Treyarnon Bay, Cornwall – Sandy Cove & Tidal Pool near Padstow

HOLIDAYS IN TREYARNON BAY

Treyarnon Bay is a small, sandy cove on the North Cornwall coast, about four miles west of Padstow in the parish of St Merryn. It is one of the run of beaches between Trevose Head and Bedruthan Steps often called the Seven Bays, with Constantine Bay just around the low headland to the north and Porthcothan a little further along the coast to the south.

The beach is a gently curving bay of soft golden sand between two low, rocky arms, backed by sand dunes and marram grass. A small stream runs down the valley and across the sand to the sea, and at low tide the beach opens out a long way, with rock pools all along its rocky edges.

What makes Treyarnon special is its natural tidal pool – a large rock pool in the rocks at the side of the bay, refilled by every tide and deep enough for a proper swim. On a sunny day at low water it is one of the busiest and happiest spots on this part of the coast.

Treyarnon is an easy beach to visit. The car park sits right behind the beach, with a short, gently sloping path down onto the sand, and there are toilets, small kiosks selling refreshments and beach goods by the car park entrance, and RNLI lifeguards in the main season. Dogs are welcome on the beach all year round.

Above the beach, YHA Treyarnon Bay stands on the low headland, a youth hostel since 1947 with a café and bar open to non-residents, and there are caravan and camping parks in the fields behind the bay. The South West Coast Path runs right past, making Treyarnon a lovely base for walks to Constantine Bay, Trevose Head and Porthcothan.

For somewhere to stay, see holiday cottages near Treyarnon and Constantine Bay, holidays and short breaks around Constantine Bay and Padstow holiday cottages.

Best Time to Visit Treyarnon Bay

Summer brings warm sand, lifeguard cover and the tidal pool at its best – but the car park can fill early on fine days in the school holidays, so arrive in the morning, ideally on a falling tide. Late spring and early autumn are often the nicest times of all, with quieter sand, long light evenings and settled seas.

In winter, Treyarnon is a wild and beautiful place for a bracing walk, with big Atlantic swells breaking over the rocks and dogs free to run on the sand. Whatever the season, check the tide times – the tidal pool and the rocks are only easy to reach around low water.

TREYARNON BAY BEACH

Treyarnon faces out to the north-west, straight into the Atlantic, and its sand is held between two low arms of dark, layered rock. At the back of the beach the sand rises into a small area of dunes covered in marram grass, where the stream comes down the valley from Treyarnon hamlet and spreads out across the beach on its way to the sea.

At high tide the beach is a compact cove; as the tide drops it grows into a broad sweep of firm sand, and the rocky ledges on either side are uncovered. These are full of rock pools – good hunting grounds for shrimps, crabs, anemones and small fish – but the rocks are slippery and the tide comes back quickly over the flatter ground, so keep an eye on the water.

The cliffs around the bay are low and made of crumbly slate and shale, which breaks away easily. Enjoy them from the beach or the coast path, and avoid climbing on them.

The beach has an in-depth page in our Cornwall Beaches guide, alongside the other beaches around Padstow.

THE TREYARNON TIDAL POOL

Treyarnon’s best-known feature is its tidal pool, a large natural rock pool in the rocks below the youth hostel. It has been dammed and shaped by hand over the years so that it holds its water as the tide goes out, and every high tide washes over it and refills it with clean sea water.

In its deepest part the pool is said to reach around eight feet, so it is big and deep enough for a real swim, sheltered from the waves that roll in a few yards away. Children love it, and so do wild swimmers, who come for a dip in calm, clear water at almost any time of year.

The pool is only usable for a few hours either side of low tide – at high water it disappears under the sea. The rocks around it are uneven and slippery, there is no lifeguard at the pool itself, and it gets very busy on sunny summer days, so go early on a falling tide, take care getting in and out, and always keep a close eye on children.

Check the Treyarnon Bay tide times before you go. The tidal pool is only safe to swim in around low tide.

SURFING, BODYBOARDING & BEACH SAFETY

Treyarnon catches the Atlantic swell and is a popular beach for bodyboarding and for beginners finding their feet on a surfboard, especially on smaller days. More experienced surfers tend to head next door to Constantine Bay, which picks up more swell. For lessons, the nearest surf schools are at Harlyn Bay and Polzeath – see our Surfing in Cornwall guide.

