Six Secret Beaches in North Devon and Cornwall

Planning a last-minute seaside holiday but don’t want to be overrun by the crowds? Here are six ‘secret beaches’ and recommended holiday cottages in the coastal counties of Devon and Cornwall. Of course, it’s impossible to find a beach so secret that no one knows about it, so I picked out those that look lovely, are somewhat off the beaten track and are recommended by locals, who instinctively know the best beaches away from the main drag on which to chill out on a summer’s day.

Secret Beaches in Devon

Lee Bay, North Devon

Lee Bay nestles on the rugged North Devon coastline between Ilfracombe and Woolacombe. Lee is one of those ‘time forgotten’ villages where you could be forgiven for believing you’d slipped through a time warp back to the 1950s as you descend through sleepy Lee village in the valley towards the beach.

The Bay has two equally appealing faces: at High Tide, when the sea laps against the sea wall, and the turquoise colour of the ocean contrasts with the rugged grey cliffs and bright greens of the trees and fields that dip down towards the shore. It’s the kind of view you need to take home with you. To be at Lee on a full tide is a time for peaceful contemplation of all that is well with the world. Take a seat on the wide sea wall and watch the sunset over the ocean, then turn about and walk through meadows to The Grampus, an ancient and very convivial low-beamed pub serving fine local ales and scrummy pub-grub where children and dogs are equally welcome.

When the tide recedes, the Bay becomes a playground for all ages. It’s a beach made for rock pooling – you can wile away the hours, shrimp net in hand, dabbling in pool after pool, discovering all kinds of sea life nestling between the fronds of weeds. A good expanse of sand is also revealed by the retreating tide, offering a choice between sandcastle building, paddling, or swimming, depending on the time of year and the height of the waves. During the main summer months, boats will collect visitors from the beach for a tour along the coastline towards Ilfracombe. Take a picnic though as, besides toilets and a small car park, there are no shops or cafes – just a few old fishermens’ cottages, although half a mile up the valley is an excellent pub, The Grampus, which has a good menu and welcomes children and dogs.

Stay at...

Old Maids Cottage in Lee Bay. View More...

This luxury holiday cottage sleeps six minutes from the beach and has an excellent family-friendly pub within a 2-minute walk.

Seacombe Sands, South Devon

This is one secret beach that leads to an even more secret beach thrown in for good measure.

Deep in the heart of South Devon, a hop and a skip from Salcombe, lies Seacombe Sands, a wide sandy beach backed by incredible rock formations that provide shelter and picnic spots directly below the holiday cottage recommended. It isn’t easily accessed, but its beauty attracts seaside connoisseurs. But, less well known and for the intrepid only, is the beach called Rickham Sands. This lies to the west of the main beach. You’ll need to pack a tide table in with your picnic. Only at the lowest tides is it possible to walk around the rocky headland separating the two beaches. At all other times, access can only be gained by scrambling over the rocks. It has been labelled the perfect ‘Famous Five’ beach. There are rock pools and usually enough driftwood to have an evening fire. As the tide recedes, a stretch of firm sand is revealed that invites ball games or races. In August, its secrets get discovered, but peace and privacy prevail at most other times – all too rare on the south coast of England.

Stay at...

Stay at: Ferrydown in Salcombe.

Branscombe, East Devon

You’ve got to want to go to Branscombe. There are no main roads into town here – just some meandering narrow Devon lanes where, in the height of summer, judicious use is made of passing places the height of summer That being said, it’s well worth the journey to this overwhelmingly quaint village strung out along a valley floor amid a riot of flowers in summer.

Boasting two pubs, the no-nonsense Fountain Head, which serves excellent real ale and proper pub food and the Masons Arms – a proper thatched gastro-pub, there’s no excuse to go hungry here if you’ve forgotten your picnic. You can drive down to the beach (more do-si-do manoeuvres with oncoming cars), or park in the village centre near the thatched forge (still working), and stroll down a picturesque riverside footpath to the shore.

