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.
Booby’s Bay is one of the wilder links in the chain of beaches north of Padstow known locally as the Seven Bays, set just beyond Constantine Bay and reached along the coast path that connects the two. Rocky and undeveloped, it looks out past Trevose Head, where the lighthouse stands guard over this exposed corner of the north coast.
The shore is patterned with rock ledges, hollows and pools, and at low tide the sand opens out and joins Constantine Bay in a single broad sweep. It is a beach for wandering and exploring rather than easy paddling: the rocks that give it such character also make the water lively, and it is the rugged, natural feel that draws people here. On the lowest tides the blackened timber ribs of the Carl, a sailing ship wrecked on the reef during the First World War, sometimes emerge from the sand – a haunting reminder of how unforgiving this coast can be.
Walkers come for the long views and the sense of space, while the headland path offers some of the finest coastal scenery in the Padstow area. It rewards those who like their beaches raw, big-skied and largely left to nature.
Common questions
- Where is Booby's Bay?
- Booby's Bay is on Cornwall's north coast near Padstow, just north of Constantine Bay, reached via the coast path that links the two beaches.
- What is Booby's Bay known for?
- It is known for its natural, undeveloped character, plentiful rock pools and rock ledges, and long views to Trevose Head lighthouse; at low tide it often joins up with Constantine Bay.
- What's the nearest town to Booby's Bay?
- Padstow is the nearest town, a short drive away, with the village of Constantine Bay right beside the beach.
