The Locals’ favourite Beaches
There are a LOT of beaches near our campsite, but only the locals know where the best spots are.
We’ve compiled all the nearest beaches in this map, with our opinions and a little information on each, so that you can make an informed decision about which beaches will be on your must list - it’s a tough job deciding, but someone’s gotta do it!
You can find surf forecasts, live webcams, tide times, wind direction and swell information for the top surfing beaches at Zuma Jay or Magic Seaweed.
Crackington Haven
Crackington Haven is a small, picturesque village, leading to a lifeguarded beach within a sheltered cove, with a little sand at low tide and interesting rock formations stretching into the sea. There are small cafes and a pub by the beach, and there are lovely walks along the cliffs - with High Cliff, Cornwall's highest cliff standing at 735ft (223m) high, a mile away. This is a local favourite, and is often less busy than Bude beaches.
There is a ticketed car park across the road from the beach.
Summerleaze
Just a short walk from the town centre of Bude, Summerleaze is the main and most popular beach of the area - and for good reason! Summerleaze has a long lifeguarding season, with a spacious car park (pay and display), toilet and play park facilities, natural sand dunes and to top it off, Summerleaze beach is home to Bude’s iconic Sea Pool.
Summerleaze beach is great for swimmers, sunbathers and surfers alike, with large stretches of sand at low tide, and a reliable wave for surfing and bodyboarding. If you are planning on a full day, or even a week of family fun at the beach, you can also hire a beach hut, making for a great daytime base during your stay.
Trebarwith Strand
A sleepy seaside village, Trebarwith Strand is home to a gorgeous sandy beach at low tide, and lots of opportunity for rockpooling within its unusually pink and blue rock formations. There are also lovely walks along the cliffs to the north of Trebarwith Strand.
Parking is in a ticketed car park in the valley, a short walk from the beach.
Widemouth Bay
(pronounced ‘Widmuth’)
Widemouth Bay is a favourite amongst surfers and families alike, with a large accessible car park, huge stretch of sand and lifeguards on patrol for most of Spring-Autumn. Widemouth is close to Bude, without being strictly a town beach, and has several great bars and restaurants nearby, all with gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean.
Sandymouth
Sandymouth beach is a beautiful natural beach, with spectacular high cliffs, long stretches of sand at low tide, and a strip of large pebbles at low tide, and plenty of rockpools boulder, and even a shipwreck to explore. This beach is lifeguarded, but can be rippy, so following lifeguards instructions and swimming between the flags is vital at all times. There are also stunning walks in either direction along the coastpath, or along the beach at low tide. To the North you can walk to Duckpool, and to the South you can walk via Northcott beach to Bude and the town's beaches.
There is a large National Trust car park at the top, and a 5-10 minute walk down (via a wide dirt track, with a few concrete steps at the bottom) to the beach.