Beaches in Cornwall

March 28th, 2023

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 2023.

Make your stay at our 5 star holiday park 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 2023

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 on weekends during April and daily from 29th April to 24th September, Porthtowan is a great spot for families and even has a children’s play park at the top end of the beach.

2. Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth

23 minutes from The Valley

Perhaps one of the most popular beaches in Cornwall, Gyllyngvase Beach 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 13th May – 24th September, it’s no wonder that this beach was awarded the Blue Flag award this year.

3. Great Western Beach, Newquay

30 minutes from The Valley

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.

4. 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 8th July – 3rd September, this beach is definitely a favourite among families.

5. 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!

6. Trevone Beach

45 minutes from The Valley

The lovely cove of Trevone Beach 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.

7. 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!

8. 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.

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!

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

Places To Visit in Cornwall Near The Valley

May 24th, 2021

With how the past year has gone, it’s understandable to still be wary of travelling. So, why not treat yourself to a holiday a little closer to home?

A rural, luxury Falmouth holiday is just the thing you need to help you relax and get back in touch with yourself.

As Covid restrictions continue to ease, we’ve made a list of some of our favourite places to visit in Cornwall. And the best part? They’re all within 10 miles of our site. So, if you want to explore what Cornwall has to offer and still be home in time for tea, then this is the list for you.

Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve

Only 2 miles away from our site at The Valley, Bissoe Valley Nature Reserve is a former mine site that boasts beautiful and easy nature walks.

Owned by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Bissoe Valley is dedicated to creating a Cornwall that is rich in wildlife. Their vision is for people to care about the natural world and help ensure its protection for generations to come.

Being so close to our site, you can have your pick of transportation to the reserve. It’s only a 6-minute drive or 8 minutes to cycle. Or, if you’d prefer to be in the arms of Mother Nature for a little while longer, you can walk to the reserve in just under half an hour.

Trelissick Garden

Only 3 miles away, nestled in the woodlands on the River Fal you’ll find Trelissick House and Garden.

Owned by the National Trust, Trelissick Garden is a scenic estate that’s perfect for woodland and riverside walks. With an onsite gallery, second-hand bookshop and a cafe serving hot and cold food and drinks, it’s easy to feel a world away.

Trelissick Garden is only a 7-minute drive from our site and only 25 minutes to cycle along the B3289.

King Harry Ferry

Just a stone’s throw from our previous attraction of Trelissick Garden, you’ll find The King Harry Ferry.

One of only five chain ferries in the UK, the King Harry Ferry runs seven days a week, all year round. The ferry departs from Feock and crosses the Fal River to Philleigh with a journey time of only 5 minutes. This means you’ll avoid the 27-mile journey through Truro and Tresillian if you’re trying to reach St. Mawes or the Roseland Peninsula.

The ferry runs every twenty minutes and can be used whether you’re in a car, on a bike or even on foot.

Truro Cathedral

With the city of Truro only 4 miles away from our site, it would be absurd for you not to visit Truro Cathedral.

Built between 1880 and 1910, this Gothic Revival style Cathedral soars above the surrounding rooftops. Truly an architectural marvel, the Cathedral sits in the centre of the thriving city of Truro and is within walking distance of various shops, cafes, restaurants and more.

Truro is an 11-minute drive from our site with plenty of parking available throughout the city. Or, you can catch the U1 bus that runs every 30 minutes to and from the city until late at night.

Royal Cornwall Museum

Only 5 miles away from our site and also within the Truro city limits is the Royal Cornish Museum. The museum was founded in 1818 by the Royal Institution of Cornwall who is also responsible for the establishment of the Courtney Library.

The museum is a hub for Cornish culture with exhibits ranging from an extensive collection of minerals from Cornwall’s mining heritage to collections of art and history.

The museum is a 12-minute drive or you can catch the same bus service as you would to see the cathedral. Why not make a day of it and visit both attractions for a real feast of Cornish culture.

Enys Garden

Enys Garden is situated just over 5 miles from our site and features beautiful gardens and woodlands as well as a variety of 20th-century buildings. They even host weekend art exhibitions and have multiple tearooms on site.

Along with gorgeous flower-filled gardens, you can also view the Mansion House which was built in the 1830s. Though mostly only open for the occasional event, the house is available to view in its entirety from the outside.

The onsite cafe holds true to Cornish values, offering a variety of fresh baked goods daily as well as a cream tea served with traditional china. Just make sure you put the jam on first!

Enys Garden is a 14-minute drive from our site or you can enjoy more of the countryside with a half-hour bicycle ride.

Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm

No matter when you choose to visit, you’ll have an amazing time at Healey’s Cornish Cyder Farm.

