Your Guide to Pedn Vounder Beach in Cornwall

Is this the Caribbean or… Cornwall? With turquoise blue waters and sweeping cliffs, Pedn Vounder is Cornwall’s not-so-secret hidden cove. My favourite feature is the beautiful sand bank that surfaces during low tide, leaving lots of room to wander and explore. With it’s sweeping views and soft sand, this beach is a truly magical place. Although I must warn you that getting to this beach can be quite the task (and rather dangerous!) so here are some of my top tips for visiting this special place!

WHAT TO BRING
The beach is rugged and natural. This means that there are no facilities whatsoever and the path down is not for the faint hearted. Saying this, make sure you wear trainers (I didn’t and I had to do most of the tough climb barefoot which isn’t ideal) and bring a backpack (instead of a beach tote, again making my life difficult for myself). Dress smart, pack light, bring your own beach towel + snacks and enjoy!

WHERE TO PARK
The closest parking you will find is in the small village of Treen. It is a grassy lot and it costs £2 for all day parking (what a steal!) and conveniently located next to a public loo (20p) and the Treen Cafe which sell tea and snacks including local Cornish crab sandwiches, ice creams and lollies. Postcode: TR19 6LQ. From this parking lot it is a ten minute walk to the Beach. You can also similarly park at Porthcurno, it is a more popular beach so it does get full during peak hours and the walk is a little longer at 20 minutes Postcode: TR19 6JX.

HOW TO GET THERE
Opposite Treen cafe is a path, follow it for 5 minutes until you hit the campsite and then turn left to go down the coastal path. From there you will hit a three way fork, choose the middle path for the direct route to Pednvounder Beach. You will also walk past a giant rock which is a great viewpoint for those cliff top photos (just be careful and stay away from the edge!). Towards the end of the path, there will be signs of danger, please be careful and watch your step! The dirt path transitions into jagged rocks and ends ultimately with a very steep 1min near verticle rock climb down towards the beach. It is definitely do-able, but be safe! Once you’re down the hard part is over as it is much easier to climb back up. If you’re with young children, old dogs or have umbrellas and kit, perhaps this beach is not for you however you can definitely still enjoy the view from rock on the path before heading down the fork on the right onto Porthcurno beach instead next door.

PLAN YOUR TRIP TO THE TIDES
Make sure to check the tide times and arrive for LOW TIDE, as this is the only way the little sliver of shallow water and sand will reveal itself. We visited end of July and low tide for this day was approx 2:30pm.

BE MINDFUL
This is a hidden little gem and a big part of that charm is that it is frequented by locals who are careful to protect the natural beauty of this place. Make sure you leave things as you’ve found them and do not leave
any belongings (especially litter) behind. There are no facilities, so carry your trash in your bag till you reach the top please! Also, as is the case with a lot of more secluded coves in Cornwall, Pednvounder is frequented by nudists and naturalists. In my opinion, this makes changing out of my swimsuit sooo much easier haha! Not to mention it’s the perfect beach to tan ‘European’ style, aka tops off. Just make sure to have that in mind before you post a video or photo without checking if there is anyone who may not want to be featured in it.