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.

Safer Swimming Guide - Porthcurno

I can’t believe that we’ve written dozens of safe(r) swimming guides over the last couple of years but never written one featuring Porthcurno Beach.

Well here it is. A guide to safer swimming at Porthcurno. There are also a couple of suggested swim routes, over to Logan Rock and around the corner to the Minack Theatre (for a very unique perspective).

Porthcurno to Minack and back - approx 500-600m

Porthcurno to Logan Rock and back - approx 2-2.5km…if you swim Porthcurno to Logan Rock on a fairly large spring tide, at low tide you could walk large parts of it. So if you weren’t up to a 2.5km swim to could do a swim-walk-swim. Just watch out for the nudists!

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SWIMMING AT PORTHCURNO :

PREVIOUS PORTHCURNO SWIMS :

Safe Swimming Guide - Church Cove

This is right up there with some of the best swimming in Cornwall. I’m not sure I need to say any more than that!

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.

Top 10 West Cornwall Swims

We’ve pretty much swum every inch of the west Cornwall coast. Here are our top 10 swims-ish. It’s really hard!

10. Prussia Cove - it’s not just the swimming but the whole experience. Beautiful, fairly quiet cove. Magical walk down. You can swim around to Keneggy or go west and back round to the start. Typically fairly clear water, always a bit chillier than other local areas though!

9. Swimming out through Porthleven Harbour (we definitely wouldn’t recommend this without an experienced guide!) and swimming SE along the beach. This is a hard one to beat in the right conditions. It’s difficult not to be impressed with some a stunning harbour.

www.saltwaterimages.co.uk

8. Carbis Bay to Porthkidney and back. Crystal clear water and a white sand beach. Definitely worth doing at high tide.

7. Lamorna Cove. Can be a bit hit and miss. If storms and rough seas bring in seaweed it often gets stuck there for months. You get this beach right however, it’s like being in the tropics. Clear water, white sand, an abundance of fish…

6. Mousehole and St Clement’s Isle. Mousehole is one of my favourite places in the world. Stunning village and harbour. St Clement’s Isle offers a 1-1.5km swim (depending on how straight you swim!). Give the island a wide birth ensuring you don’t get too close to the seals.

Mousehole Harbour

5. Rinsey to Praa Sands and back. Loads of see on the way. A few caves and rock features to explore en route too. At the time of writing there isn’t much sand on Rinsey beach so might be difficult to get into the water.

4. Zennor. Again, this one is about the whole experience. Stunning village, followed by a stunning coastal walk. You have to scramble down the side of the valley to het to the beach…something that older, or less mobile readers may struggle with. For me though, it’s well worth the effort. Secluded bay, clear waters….don’t swim alone though and ensure someone knows where you are.

3. St Michael’s Mount. I think I’ve marked the Mount down, simply because I’ve taken so many groups around it. I don’t think I need to write much about the Mount.

2. Kynance Cove & swimming around Asparagus Island. Breath-taking swim. Incredible rock features, both on top and underneath the water. The walk down to the beach is worth a visit alone. Best swimming at low tide and get there early. It gets very busy in the summer months.

1. Porthcurno. World Class swimming here. Plan your swim for mid-low tide or on a small neap tide. It’s great at high tide but it just gets a bit deeper, a bit darker, the golden sands get lost a little under a high tide. You can swim over to Logan Rock or head west and take in the Minack Theatre.

*To help plan your swims in Cornwall we’ve created a Cornish swimming map book - where you can record, plan and get suggestions for your swimming trip or check out our Cornish Swim Trumps card game. CLICK HERE

Swimming at Lizard Point

I still haven’t done this swim! I’m going to tick this off my swim list this summer! Stunning dipping opportunity here, well worth the drive. Beware that this isn’t a very safe spot to swim. This area is very exposed to the elements and you can get a lot of water movement, in most tidal states.

Swimming in the Praa Sands area

This is a really easy area to ‘sell’ but we do recommend swimming around the Praa Sands area with some caution. If it’s pan-flat conditions and the wind is light the area offers some stunning swims. The reason we’ve mentioned being cautious is simply because of the remote location of the swims. Swimming around some of these headlands offer very limited opportunities to passers-by to spot you, should you have any issues.

