Whitesand Bay

Whitesand Bay lies a mile north of Land’s End in west Cornwall. A wide sandy beach stretches between the headlands of Pedn-mên-du and Aire Point, with the village of Sennen Cove at its southern end. The bay also marks the landing point for the Atlantic Crossing 1 cable that carries signals across the ocean floor. In 1497 Perkin Warbeck came ashore here to begin the Second Cornish Uprising. A Bay class frigate once bore the bay’s name, HMS Whitesand Bay. Surfers gather on the Atlantic waves that break against the shore. At high tide the beach splits into two parts: Sennen Cove to the south, with its surf schools and facilities, and Gwynver to the north, favoured for longer rides. A surf shop and restaurant sit beside the cove, while a campsite at Trevedra Farm overlooks Gwynver beach. The South West Coast Path follows the dunes behind the sand, offering walkers long views across the water. Behind the beach a dune system covers 38 hectares and shelters rare insects. The only British colony of the shield bug Geotomus punctulatus was first found here in 1864, feeding on lady’s bedstraw. Another uncommon bug, Emblethis griseus, lives among marram grass and stork’s-bill on the dunes. The headlands protect the bay from strong winds, keeping the sand loose and the vegetation sparse.