Whitsand Bay Beach Cottages

Whitsand Bay Beach Cottages and the Rame Peninsula

Coastal villages and nearby places

Kingsand and Cawsand are two of the main nearby villages, set close together on the Rame Peninsula. They offer pubs, cafés, small beaches, narrow streets and views across Plymouth Sound, giving you a more village-based day out than Whitsand Bay itself. They are good options when you want food, a wander and easier access to the water.

Portwrinkle sits at the western end of Whitsand Bay and has a quieter coastal feel, with two small beaches and views along the bay. Torpoint is handy for local services and ferry access towards Plymouth, while Plymouth gives you larger shops, restaurants, museums, the Barbican and waterfront walks. Looe and Polperro are also within reach if you want a more traditional Cornish harbour day.

Beaches around Whitsand Bay

Whitsand Bay Beach is the main beach, stretching for several miles below the cliffs between Rame Head and Portwrinkle. It is sandy at lower tide, with surf, rock pools and plenty of room for long beach walks. Access is less straightforward than at many town beaches, so check the route down before carrying lots of kit.

Tregantle, Sharrow, Freathy and Tregonhawke are some of the named sections along the bay, each with slightly different access and parking. Tregonhawke is one of the better-known spots for surf schools and beach activity. Portwrinkle offers smaller beaches at the western end, while Kingsand Beach and Cawsand give you more sheltered village beaches on the other side of the peninsula.

Walks, viewpoints and things to do

The South West Coast Path is a major part of a Whitsand Bay stay, with cliff routes linking the bay, Rame Head, Cawsand, Kingsand and Portwrinkle. The views are excellent, but the paths can be steep, exposed and uneven, so this is proper coastal walking rather than a gentle seafront stroll. Rame Head is one of the key local landmarks and gives wide views across the coast and Plymouth Sound.

Whitsand Bay is also a good area for surfing, bodyboarding and beach walking when tide and sea conditions are right. The Rame Peninsula adds quieter days out, with Mount Edgcumbe, Cawsand Bay, Penlee Point and ferry links towards Plymouth. This area is best for visitors who want cliffside scenery, open beaches and small villages rather than a busy resort with everything on the doorstep.