With either of the following swims - always swim in a pair or group…or even better, take someone along on water safety / get a guide. Both swims can easily be extended in length and offer a stunning swim, that’s a little off the beaten track.

Praa Sands does regularly get swell. However, in the peak of summer…when we’re (potentially!) surrounded by high pressures the swell often subsides and we get nice flat, calm conditions.

Here are 2 guides to a couple of swims in the Praa Sands area.

Planning your summer of swimming in Cornwall

Whether you’re a wild dipping enthusiast or a serious open water swimmer - Cornwall offers more coastline than the rest of the south west put together…and what a coastline! I’m based in Penzance and we’re spoilt for choice but it’s the same throughout Cornwall. The main advantage we have in Penzance is that we have beaches and swims that pretty much face every direction. This obviously means that you can generally get a swim in regardless of the conditions, with minimal driving involved.

Photo supplied by www.saltwaterimages.co.uk

Here’s a run down of where to swim in various areas…although I may miss out some of my favourite ‘secret spots’ :

ST IVES : Carbis Bay is always a winning choice - clear water, sheltered from S wind/conditions. Easy to add distance if you want an adventurous swim. Rarely any swell. You could attempt the ‘Island’ if you’re feeling really adventurous but we’d recommend a guide and prefect conditions. Any of the town beaches offer beautiful wild dip opportunities.

PENZANCE : the whole of the Mousehole area is world class, especially at high tide. Porthleven Harbour is a swim you’ll remember but again you’ll need a guide, you need to get the tide right. You have several beaches around the Porthcurno area…and if you’re really adventurous you can try and find the beach at Zennor…it is a bit of a scramble down to it mind.

NEWQUAY : can be tricky as it’s hard to escape a westerly wind and big or rough seas if the conditions are challenging. The Gannel Estuary at high is a stunner! As is Crantock Beach when the conditions are flat. You can travel north to Mother Ivey’s Bay. Whipsiddery to Watergate is one of my fave’s but it’s quite secluded…only attempt that one if the conditions are right, you’re a competent & experienced swimmer and you have company.

ST AUSTELL : straight to either Charlestown or Porthpean. A swim from one to the other…and possibly back. Can’t go wrong! Gorran Haven just down the road is also worth a mention and visit. Lovely little village, full of character. There is another beach in the Gorran Haven area…but I don’t want to upset the locals!

FALMOUTH : I’ve always enjoyed getting off the main drag in Falmouth and popping around the corner from Gyllyngvase to Swanpool or Maenporth. Great spots from swimming!

THE LIZARD : Oh boy! Take your pick. Kynance, Cadgwith, Lizard Point, Church Cove…. Take a few days off.

Photo courtesy of www.saltwaterimages.co.uk

We’ll check in at a later date and talk about north Cornwall.

Swimming at Kynance Cove

There’s no disputing that Kynance is a world class swimming location. The walk down to the beach alone is worth the visit! The only issue with Kynance Cove is the fact that it’s not a very well kept secret…and is usually quite busy. I’ve visited the beach before at 7am and there were a couple of kids on holiday body boarding! Get there early to ensure that you can park.

If you want a magical swim at Kynance Cove get there early. To be honest, once you start swimming you get away from the crowds anyway…but if you want a nice peaceful experience get there before the crowds. If you get there before the crowds be sensible! It is a remote beach, with very limited phone reception. So take precautions, take a friend, check the conditions….be SENSIBLE! At the time of writing lifeguards aren’t present at Kynance during any of the summer. Avoid obviously unfavourable conditions and big tide, particularly when the tide is going out.

Once at Kynance be careful getting down to the beach…it can be slippery and there is often loose gravel and stones under foot. There are 2 ways down, one an access road used for supplies (although the public can’t drive down it) and the second is the public footpath, at the back of the car park. This is steep in places and appropriate footwear is advisable.

