Praa Sands

Praa Sands is a little coastal village set along South Cornwall’s picturesque coastline between Porthleven and Penzance.

As the name implies, the beautiful sandy beach at Praa Sands stretches a mile between Hoe Point and Rinsey Head. We can highly recommend walking the South West Coast Path from Praa Sands to Porthleven! But as a flat beach, it’s also accessible for granny to join you too! As you walk the beach, look out for the blackened spots to the base of the dunes. These are ancient peat beds made up of the decaying forest that once covered this area of Cornwall and make for a fascinating nature walk. You’ll also find the nearby Pengersick Castle in the village. The supposedly haunted castle dates back to the 16th century and was once part of an impressive Tudor fortified mansion.

The beach is dog friendly September to Easter and sheltered by impressive sand dunes that allow for families to play in the shallows whilst further out, the beach is a popular surfing spot for those ‘in the know’. It’s a seasonal lifeguarded beach and you’ll find all your surf hire needs met through the resident Global Boarders Surf School.

The car park is just above the beach, so easily assessible. Almost on the beach itself, the Sandbar restaurant and bar offers panoramic views out to sea from its bar terrace and home cooked food with a Mediterranean twist - all locally sourced in Cornwall. From their winter ‘Roast on the Coast’ to summer evening gigs with a rosé on the open-air terrace, the dog-friendly Sandbar truly is a hidden gem!

The village itself is small and charming, with characterful pubs including the Coach and Horses pub just a few minutes’ drive away. Praa Sands has thankfully remained one of Cornwall’s smaller and quieter beach villages.  You can base yourself here whilst you spend your days exploring haunts such as nearby St Michael’s Mount and perhaps the foodie delights of nearby Porthleven by night.