Trebarwith Strand Beach

The approach sets the tone. You drop down a steep wooded valley to a narrow inlet where the sea pushes in against dark slate cliffs, and the beach itself plays a slow game with the tide. At high water there is almost no sand to speak of, just rock and surging Atlantic; as the tide pulls back, a string of smaller beaches joins into a broad sweep that runs the best part of a mile northwards. Because that transformation is so complete, the timing of your visit matters more here than at most Cornish beaches, and it is always worth checking the tide tables before you set off.