Whitsand Bay

Top choice in South Cornwall


Small coves dot the coastline of the Rame Peninsula, but for a proper stretch of sand, this huge – and undervisited – bay is the place. Pronounced whitsand (and not to be confused with its namesake near Sennen), it's a vast 3-mile expanse that's actually made up of four distinct beaches, backed by dunes, and accessed via cliff paths and steps. It's mostly covered at high tide, but the reliable swells make it popular with surfers whatever the weather.

It's a little out of the way compared to Cornwall's main sights of interest, so it's a good bet if you want to escape summer crowds – and it's an easy day trip from Plymouth.

Offshore, a naval frigate called HMS Scylla was sunk here in 2004 to create an artificial reef for divers.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby South Cornwall attractions

1. Cawsand & Kingsand

1.98 MILES

While many of the coastal villages have become gentrified to the point of being unrecognised, these twin villages still genuinely feel like the fishing…

2. Rame Head

2.2 MILES

A great bulk of rock topped by a picturesque clifftop chapel, Rame Head is another of Cornwall's most majestic coastal viewpoints, with a jaw-dropping 360…

3. Antony House

3.09 MILES

Owned by the National Trust and occupied by the Carew-Pole family, this house's main claim to fame is its decorative gardens, designed by the 18th-century…

4. Mount Edgcumbe

3.1 MILES

Encompassing 350 hectares, this Grade I–listed estate was built for the Earls of Edgcumbe, but is now owned by Cornwall and Plymouth City Councils. It's…

5. Plymouth Hoe

4.77 MILES

Francis Drake supposedly spied the Spanish fleet from this grassy headland overlooking Plymouth Sound (the city's wide bay); the bowling green on which he…

6. Drake Statue

4.78 MILES

A monument to one of Plymouth's most celebrated sons, Sir Francis Drake – the globetrotting explorer and hero of the battle against the Spanish Armada.

7. Smeaton's Tower

4.8 MILES

The red-and-white stripes of Smeaton's Tower rise from the middle of the Plymouth Hoe headland. For an insight into past lighthouse keepers' lives, head…

8. Port Eliot

4.8 MILES

This glorious country estate is the family seat of the Earl of St Germans. The Grade I–listed house is open for three months of the year; guided tours of…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "england/rame-peninsula/attractions/whitsand-bay/a/poi-sig/1569562/1341760",
      "destination": "South-Cornwall",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "England",
      "region": "South-Cornwall",
      "position": "superzone"
    }