Branscombe Beach is not a classic beach; no sand for starters, just pink and soft-grey pebble ridges, but on a hot sunny day, it’s one of the best beaches for lying in the hot sun, eyes closed but not quite snoozing. Settle down above the water’s edge and listen to the hypnotic splash of waves upon the shore overlaid with the haunting cry of a gull and the occasional chug-chug of a passing clinker-built lobster boat. A couple of spindly jetties poke into the sea. When not used by children as diving platforms (you’ll hear the splashes), they are visited by mackerel fishing boats. Climb aboard and spend an hour or two cruising offshore in one of these, and you’ll have some fine fish to take home for the evening BBQ. Paddling and swimming are lovely – the steep shelving beach means you can be up to your waist within a few feet. Then, when the desire for ice cream, something thirst-quenching, or a cream tea becomes irresistible, The Sea Shanty, a large thatched café, is at your service, nestling just to the rear of the beach.

Stay at:

The Mill House at Boswell Farm Cottages is set in the beautiful, secluded Sweetcombe Valley west of Branscombe and sleeps 6.

Secret Beaches in Cornwall

Porthcurnick, Roseland Peninsula

Porthcurnick beach lies just outside Portscatho on the Roseland Peninsula. Owned by the National Trust, it stays pretty quiet unless it’s absolutely the height of the season. If not, you can scramble around headlands to even more tranquil coves while the tide stays low. Just make sure you leave enough time to return! Porthcurnick Beach is pleasantly isolated, lovely and sandy, and you can take dogs! Take shrimping nets for some lovely rock pools revealed at low tide.

The Beach has an excellent little cafe called “The Hidden Hut”, which you may have seen featured last year in Caroline Quentin’s series on Cornwall. It’s not easily seen as it was built during the Second World War for a purpose that meant it was best “if it wasn’t noticed” from the sea. This usually means it goes unnoticed by the occasional basking shark (strictly the non-dangerous type) that can be seen from its terrace.

Stay at: Sand n Sea in Falmouth. View more...

This pet-friendly luxury holiday cottage overlooks Gyllyngvase Beach on the Falmouth Promenade. Sleeps 6

Trevaunance Cove, North Cornwall

Seemingly designed purely as a place to watch the sunset while imbibing a Pimms or (locally brewed) beer, this cove is more sheltered than most North Cornwall coast beaches, protected by steep-sided granite cliffs. It’s probably the least secret of all the beaches listed here, but it’s a good-sized slab of sand affording plenty of space. There’s an even quieter cove to the north called Trevellas Porth, which will appeal to snorkelers but isn’t quite so family-friendly. This snorkelling territory combines clear waters and a wealth of underwater plant and animal life, making it one of the best locations on the North Cornwall coast for seeing the world through a glass mask. Trevaunance is good for bodyboarding, learning to surf, and bathing with lifeguards from early May to the end of September.

There are caves and rock pools to explore, the ruins of an old harbour for children to clamber over a flat sandy beach below the hide tide mark.

By all means, bring a picnic, but if you leave home without the sandwiches, fret not; there’s a beach shop, a pub with its own brewery and a chippie above the beach to sustain you.

Stay at:

Stay at Rosevean House, a large dog-friendly villa sleeping 12 on the North Cornwall coast near St. Agnes. View More...

Porthcurno Beach, West Cornwall

Porthcurno Beach in West Cornwall.

You’ll need to head far west of Cornwall to get to Porthcurno, but it’ll be worth the trip. This little oasis of a beach is wedged between a couple of rugged headlands and comprises a wide stretch of soft white sand, which beautifully contrasts with the turquoise and blues of the ocean in summer. It is overlooked by the famous Minack Theatre, the UK’s most spectacular open-air theatre. Should the sun drift behind clouds, it’s a short walk up the beach to the wonderfully named ‘Museum of Submarine Telegraphy’, which recounts the story of the days when telephone cables were laid linking Britain and America either, depending on your point of view, coming ashore or entering the sea at Porthcurno.

The beach offers all the necessary facilities to please families (loos, a great beach café, a restaurant, etc.) and a freshwater stream perfect for all those at the paddling stage of their lives.

Stay at:

Bew Cottage near Porthcurno (near Lamorna Cove a fabulous golden sand, white surf beach in West Cornwall. View More...

Choose from three delightful cottages with hot tubs, all converted from granite barns, sleeping 4-11 guests each just above Lamorna Cove, a mile or so to the east.

Stay At:

Meadowside sleeps 4.

Bew sleeps 6.

Tremornah sleeps 11

Feel free to send us your suggestions for future ’Secret Beaches’ articles – or share a tale or two about the time you’ve spent on any of the six listed above. Just use the comments box below.

Discover more holiday cottages close to wild and wonderful beaches:

Holiday Cottages in North Devon

Holiday Cottages in North Cornwall