Once on the beach there are lots of small stones and boulders to clamber over. I prefer swimming at Kynance at low tide, there’s more sand, better underwater views, easy access to the sandy beach side (far side of the beach) and more room in general.

Once in the water, there are a number of different swim routes. For the less adventurous swimmers I’d advise staying out the front, close to shore or popping through the gap at the far end of the beach (more picturesque on this side) and lots of rock features to swim around and explore. For the more adventurous you can swim around Asparagus Island. It’s around 2km in length. Be aware that you will be out of sight for some time on the swim. Stunning swim though and this swim should be on your bucket list!

If you are feeling adventurous and want to be safe get hold of a local guide.

Swimming Mother Ivey's Bay

A new one for Tom and I can’t quite believe that I’ve never swum here before. Mother Ivey’s Bay was stunning and easily one of my favourite beaches during our charity challenge (and we swam 22 of them so it’s quite the compliment!). We swam it in the perfect conditions and stood on the lifeboat slipway…which is a must!

Avoid the rocks at the end of the point (visible in the middle of the shot below). You can get some weird water movement around and through the rocks.

Swimming Mousehole

One of Sea Swim Cornwall’s favourite swims and the area has something for everyone.

1. Simply swim in the harbour at high tide

2. Swim around the harbour and through the harbour mouth and immediate area (be really careful moving through the harbour mouth). Although it is a quiet harbour the odd boat still comes through. With an outgoing tide you also a little current moving through the mouth.

3. Swim around Mousehole island (St Clements Isle)

4. Newlyn to Mousehole

5. Adventurous and longer swim - Lamorna Cove to Mousehole *You’ll need to put some research into this one and take safety precautions, or employ a guide

6. Also a great area to get young kids into the water in a safe environment

Mousehole is a sleepy fishing village tucked away on the outskirts of Penzance. The village is centred around a stunning harbour, that isn’t quite as busy as it once was but now provides a centre point for this stunning area.

The harbour mouth provides you with a stunning landmark to swim in and out of. The island is surrounded by sea life and offers an incredible underwater landscape to look at as you swim over. The best of the lot is the Newlyn to Mousehole swim. Beautiful landscape and underwater scenery. A little pit stop at the lifeboat station on the half way point is worth a stop.

Easily one of our Top 10 Cornish swims.

Sea Swim Cornwall's Safe swimming Guide - Porthminster

Welcome to Porthminster Beach, St Ives, Cornwall. Good all-rounder. Just be aware that parking can be a problem in the main season…even if you get there early! Could be worth parking up at St Erth train station and getting the train in. Great train ride too.

SSC Beach Rater - Sennen Cove

I lifeguarded here for a summer and love this beach. A bit of an effort to get to but well worth that effort.

You have it all…surf, sand, sand dunes, walks, great local village. Great all round day out.

Beach Rater - Marazion Beach

We’ve completed a Safe swimming Guide for Marazion. I thought it might be nice to add a beach rater to the area. So here it is :

• Despite the high rating I rarely visit this beach. Possibly a little too busy for my taste. If you’d like a safe, beautiful beach, with plenty to do (a family day out)…then this is for you!

SSC Beach Rater - Bedruthan Steps

A stunning beach but there is a bit of a climb down steep steps. It’s also quite remote, so don’t swim alone or possibly avoid if you have any serious or regular medical issues.

For more info click the link below :

https://www.visitcornwall.com/beaches/toilets-nearby/north-coast/newquay/bedruthan-steps-beach

Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall

Beach Rater - Mousehole Harbour

You can either park on the near side of the harbour and pop onto the sand, or either drive through (or around the back) of the village and park and visit the far side of the harbour. The wind direction may influence which part of the harbour you visit. One of my favourites, with the kids.

Sea Swim Cornwall's Safe Swimming Guide - St Just-in-Roseland

This one is an absolute stunner! A little remote and slightly tricky to find but well worth the effort. The tiny harbour at St Just-in-Roseland offers one of the most stunning starts and finishes to a swim that you could imagine! Finishing in a quaint little harbour, in the shadow of a stunning church and gardens. I’d go as far as to say that this could be a bucket-lister.