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Cornwall juts out from England like a toe testing the cool Atlantic waters. The county is open to the sea in almost all directions and has everything from sandy surf beaches to sheltered rocky coves.
With over 300 miles of coastline to explore it can be hard to know where to start.
The good news is that there’s wildlife to be found on every beach in the county, so you won’t have to look far. The tips on this site will help you to find crabs, fish and more, even in places that don’t look very promising at first sight.
If you’re planning a day’s rock pooling with children or prefer an easy walk, there are some great rockpooling beaches like Hannafore, Readymoney Cove and Castle Beach that are easily accessible and close to amenities. If you’re looking for something more adventurous, Cornwall has many remote, quiet coves, which are well worth a visit.
If you have a favourite rock pooling beach or would like to know more about a particular location that I haven’t covered, please do get in touch.
Cornish Rock Pools 
Hi there,
We have just booked our holiday to Cornwall for next year and we have 2 very excited little girls who are desperate to go rock pooling. We are staying near Bude, which beaches within say an hours drive do you recommend, preferably dog friendly beaches.
Thanks in advance.
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Hi Joanne,
Thanks for getting in touch and I’ll keep everything crossed that you have good rockpooling conditions for your visit next year. The most important thing will be to check the tide times so you get to the beaches around 1-2 hours before low tide. Most beaches have something interesting if you look. Around Bude itself you might like to try Duckpool beach (http://www.visitbude.info/for-beach-lovers/beaches/duckpool-beach/). If you’re up for going a bit further then there are great pools on the eastern side of Polzeath beach. Or, in just over an hour you could come over to the south coast, which is more sheltered and easier to find things. If you come down to Looe, try Hannafore Beach in west Looe which is a huge rocky shore and at low tide there’s loads to find. (And I’m based in Looe so if you’re coming over please do contact me and if I’m around I might even be able to show you round the starfish and crabs) 🙂 And don’t forget to let me know what you find! Heather
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Sorry – Duckpool and Hannafore beaches are both dog friendly all year round as things stand, but I just realised that of course Polzeath isn’t – there’s a seasonal dog ban. How about Lundy Bay? It’s a National Trust beach not far from Polzeath and as far as I know dog friendly. It’s a lovely walk down through a valley from the car park. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/polzeath-to-port-quin/trails/lundy-bay-walk- I hope that’s helpful. Heather
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Thank you so much thats really helpful, can do some planning now.
Regards Jo.
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