Praa Sands beach
The beach is a mile long stretch of golden sand with some boulders near the high tide line at either end. It's reputed to be the best surf beach on the south coast - its location west of The Lizard means it gets the large swells coming around the corner from the Atlantic that have also made Porthleven a popular storm watching spot. The cliffs are unstable - prone to falling stones and collapses - so sitting directly underneath them is unwise.
West Cornwall locals pronounce it "pray", and "prah" is frowned upon although is likely to be closer to the sound of the original Cornish name. It was recorded in 1331 as Polwragh (witch's cove) but Cornish place names expert Craig Wetherhill points out it could actually be "wrasse cove" as the word for wrasse and witch is the same in Cornish. The rocky headlands are an ideal habitat for wrasse.
Circular walks visiting Praa Sands beach
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6 miles/9.7 km - Easy-moderate
Praa Sands to Prussia Cove
Praa Sands to Prussia Cove
6 miles/9.7 km - Easy-moderate
A circular walk on Cornwall's Channel coast where horses carried ore, Victorian fishermen built huts and smugglers sailed to France, but before all this Neolithic people settled and worked flints carried down the English Channel from chalk areas during the Ice Age
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4.4 miles/7 km - Moderate
Praa Sands to Trewavas Mine
Praa Sands to Trewavas Mine
4.4 miles/7 km - Moderate
A circular walk from Praa sands across Rinsey Head to the engine house of the ironically-named Wheal Prosper, and Trewavas mine where an engine house now forms part of the path
Download the iWalk Cornwall app and use the QR scanner within the app to find out more about any of the walks above.