With an abundance of beautiful beaches and stunning cliff top spots in Cornwall, one of the best things to do in my opinion is to just watch the sun go down over the sea! But which spots should you visit most, how do you get there and what do you need to know? Find out in this blog post!
Here's a list of our top five favourite places to watch the sunset in Cornwall!
Trevose Head
It definitely doesn't get much better than Trevose Head for a spot to watch the sun go down in Cornwall! Sure, there's no facilities like toilets or a cafe, but the car park is the perfect vantage point to look out at the Atlantic, with fantastic views of the beautiful surrounding beaches and, of course, the incredible lighthouse with crashing waves and rugged rocks beneath it.
Getting there: Driving on the B3276 from Padstow, you'll first want to head in the direction of Harlyn Bay by taking a right turn shortly after the village of Windmill, where the 30mph speed limit is introduced. Following this road past the Harlyn Beach car park, over the bridge and continuing it up the hill, you'll then want to take a sharp right turn when the road starts to veer left. The road will get quite narrow and turn a couple of corners until you reach a signposted right turn that leads you on a bumpy road to the carpark on the headland. Postcode PL28 8SH.
Widemouth Bay
About an hour further up Cornwall's north coast sits Widemouth Bay. Prepare yourself for a beautiful, sandy beach that stretches for miles! Or you could just watch the sunset simply right from the car park, just like at Trevose Head! Personally, I love this area for photography in particular because of the interesting rock formations that can be found at low tide. Just be sure to bring your camera if you pay a visit!
Getting there: Driving north on the A39 between Wadebridge and Bude, about 4 miles before Bude, simply take the turn off signposted for Widemouth Bay and Bude (Coastal Route). Follow this road for just over a mile and take your pick of carpark. Postcode EX23 0AW.
Perranporth Beach - The Watering Hole
Perranporth is another great location for people that want to watch the sun go down. The main car park points in the perfect direction in the summertime, and there's more parking up on the clifftop on the left side of the beach, as well as huge sand dunes round to the right. Perranporth is perfect for surfers that want to spend the day in the water too. The same goes for Watergate Bay and Polzeath, but Perranporth wins it for me because of The Watering Hole - “the UK's only bar on the beach.”
Getting there: Driving between the Chiverton Cross and Carland Cross roundabouts on the A30, you'll want to turn off at points depending on the direction you're coming from. If coming from Chiverton Cross roundabout, your prefered exit is actually on the roundabout towards Newquay on the A3075, followed by a left turn onto the B3284 just over a mile later. If coming from Carland Cross roundabout, you'll want to turn off the A30 about a mile and a half from the roundabout onto the B3285 via Goonhaven. Postcode TR6 0JN for the main car park or postcode TR6 0DT for the carpark on the cliff.
Gwithian Towans Beach
For those that enjoy the shelter of a sand dune to watch the sun go down (perhaps with a BBQ or a bonfire if it's disposed of properly), then Crantock, Constantine and Holywell Bay are all great options. However, my favourite would have to be Gwithian Towans, because it offers so much more than just the sand dunes - a great view of Godrevy lighthouse out on it's very own island in the bay!
Getting there: Driving north east from Hayle on the B3301, take a left turn just before the town of Gwithian for Gwithian Towans long stay car park. Postcode TR27 5BT. Alternatively, if coming from the other direction, head for Portreath and you can enjoy the coastal road that runs alongside the North Cliffs to Gwithian.
Land's End
As the saying goes “last but definitely not least” is Land's End! With it being Britain's most south-westerly point, it had to make the list. Therefore, it should also be on the bucket list of anyone living in Britain! Get a selfie next to the iconic Land's End sign, sip a cold beer or Cornish cider and take in the stellar scenery, incredible cliffs and of course the sunset!
Getting there: Simply follow the A30 west from Penzance for about 8 miles. Shortly after passing the turn off for Sennen Cove, you'll arrive at the car park. Postcode TR19 7AA.
What's your favourite place in Cornwall? Leave a comment below to let us know!