Porthminster Beach

Tucked into the sheltered, sun-facing side of St Ives Bay, Porthminster enjoys one of the mildest microclimates in the country. Palm trees sway along the seafront and the water takes on a clear, almost tropical hue on a bright day, giving the beach a relaxed, faintly exotic feel that sets it apart from the Atlantic-facing surf beaches just around the headland. Its position below the town, beside the railway station, makes it one of the easiest of Cornwall's great beaches to reach.

The soft golden sand and gentle, sheltered water have made it a family favourite for generations, and its repeated Blue Flag awards reflect both the cleanliness of the water and the quality of the surroundings. Above the sand, free-to-enter subtropical gardens climb the slope towards the town, planted with the kind of tender, exotic species that thrive in this unusually warm corner of the coast.