RNLI lifeguards patrol Treyarnon during the Easter holidays and then daily from early May to late September. When they are on duty, swim and bodyboard between the red and yellow flags, and surf between the black and white chequered flags. Outside those times there is no lifeguard cover.

Like every open Atlantic beach, Treyarnon has rip currents, particularly beside the rocks at either side of the bay, and the tide can cut people off on the rocks around the headlands. If you see someone in difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

• RNLI – Treyarnon Beach lifeguard dates
• RNLI – rip currents and how to escape them

THE COAST PATH TO CONSTANTINE BAY & TREVOSE HEAD

The South West Coast Path runs right along the top of Treyarnon Bay, and the walk north to Constantine Bay is one of the easiest and most rewarding short walks on this coast. From the beach, follow the low cliffs past the youth hostel and around the headland, where benches along the path make perfect spots to stop and watch the sea and the sunset. The walk takes around ten to fifteen minutes.

Constantine Bay is a long, wide sweep of sand with its own small car park, toilets and a surf shop nearby – and because the two beaches are so close, it is easy to park at Treyarnon and walk round if Constantine’s car park is full. Like Treyarnon, Constantine welcomes dogs all year.

Carry on past Constantine and Booby’s Bay and the path leads out to Dinas Head – its name comes from the Cornish word for a fort – and on to Trevose Head and its lighthouse, with huge views along the coast. Heading south from Treyarnon instead, the path passes a string of small rocky coves on its way to Porthcothan, and on towards Bedruthan Steps.

• Treyarnon to Trevose Head walk (South West Coast Path)
• Treyarnon to Porthcothan circular walk (South West Coast Path)

THINGS TO DO AT TREYARNON BAY

Treyarnon is a beach for simple pleasures – sandcastles, rock pools, a swim in the tidal pool and a walk along the cliffs at sunset. For families, the easy access, lifeguards and sheltered pool make it one of the best beaches on the coast for younger children. On rainy days, Padstow’s shops and harbour, Newquay’s indoor attractions and the Eden Project are all within a drive.

1. Swim in the tidal pool around low tide.
2. Go rock pooling on the ledges either side of the beach.
3. Try bodyboarding between the flags in the lifeguard season.
4. Walk the coast path to Constantine Bay and on to Trevose Head.
5. Watch the sunset from the benches on the headland.
6. Stop for a drink at the café and bar at YHA Treyarnon Bay, above the beach.
7. Explore the Seven Bays – Porthcothan, Harlyn Bay, Trevone and Mawgan Porth.
8. See Bedruthan Steps – Bedruthan Steps & Carnewas.
9. Spend a day in Padstow – Padstow guide.
10. Cycle the Camel Trail from Padstow to Wadebridge – Camel Trail.
11. Learn to surf – Surfing in Cornwall.

HISTORY OF TREYARNON

The name Treyarnon comes from the Cornish Tre Arnen, usually explained as “Garnen’s farm” – and for most of its history this was simply a farming hamlet above a quiet cove, part of the parish of St Merryn.

People have lived along this coast for thousands of years. The headlands around Treyarnon carry the banks and ditches of Iron Age promontory forts, and Dinas Head, to the north, takes its name from the Cornish word for a fort, with a Bronze Age burial mound on the headland even older than the fort itself.

The modern story of Treyarnon begins with holidaymakers. The house on the headland above the beach was built as a private holiday home in the 1930s, and in 1947 it opened as Treyarnon Bay Youth Hostel. The hostel was extended over the years and thoroughly refurbished in 2004, and today YHA Treyarnon Bay sleeps around 68 people, just 50 metres from the sea.

This coast can be dangerous for shipping, too. In 1969 the small coastal tanker Hemsley I ran aground in Fox Cove, just south of Treyarnon, and her wreck remained on the rocks for years afterwards.

PLACES NEAR TREYARNON BAY

• Constantine Bay – a long surf beach a short walk north along the coast path.
• Porthcothan – a sandy cove with a village shop, about 1.5 miles south.
• Harlyn Bay and Trevone – family beaches on the other side of Trevose Head.
• Padstow – the busy harbour town on the Camel Estuary, about 4 miles away.
• Mawgan Porth and Bedruthan Steps – further south towards Newquay.
• Newquay – Cornwall’s surfing capital, about 10 miles south.