Where life's a beach

CORNWALL is rightly famed for its magnificent sandy beaches, and one of the best in the county – and England – is at Carbis Bay on the North Cornish coast, a mile or so from St. Ives.

It offers 25 acres of golden sand, every square inch of which is owned by The Carbis Bay Hotel & Apartments. The beach and its waters – warmed by the Gulf Stream – have been awarded the Blue Flag for cleanliness.

Carbis Bay is an ideal centre for touring the county’s west coast and its wild moorland, and the valleys and inlets on the south coast.

St Ives, linked via the South West Coastal Footpath and a rail branch line from Carbis Bay, was named Best UK Coastal Resort by the British Travel Association in 2011.

Attractions there include the West Country branch of London’s Tate Gallery and the Barbara Hepworth Museum. Land’s End and The Lizard are a short drive away, as are the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project. Other superb beaches include Whitesands at Sennen Cove and the three miles of golden sands at Gwithian, Hayle.

Cornwall’s mining heritage can be seen at several nearby sites including Geevor, just along the coast from St Ives.

To read more about Where life's a beach in our Spring magazine click here