Once again, the South West has excelled in this year’s Blue Flag awards with 32 beaches in the entire region scooping the accolade, out of just 71 nationwide. Cornwall & Devon have been awarded 21 Blue Flags between them, and Devon has had a stellar year with 14 award-winning beaches. To see the full list, read more.
Firstly, please note that although the criteria to be a Blue Flag beach are very stringent, it also costs more than £800 to even apply. This means that councils don’t always have the funds to enter every deserving beach into the Blue Flag scheme. The moral is, just because it doesn’t have a Blue Flag, doesn’t mean there is something wrong with it! Click Here to find out more about the Blue Flag scheme.
Cornwall Blue Flag Beaches – 2019
Bude – Widemouth Bay Beach, EX23 0AW
It has done it again! Widemouth Bay, our closest sandy beach, is a mecca for families and surfers alike. Wide, sandy, and easily accessible, Widemouth has finally gained the recognition it deserves! It has a great little cafe too.
Falmouth – Gyllyngvase Beach, TR11 4NA
This pretty crescent shaped beach is just 10 minutes’ walk from Falmouth town centre. Excellent accessibility along with plenty of facilities and a great beach cafe makes this one of Cornwall’s most popular beaches.
Newquay – Great Western beach, TR7 2NE
This new entry to the 2018 Blue Flag list is popular among families and surfers alike, and is one of the quieter beaches in Newquay. The impressive cliffs that surround it provide some protection from the elements, although long shadows can cause issue for sun-bathers!
Padstow – Trevone Bay Beach, TR8 4BU
With golden sand, rock pools, and cosy rocky alcoves, Trevone is a great North Cornwall beach to explore, and the excellent cliff-top walks give spectacular views over the bay.
Porthtowan (St Agnes) – Porthtowan Beach, TR4 8AD
This huge sandy beach is another favourite among surfers, but families will love exploring the dunes, playing games on the flat expanses of sand, and visiting the playpark. At low tide, you can walk to Chapel Porth.
St Ives – Carbis Bay, TR26 2NW
Carbis Bay is a lovely beach almost a mile wide, nestled under tree-topped cliffs, with plenty of facilities to suit families. It gets very little surf, but is great for families and a little gentle swimming.St Ives – Porthmeor Beach, TR26 2BN
Tucked under St. Ives, a minute’s walk from the Tate Art Gallery, this cosy little beach is a popular spot for families wanting a picnic or a rest from their exploration of the town. A must-see if you’re ever in St. Ives.
Devon Blue Flag Beaches – 2019
Bideford – Westward Ho! Beach, EX39 1LL
Not only is this town proud of its exclamation mark, it can now boast of a Blue Flag and the only one on the north coast of Devon. Its 2 mile beach, a mixture of sand and shingle, is long enough to find your own spot of peace and quiet, and the local beach shops and cafes make it an accessible and convenient way to spend a sunny day. This year, it’s the only beach on the North Devon coast to get its own Blue Flag.
Bigbury – Challaborough Beach, TQ7 4HZ
Challaborough is a popular horse-shoe shaped beach with fine sand and shingle. At low tide, it’s great for rockpooling.
Brixham – Breakwater Beach, TQ5 9AF
Nestled next to Brixham’s pretty harbour and long breakwater, Breakwater’s shingle beach is very accessible and popular with day-trippers. Watersports fans also come here, and in particular the scuba diving is supposed to be excellent.
Dartmouth – Blackpool Sands, TQ6 0RG
Blackpool Sands is a gorgeous beach and a newcomer to this year’s list. It’s surrounded by tall pine trees that give a scent to the air. It also offers great facilities. The fact that it’s very sheltered means it’s a very popular beach. Dawlish – Dawlish Warren Beach, EX7 0NF
Located at the west side of the River Exe, this huge sandy beach stretches for 1.5 miles and is a haven for wildlife. Its sandy dunes are great for exploring, and an itinerary of events through the summer months means there’s usually something to see.
Exmouth – Sandy Bay Beach, EX8 5BT
Sandy Bay is a sandy bay (no surprises), and though it feels cosy at high tide, when the waters retreat it stretches nearly 2 miles to Exmouth. With great swimming and rock pools, it’s popular with families, and its accessibility from Exeter means it becomes very popular in peak season.
Exmouth, EX8 2DB
Linking with the above, this is a well-deserved new entry this year, Exmouth beach has over 2 miles of golden sand to explore. There are a range of watersports on offer, from kitesurfing to kayaking, and the pleasant promenade of the town means that facilities are always near.
Paignton, Broadsands, TQ4 6HL
Between Brixham and Paignton, Broadsands offers a long sandy beach with a few rockpools for good measure, and typically calm waters. There is also a park area set behind the beach – perfect for a kick around.
Paignton, Preston Sands, TQ3 2NJ
A popular Paignton beach, Preston Sands is another town beach. It is backed by pretty beach huts, with a pleasant grassy area between the beach and the promenade. Great for families, and with excellent disabled access.
Teignmouth Town, T
Q14 8AY
Despite being a ‘town beach’, this beach still usually offers a little space due to its size. Nestled by a Victorian pier with good facilities nearby, this is an accessible and family friendly beach.
Torquay – Meadfoot Beach, TQ1 2EL
A small but popular, Meadfoot is a shingle beach nestled underneath imposing cliffs just a mile from Torquay. If you avoid the peak times, you can find some peace and quiet on this cosy little spot.
Torquay – Oddicombe Beach, TQ1 3LU
Oddiscombe is a shingle beach sheltered at the bottom of red sandstone cliffs. The gentle shallow waters are great for paddling, and the steep cliff walk or cliff railway are an added attraction.
Torquay, Torre Abbey Sands, TQ2 6NY.
The main beach for Torquay, Torre Abbey remains popular year round. Although the coastal road that passes immediately behind the beach may deter some, it is accessible, wide and sandy, and has a park area called Torre Abbey Meadows as well.
Woolacombe, Croyde Bay, EX33 1FF
Protected by 2 headlands, Croyde bay isn’t the easiest beach to find, but is well worth a look. A pretty beach backed by dunes, it boasts soft sand, excellent surfing, and good facilities.
