Greenbank Cove

The sand here is proper golden and the beach feels genuinely quiet for somewhere so close to Hayle. Greenbank Cove is one of those Cornish stretches where you can actually hear yourself think, which counts for something when you're escaping a bank holiday weekend. The cove itself is small and intimate - you get rockpools at low tide, decent waves if the swell's up, and enough space that families don't feel rammed in even during summer.

It's the kind of spot where walkers do better than sunbathers. The coastal path here offers proper views back towards the bay, and if you've got half a day to kill between sites, wandering the headland beats sitting on loungers. Kids will disappear into those rockpools for hours if you let them - crabs, anemones, the usual magic.

Being barely five miles from Hayle means you're within easy reach of Lanyon Holiday Park if that's your base, and it's the sort of beach worth the short detour. Go early morning before the car park fills, or wait until late afternoon when most people have packed up. The walk down is manageable but not flat - bit of a scramble really - so pace yourself. Bring water and something for the kids to eat because there's nothing on the beach itself.

Worth your time if you're after somewhere less hectic. Not the show-stopper beach of the north coast, but honest and good.