Tucked in amongst the grassy dunes with epic Atlantic views or sprawled out on your own sheltered stretch of sand…when the sun’s shining, you can’t beat a beach barbecue in Cornwall. With so many beaches to choose from, the hardest bit is deciding where to go, so we’ve picked our favourite spots across Cornwall for a sizzling seaside feast.
Before we get started, please remember to always be mindful when barbecuing in public areas — make sure you take a bin bag for your rubbish, avoid disposable plastic plates and cutlery, never, ever leave hot coals lying around although we highly recommend using your own re-usable barbecues, make sure to use a barbecue bin if using disposable ones.
Porthmeor, St Ives
This scenic, sheltered beach in the coastal town of St Ives is beautifully flat and is the ideal place to watch the sun set on a summer’s evening. With the town centre just behind the beach, there are plenty of places to pick up local produce in St Ives for your beach feast, from delis and bakeries to farmers’ markets and wine shops.
Gylly Beach, Falmouth
Sheltered from most of the Atlantic swell and with its Blue Flag status, Gylly Beach is a perfect family-friendly year-round beach barbecue spot. Its waters are mostly flat and it’s lifeguarded in the summer. There’s paddleboard and Kayak hire on the beach if you want to work up an appetite beforehand, and the buzzy town of Falmouth is a short hop for barbecue supplies.
Crooklets Beach, Bude
This popular Blue Flag Beach is flanked by rocky outcrops which are brilliant for rockpooling families — the little coves along the beach are perfect sheltered barbecue spots. It’s a short walk from the bustling town of Bude; at low tide Crooklets and Summerleaze merge to form one long bay several miles long.
Marazion and Long Rock, Mount’s Bay
With unbroken views of St Michael’s Mount and huge evening skies, Marazion Beach in the beautiful Mount’s Bay area is an accessible, family-friendly spot for a barbecue. Together the beaches of Marazion and Long Rock make up the stretch of the coast from the Mount to Penzance. When the wind picks up, this is a great spot for watching kitesurfers perform tricks out at sea.
Port Gaverne
This little dog-friendly cove near the sweet village of Port Isaac is perfect for a sheltered barbecue — the beach is flanked by Port Isaac headland on one side and Port Gaverne’s headland on the other, keeping it nice and protected from the big Atlantic waves and wind. There are rockpools at low tide whilst at high tide, you can enjoy the waves lapping at the shore as you cook al fresco.
Gwithian
This list would be incomplete without beautiful Gwithian Beach on it. Backed by dunes, this large beach makes an ideal spot for a sheltered beach barbecue. With large sandy dunes, epic sunsets and lifeguards to watch over kids safely bodyboarding, it ticks all the beach barbecue boxes. If you’re lucky enough to be staying in one of our Gwithian properties, you can simply wander over the dunes and take your pick of spots.
Poldhu, Lizard Peninsula
The sheltered cove of Poldhu on the remote Lizard Peninsula is a great place for an evening barbecue. With seasonal lifeguards, brilliant rockpools, a popular surf school and popular cafe playing live music during the summer months, there’s a relaxed, easygoing vibe to this lovely little beach.
Need barbecue supplies? See our Shop Local in Cornwall guide and find bakeries, delis, farmers’ markets and other places selling local produce in Cornwall.
