Welcome Mouth Beach

The cliffs here tower properly impressive above the sand, especially when you get close enough to feel how seriously the Atlantic takes its job. Welcome Mouth Beach, just south of Bude, is one of those Cornish stretches that works because it doesn't try too hard - no promenade, no ice cream vans, just black sand, dramatic geology, and the kind of light that makes photographs look fake.

The beach itself is narrow at high tide and broad when the water backs off, which means timing matters. Low tide gives you proper access to explore the rock pools and walk out towards the headland. Walkers love it because the South West Coast Path runs right along the top, and the clifftop section offers views that justify the leg work. Families with older kids find it engaging - there's enough going on (rocks to clamber over, water to paddle) without it being aggressively touristy.

You can walk down to the beach itself, though the path isn't exactly manicured, and the cliffs reward a decent pair of boots. Allow two hours if you're mixing beach time with a clifftop amble. Summer weekends draw crowds, but head there on an autumn afternoon and you'll have the place mostly to yourself.

If you're staying at Atlantic Horizons - the glamping setup just inland - Welcome Mouth makes a cracking half-day expedition. Close enough that you're not eating into a whole day's travel, but far enough from Bude town to feel properly removed from things.