Swimming at Charlestown, St Austell

Typically any moderate wind direction, other than a fairly rare easterly works at Charlestown. Taking all necessary precautions, you can swim out of the harbour or opt for safer entry off the beach immediately next to the harbour…on either side. From there you have a number of options. *If you are swimming from the harbour check the tide. There isn’t a lot of water at low tide! A very short swim may include entry in the harbour and a swim around the corner to the beach. A longer swim may include a round-swim to Duporth Bay to the south (anywhere from 1-2km) or circular route from Charlestown to Porthpean Beach and back (approx 3km). Please be aware that some of the route is quite secluded and these swims would be best with a swim ‘buddy’ and possibly tow floats. If unsure, swim these routes on an incoming tide.

…and here’s additional footage of Porthpean. Porthpean has a small car park just above the beach. Charlestown has a larger car park and some free on-road parking.

10 Epic lesser known swims in Cornwall

1. KYNANCE : of course this is very well known. However, most people stick to the ‘main drag’. At a certain state of tide there is a secret cave to the east. I’m not going to give away too many details…I’ve nicknamed the cave ‘the Devil’s Chimney’.

2. Porthchapel. Sits a short walk and scramble away from it’s famous neighbour Porthcurno. It’s a little off-grid and remote (always swim with a friend) but well worth the effort.

3. Kennack Sands. Offers a great day out. Fantastic walks, good swimming, a lovely beach and 2 cafes on the beach…for your convenience.

4. Porthpean. It’s not particularly secret…but if there’s someone out there reading this that’s planning a trip to Cornwall and wants some advice… Always reasonably safe and flat, clear water, stunning surrounds and lots of swim routes from the beach.

5. Praa Sands. Better know for it’s surfing but when there’s no surf you have some stunning swims around the point, to the west. Always talk to the lifeguards first and let them know your plans.

6. St Just-in-Roseland pool / harbour. You need a Spring high tide for this one but if you get it right you swim in a beautiful harbour surrounded by a sub-tropical garden and church. It doesn’t get much better.

7. Porthoustock/Porthallow. They’re a slight pain to get too (from anywhere!) and they’re not the most stunning swims but I love them. Always easy parking, very safe, clear water, there’s a crazy building at Porthoustock (that was a torpedo testing facility during the Cold War), great pub at Porthallow… Avoid the quarry side of the bay at Porthoustock.

8. Mother Ivey’s Bay. Great option on the north coast. Stunning, undeveloped beach with golden sands and a gorgeous lifeboat station.

9. Polurrian Beach. A quiet beach in the Lizard, that takes effort to access…hence the ‘quiet’. Beautiful swim towards Mullion or a slightly more adventurous swim to Poldhu (in the right conditions!).

10. The Gazzle, Newquay. Swimming from the back of Little Fistral to Towan Beach. Great little exploratory swim. You need to do this in the right conditions and be really, really careful if you’re going to swim across the harbour mouth at Newquay Harbour. *You can exit at the Fly Cellars’ just before the harbour. You also need to be careful of fishing lines at the Fly Cellars!

    PLEASE DO TAKE CARE - if you take on any of these swims. Always do your research and plan your swims. We’d suggest swimming on an incoming tide and preferably a neap tide, minimising water movement…

Porthpean Beach, St Austell.

Swimming at Charlestown, St Austell.

Walking down to Charlestown Harbour is like walking into a film set…possibly because it is used as a film set! The site has been used on the BBCs recent adaptation of Poldark and Doctor Who, as well as Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland….and a number of other titles.

Charlestown is a UNESCO world heritage site and it’s a little like stepping back in time when you access certain areas of the harbour and won Tripadvisor’s ‘Travelers’ Choice Award’ for 2021.

For swimming Charlestown is ideal. It’s not great on a moderate to strong easterly wind…but we don’t get that many days (particularly in the summer) where the wind blows in that direction. Europe is also in the way for big swells to roll on in.

In terms of swims - you can swim from Charlestown to Carlyon Bay and back, swim Charlestown to Porthpeanand back or opt for a shorter swimming route from Charlestown to Duporth and back. Alternatively, you could swim one way and walk back across the coastal path.

Charlestown has quite a few spaces in local car parks, as well as lots of on-street parking. The local town has all of the facilities that you’d need for a swim or day out.

Swims are best accessed from the beaches either side of the harbour. The harbour is quiet in terms of traffic but you still get the odd boat travelling in or out… Take care.

Swimming Charlestown to Porthpean (& back) - approx 2.5-3km

Swimming Charlestown to Carlyon Bay (& back) - approx 2km

Swimming Charlestown to Duporth Beach (& back) - approx 1-1.5km

Swimming at Porthpean Beach, St Austell

We carry out a lot of our swimming activity in west Cornwall, mainly as we’re based in the local area. Cornwall as a whole has some stunning swims throughout the entire county.

Personally I’m not a massive fan of the town but St Austell in particular has a number of outstanding swimming options. The highlight of these options (for me) being the Charlestown and Porthpean area.

Porthpean - is a quiet beach, a mile or two along the coast from Charlestown Harbour. You can find a small car park just up the road from the beach (PL26 6AX). It’s then a 2 minute walk down to the beach. We’ll include a video/photos rather than a description. The water quality and clarity is always great. You’d want to avoid the entire area on an moderate to strong easterly wind.

Charlestown - always a real treat. Ample car park space and a fair bit of on-street parking. I always pop into Short and Strong for a coffee whilst in the area…there are lots of other options. The harbour itself is stunning and has featured in a number of films, including Alice in Wonderland. As well as Dr Who and the BBCs most recent adaptation of Poldark.

SWIMS : great swim from Porthpean to Charlestown and back. Best attempted on an incoming tide, near to high. Approx distance 2-3km. There’s also a very active, very social group of local swimmers.

Other routes might include a longer swim from Porthpean to Carlyon Bay.