Our Top Places to Picnic In Cornwall
Finding beautiful, un-crowded picnic spots in the UK is becoming more and more difficult! Visits to Cornwall in particular have sky-rocketed and if you haven’t yet booked accommodation, you’ll be lucky if you can find a spot to pitch your tent!
So, what makes the perfect picnic spot? We think it’s a flat, comfortable surface, whether it’s a spongy piece of grass or sand dune you can sink into. In Cornwall, of course you need a sea-view for seal spotting, watching the surf, the boats or the sun go down.
Ideally, it’s also a place which has easy access to the beach for a swim and also parking nearby. We asked our Cream team to have think about their favourite places to picnic in Cornwall and have listed them below:
The Sand Dunes At Perranporth
A long sandy beach backed with sand dunes, a beautiful coastal walk and wild grasses. Vicki has chosen this spot as her favourite, it’s the closest beach to where she lives in Truro and she loves to sit on top of the dunes with a portable BBQ in the evenings and enjoy the sunset. It’s not a secret spot but the beach is large enough for everyone and it’s always a lot quieter in the evenings.
She thinks it gets some of the best sunsets in Cornwall as the beach is so long and the reflection of the pink clouds in the wet sand is always stunning!
It’s a very dog friendly beach and Perranporth town is a 2 minute walk from the dunes where there’s a large car park and public toilets too. There’s also plenty of eateries and a co-op if you need to top up on food or drink.
Click here to find out more.
Kynance Cove:
Located on the stunning Lizard peninsula where the waters are so clear they could easily be mistaken for the Caribbean on a hot summer’s day; Kynance cove is one of Freyja’s favourites! It’s a gorgeous bay made even more spectacular by the little islands that surround it.
Accessed via a 10 minute walk from the National Trust car park, it’s best to get there early in the morning and make a day of it!
From the car park you walk over the headland and down onto the beach which is where most people settle for the day. But, if you walk up the hill onto the next headland you find a large flat grassy area with crystal clear views which is the perfect spot for a lunchtime picnic!
Click here to find out more.
Lighthouse Bay
This is one of Rebecca’s favourites, the journey to reach this picnic spot is so picturesque and idyllic! Park in St Mawes and get the very cute little ‘Place ferry’ across to St Anthony’s lighthouse, you can even take your dog on it! The ferry runs every 30 minutes and has spectacular views of the Roseland peninsula en-route.
When you arrive, stroll along the white sands of lighthouse beach, have a swim and then walk up onto the coastal path to choose from one of the many flat grassy verges to set-up your picnic! This coastline is lined with stunning pine trees which act as the perfect picture frame for the turquoise sea-views, make sure you bring some binoculars as the Roseland peninsula is also well known for it’s dolphin activity!
Click here for info on the ferry and walks.
Harlyn to Trevone
This part of the north coastline is very striking and one that Jen, who works at our warehouse, always comes back to! There’s a fascinating combination of rocky shoreline, sand, dune and tide pools to explore! There are so many spongey, grassy patches along this stretch of coast to choose for your picnic. And for keen walkers, there are beautiful coastal paths from the beach to Mother Ivey’s and Trevose head which Jen finds so scenic.
Harlyn bay has one of the most family friendly beaches, send your little ones off to surf school or why not hire a sea-kayak and explore the surrounding coves.
There’s easy access parking right at the beach and also the field above as well as public toilets.
Click here to find out more.
Chapel Porth
This picnic spot is one of Alice's favourites and is a must for sunset! Park at Chapel Porth beach car park and walk up the coastal path to the right of the beach, it’s a little steep so make sure you’ve got sturdy walking shoes on! Either pack a picnic or pick up some fish and chips from St. Agnes en-route which is only a couple of minutes away.
There are a couple of engine houses and a tin mine at the top of the hill, which makes the view even more scenic! It’s lovely to have a wander around the ruins and take in the sunset from all angles. If you’re into photography make sure you take your camera as the pretty little flowers and grasses that line the cliff tops are so picturesque against the ocean backdrop.
After your picnic make the journey back down the cliff footpath before it gets too dark!
Click here to find out more.
Kiberick Cove
One of Tim's favourites, this little gem on the ‘Cornish Riviera’ is gorgeous to visit for a lunchtime picnic so you can take in the clear, turquoise waters!
This is more of a secluded spot but there's a car park just across the field from the beach with plenty of space and it’s only a 5 minute stroll from the beach itself. The most breathtaking place to sit and enjoy the view is on one of the grass verges that line the cove.
In the summer, this beach is perfect for a snorkel! You’ll find spider crabs and a variety of fish and different seaweeds to explore.
You’ll often find people mooring their boats in the shallow waters and jumping in for a swim. Sit, relax and enjoy your picnic, then take a drive to the beautiful little fishing village of Portloe for a drink, which is just around the corner!
Click here to find out more.
If you read this blog and try out any of our recommended spots, please let us know what you thought!
We'd love to hear.
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