Gwithian Beach & St Ives Bay

It doesn’t take long to work out why Cornwall is famous for it’s coves and beaches. Just a short walk from Gwithian Holidays is the three mile stretch of sand that makes up Gwithian Beach and St Ives Bay.

Many of the nearby beaches are dog friendly and regardless, you can take a dog on the dunes that surround Gwithian village and lead onto the beach at any time of the day and year.

Godrevy Lighthouse

At the northernmost point of St Ives Bay is Godrevy Lighthouse. Godrevy Lighthouse was built in 1859 to warn sailors about the presence of the ‘Stones’ that reach out from the lighthouse.

The lighthouse is still in use today however the light in the tower is no longer used. The light is now situated on a steel platform on the rocks.

The lighthouse is thought to have been used as inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s novel, ‘To The Lighthouse’.

Get amongst the action….

Gwithian Beach and St Ives Bay has gained a reputation as one of the best places in the UK to surf and have a surfing lesson. There are waves to suit all abilities on this three mile stretch of beach and if the waves aren’t suitable at one end of the beach then a short walk will usually result in more favourable conditions.

The beach is lifeguarded from April to later October so grab a surfboard or bodyboard and get amongst the waves.

If the wind is howling then head to the beach to watch the kitesurfers or join them with a kitesurfing lesson from Pasty Adventures.

…..or Relax

There are endless amounts of activities that you could indulge in on the beach but there is plenty of space to relax in too. Explore the towans (dunes), go rockpooling, check out some of the old caves and adits that are part of Cornwall’s rich mining history….

or just lay down a towel, open up a good book and soak up some sun.

Dog Friendly Beaches in Gwithian & St Ives Bay

The Godrevy section of the beach is dog friendly from 6pm to 9am during the summer months from May 1st to September 30th (shaded red). There is a small area at Gwithian where dogs are allowed on a lead (shaded yellow) to access the remaining 2 1/4 miles of year-round doggy heaven (shaded green). This runs from Gwithian all the way southwest until you get to Hayle.

Just west of the where the river Hayle meets the sea is Porthkidney Sands, another quiet dog friendly beach that connects up with Carbis Bay on a very low tide.