A Lovely Sunday On Crantock Beach
During our fantastic weekend glamping at Trevella Park, we visited Crantock Beach. It was only a short 5 min drive from the campsite. Apparently it was walkable, but the road was quite busy and fast and my 3 year old would probably have struggled walking over the fields (short, little legs!).
National Trust
We are National Trust members, so we headed for the National Trust car park (Sat Nav TR8 5RN). We headed up after a leisurely breakfast at about 11ish. This was a bit of a mistake! We should have got there much earlier. The National Trust car park was full and there was a long line of cars waiting for a space. Apparently, during the Summer holidays you need to get there before 9:30am to be guaranteed a space. There is another car park behind the National Trust one, up the hill, but this cost £6 a day. Not bad, but as we could park at the National Trust car park for free, we decided to get into the queue and wait for a space. In actual fact, it only took about 30mins for enough spaces to be freed up for people to park. I think lots of people drive there with their dogs for a nice early morning walk and so aren’t staying there for the day.
The Gannel
Crantock Beach is much much bigger than I expected. It is bordered by some beautiful sand dunes and to the right hand side is The Gannel river. We arrived at low tide and The Gannel was shallow and safe to paddle or swim in. Do be careful though as the tide does come racing in once it turns. The lifeguards warn you not to go in at high tide due to strong currents and rips. The main sea area is safe to swim in (between the lifeguard flags).
Sandcastles
The sand on Crantock Beach is lovely – really fine and soft. It is great for building sand castles below the high tide line. Although there were obviously lots of people on the beach it didn’t feel crowded. There was lots of space for everyone to spread out and enjoy.
Paddling
Crantock Beach is really good for young children. There are lots of pools to splash and paddle in and it all feels really safe.
Coffee
As it was Sunday morning and we had spent the night camping, the grownups did feel in need of coffee. Fortunately there is a brilliant ex-army truck serving the most delicious coffee (plus teas, soft drinks, snacks and ice creams). It was £2.50 a coffee – not too bad for a coffee on the beach!
There are a few places to get food on Crantock Beach, but we brought a picnic with us. You do need to watch out for seagulls, but they are far less annoying than in St Ives!
Dog Friendly Beach!
Crantock Beach is a dog owners paradise! It is dog friendly all year round and there are lots of dogs there. Whilst we were there all of the dogs were well behaved and we didn’t see ANY DOG POO! Amazing.
Sand Dunes
The sand dunes that border Crantock Beach are stunning. They are superb for exploring and running up and down! We had loads of fun and left with very achy legs!
Useful Information About Crantock Beach
Car Parking. You can park at the National Trust Car Park (Sat Nav TR8 5RN). This is free for members, but if you are not a member it is cheaper to park at the car park on the hill – £6 for the day.
Toilets. There are toilets in the National Trust car park or in Crantock village.
Food & Drink. There are places to eat & drink in Crantock village. During the Summer months there are kiosks along the beach to buy refreshments. There is also a cafe on the other side of the Gannel called the Fern Pit cafe. You can get to it by their little ferry and a walk up the steps.
Surfing & Beach Equipment. You can hire surfboards and beach things from the surf kiosk on Crantock Beach.
Lifeguards. Crantock Beach is lifeguarded from May to September. Please always swim, surf and bodyboard between the flags. Crantock Beach does have some strong currents, so please listen to the lifeguard announcements for details.
Have you read 101 Brilliant Things To Do In St Ives Cornwall?
It will give you so many ideas of things you can do on your next visit to our lovely town!
Have You Heard About Our St Ives Game?
If you love St Ives you will love playing it!
