The full guide
Read straight through, or use the planning notes above to shape an easier coastal day.
Lifeguard cover changes by beach and season. Check the RNLI's current patrol dates before travelling, then follow local signs, flags and lifeguard advice on the day. Do not rely on a previous year's timetable.
Beach View sits along the Towans, the rolling belt of dunes that gives this part of the Cornish coast its name – “towans” is the old Cornish word for sand dunes. Backed by marram grass and shifting hummocks of sand, it forms part of the long arc of beach that follows St Ives Bay from the mouth of the Hayle estuary, with the white tower of Godrevy lighthouse marking the far end of the sweep and St Ives gathered on the headland to the west.
It is a beach built for space rather than spectacle. The sands run wide and open at low tide, the dunes rise soft and golden behind, and there is room enough that even on a busy summer day you can find a quiet hollow to call your own. The Towans are prized for their wildlife as much as their walking, home to a remarkable range of dune plants, butterflies and ground-nesting birds.
Most visitors come simply to walk, to let children loose on the dunes, or to settle in with a windbreak and watch the Atlantic roll in across the bay. The whole three-mile stretch links up at low water, so a stroll here can carry you for miles along the tideline before the sea turns you back.
Common questions
- Where is Beach View beach?
- Beach View is at Hayle in west Cornwall, forming part of the long run of dune-backed sand known as the Towans along the southern edge of St Ives Bay.
- What is Beach View beach known for?
- It is known as part of Hayle's three miles of golden sand backed by sand dunes, with sweeping views across St Ives Bay and plenty of room to roam.
- What's the nearest town to Beach View beach?
- Hayle is the nearest town, with St Ives a short distance around the bay to the west.