Only a 15 minute drive away, this family-run farm has been making award-winning cyders, wines, juices and more for nearly 40 years!

The farm offers a wide range of activities for all seasons. Why not take a guided tour of the farm and see firsthand the journey from orchard to bottle. Or visit the museum to see the history of an award-winning cyder company. You can even have taster sessions where you can sample over 20 different drinks in their range.

Penrose Water Garden

Nestled in a beautiful woodland valley only 9 miles from our site you’ll find the Penrose Water Garden.

Established over twenty years ago, this particular attraction is one of Cornwall’s best-kept secrets. Here, you can see aquatic plants growing in their natural environment as well as view some of the local wildlife who have made Penrose Water Garden their safe haven.

With guided tours around the ponds and the beautiful Lily Tearooms, you’re sure to find something spectacular. There’s even a selection of Cornish crafts available to buy from the shop so you can take a little slice of Cornwall home with you.

Whether you’re stepping out for the first time this year or you just want to see more of what Cornwall has to offer, why not give one of these attractions a go on your next holiday with The Valley.

Image credit: Visit Cornwall

What’s Open at The Valley?

April 12th, 2021

We are incredibly excited to announce that all of our facilities at the Valley will be open from the 12th April, apart from the restaurant as per government guidelines. With social distancing measures still in place, we explain what to expect as we reopen the doors of our luxury cottages in Cornwall once again this spring.

Our Facilities

Here at The Valley, we pride ourselves as being a safe and secure family haven that welcomes your beloved pet dogs. We have many exclusive leisure facilities in our gated cottage complex for you and your family to enjoy. These include:

 

• Restaurant
• Fitness suite
• Indoor and outdoor heated swimming pools
• Spa Pool
• Games room
• Hot tub
• Squash and tennis courts
• Accessible location

 

Below we will be taking a look at the opening times and social distancing policies of each one!

Restaurant

Our cottages’ huge appeal is the option to self-cater or indulge in our onsite restaurant.

 

With most of our facilities opening from 12th April, our restaurant requires a slightly longer wait, with our doors planned to open on 17th May when our guests can safely sit in the indoor dining area.

 

Being in such an accessible location, our cottages are fantastic if you want to explore the restaurants in Truro or Falmouth, which provide outside dining areas before 17th May.

Swimming Pools

The Valley offers a fun family experience with our choice of indoor or outdoor swimming pools. Our outdoor pool is heated from the middle of June to September, and our indoor pool is fantastic for all-year-round fun!

 

All facilities that are usually communal, including our swimming pools, will be bookable by one family at a time, this can be organised when you arrive at the cottages. You will be given an available time slot to enjoy the exclusivity of the pool.

Other Communal Areas

Other communal areas such as our fitness suits, games room, squash and tennis court will also be accessible to individual families through our bookable slotting system, which can be arranged upon arrival.

Hot Tubs

Some of our luxury cottages are complete with a hot tub for you to unwind after an exciting day of exploring! Our hot tubs are extensively cleaned for your safety and hygiene.

Cleaning

We would like to mention that all of our cottages undergo thorough cleaning procedures every time our guests vacate to ensure that every one of our guests’ personal safety and welfare is adhered to. Our accommodation is expertly cleaned with an extremely high level of hygiene being maintained.

Outdoor Areas

Our beautiful cottages are set amongst the remote Cornish countryside, conveniently located away from local towns, meaning you can safely enjoy the seclusion and make the most of an abundance of open outdoor space.

More About Our COVID Policy

To discover more about our COVID and cleaning policies, you can read through them here!

 

We look forward to seeing you soon. If you have any further questions about what to expect, please don’t hesitate to contact us- our team will be on hand to help you with any queries! In the meantime, why not discover some of the potential and exciting events scheduled this year in our blog.

Local activity centre awarded over £53,000 by BBC Children in Need

March 09th, 2015

In the news this week, local activity centre and charity BF Adventure has been awarded over £53,000 by BBC Children in Need to help develop their provision of facilities for those with learning difficulties and disabilities.

BF Adventure is only ten minutes from our 5 star holiday cottages here at The Valley in Cornwall, and during the school holidays they run some really great themed activities which include Teddy Bear Picnics, Superhero Day, Bushcraft, Mini Explorers and the BF Olympics. Aimed at children aged 7 to 11, BF will supervise the children all day from 9:45am to 3.30pm so you can have some grown up time safe in the knowledge that the children are having the time of their life! And if you’re feeling left out, don’t worry, BF Adventure isn’t just for the kids, they also do amazing day packages for everyone aged between 7 and 70, for corporate events and birthdays or celebrations with an outdoor wow factor.