Top Things to do in South West England
Top 10 Beaches in South West England, England
Discover the best top things to do in South West England, United Kingdom including Porthminster Beach, Woolacombe Beach, Gwithian Beach, Poldhu Cove, Fistral Beach, Porthmeor Beach, Sennen Cove Beach, Bournemouth Beach, The Lulworth Cove, Watergate Bay.
Restaurants in South West England
1. Porthminster Beach
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,569 reviews
A favorite place for a family outing, this lovely stretch of beach overlooks Godrevy Lighthouse in the distance.
Reviewed By BO88INS
Excellent beach with a weekly (Tuesday) open air cinema across summer, we watched an afternoon showing of The Greatest Showman - thoroughly enjoyed it. Showings sell out quickly so book in advance to avoid disappointment. VIP tickets best, include popcorn, Gin or soft drink and deck chairs at the front. However, seating was provided for standard tickets and you could get pretty near the front if you arrived early.
2. Woolacombe Beach
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3,630 reviews
Woolacombe beach is family owned & family run with families in mind. We provide car parks, a lifeguard service, toilets, first aid and food and beach goods outlets.
Reviewed By amandataylor0205 - London, United Kingdom
Breathtaking view of Lundy Island this beautiful beach was outstandingly clean even though it was absolutely packed with families enjoying the sunshine. Great waves for surfing and lovely little natural pools for the younger children to play in safely. One of the best English beaches we have visited.
3. Gwithian Beach
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 471 reviews
Reviewed By OldBear - Wigan, United Kingdom
A safe beach with RNLI Beach patrols on this and Godrevy Beach. It’s ideal for swimmers but more of a magnet for surfers and body boarders. Surf hire and surf lessons are also available. There are a few car parks, the closest being a National Trust which is free to NT members but the vehicles are crammed in with very little to to maneuver in parts. The beach is a five minute walk. There is also a grassed car park further up the hill which ideal for picnics , both locations provide nice views of St Ives Bay and nearby Godrevy Lighthouse and St Ives.
4. Poldhu Cove
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By L8953EYandym - Staffordshire, United Kingdom
Second time we've stayed at Trewoon in Poldhu cove. Lovely spot to relax on the beach, grab a drink or bite to eat from the friendly beach cafe or book a surf lesson. The coastal path goes up either side of the beach for those seeking a bit more adventure. Already booked to return next year.
5. Fistral Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,365 reviews
This splendid beach offers excellent water for surfing and body boarding.
Reviewed By mummatash73
Love love this beach ... The facilities are fab.The Life Guards are highly trained & observant ..We are generally here most weekends .And while Covid has played havoc this season in Cornwall & UK .. Procedures are mainly respected with a one way system in place for restaurants /toilets ... Although it is a dog friendly beach.You wouldn’t know it the owners are in a huge majority of cases respectful
6. Porthmeor Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,174 reviews
This half-mile-long beach with firm sands is a popular recreational area around St. Ives, where all amenities are available, including beach chalets.
Reviewed By P5169HXdavidr
Great beach with good amenities and a great surf school easy access and very clean well worth a visit
7. Sennen Cove Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 533 reviews
Just north of Land's End is England's most westerly beach, with good breaking surf for beginners.
Reviewed By Biggusrachus
We spent a day at Sennen Cove and the whole family caught some brilliant waves on our bodyboards. A really stunning location, great for surfing/bodyboarding or just playing on the beach. The RNLI Lifeguards were particularly helpful and active throughout the day and spent a lot of time in the water looking out for people and helping to keep them within the flagged areas as the wind kept blowing people too far across. Probably now my favourite beach so far in Cornwall!
8. Bournemouth Beach
9. The Lulworth Cove
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 26 reviews
This 5-mile section of coast from White Nothe to Warbarrow Bay contains beaches, ecology, geology and beautiful walks.
Reviewed By ClaireAdamMoss - Ilfracombe, United Kingdom
We stayed in our campervan at Durdle Door to see the sights. Not knowing or having researched the area at all I am so very glad we took the walk to Lulworth Cove. Fantastic walk over the hills and down into the village below.Such stunning scenery, you really can not fail to be blown away by the beauty. We were pretty lucky that we had a relatively nice day and the visibility was good. We walked over to the Stair hole area and looked at the fascinating geological marvels of this coastline. The variety of rock formations and how nature has carved it's beauty in such wonderful ways. It has such diverse rock formations and as you carry on towards the headland the beauty of Lulworth cove becomes more evident with each step! Such beautiful views and we wish we had more hours in the day so we could have explored the fossil forest but will have to return to discover more. The village itself is lovely and extremely picturesque with a lovely little mill pond, leading to a stream, leading to the beach. Plenty of places to eat and drink and a lovely welcoming little place. So glad we made the visit!
10. Watergate Bay
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 815 reviews
Reviewed By JimB3453 - Lyndhurst, United Kingdom
I have been visiting Watergate Bay for 25 years. It’s a glorious beach, with miles to explore, great waves for surfing or body boarding, attentive and helpful lifeguards, a shop, a cafe, a restaurant and three good car parks. I would recommend the car park on the cliff top, which is reasonably priced and it’s not really a long walk, I did it daily with a rucksack and longboard. I can think of nowhere else I would rather be ❤️
