Gyllyngvase Beach

Gyllyngvase, known to everyone in Falmouth simply as Gylly, curves along the town's south-facing seafront within easy walking distance of the centre. A wide arc of golden sand meets gently shelving, sheltered water, with the great fortress of Pendennis Castle standing guard on the headland to the east and views opening out across the bay towards the Lizard and the mouth of the Helford River. Its sheltered aspect and town-edge setting make it Falmouth's most popular and accessible beach.

Behind the sand lie the well-kept Queen Mary Gardens, planted with the lush, tender greenery that flourishes in this mild corner of the coast, from drifts of agapanthus to the giant leaves of gunnera. The beach sits on the South West Coast Path, with an easy stroll westward leading to the smaller Swanpool Beach and its nature reserve, and a more bracing walk eastward climbing around Pendennis Point.