Where to escape the crowds in Cornwall and Devon

The wild, rugged beauty of the far southwestern tip of the UK needs no introduction. The appeal of life by the sea is at fever pitch.

Nowhere in the UK boasts quite the same breadth or quantity of excellent, award winning beaches – picturesque stretches of sand, coves and swimming spots can be found peppered up and down the coastline.

Keeping away from the crowds is increasingly difficult, but it can be done. In this list of some of the best beaches in Devon and Cornwall, we’ve focused on a good balance between accessibility and facilities, and those more secluded beaches that require a little more effort to get to.

Portheras Cove, West Cornwall

Interestingly, until around 2004, when the wreckage was cleared, parts of Portheras Cove were out of bounds due to the sharp metal fragments strewn across the beach from the running aground of the MV Alacrity in the 1960s (watch a short film of the event on BFI Player here).