6 Best Sights in The West Country, England

Located on Start Bay, this privately managed beach sits at the edge of an extraordinary natural setting of meadows and forest. It's favored for its clear water and long, wide stretch of shingle. Popular with families, the beach is big enough that you can always find a quiet stretch. Take A379 south of Dartmouth and look for signs. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); showers, toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming.

Facing due west, this favorite of serious surfers is a long stretch of flat, soft sand, renowned for its powerful tides and strong currents. Surf shops rent equipment and offer lessons on the beach, or you can just check out the scene. Lifeguards watch the water in summer, and there are cafés and shops selling beach supplies. The beach is at the western edge of Newquay. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: partiers; surfing; swimming.

A path close to the tip of the peninsula plunges down 200-foot cliffs to this tiny cove dotted with a handful of pint-size islands. The sands here are reachable only during the 2½ hours before and after low tide. The peninsula's cliffs are made of greenish serpentine rock, interspersed with granite; souvenirs of the area are carved out of the stone.

One of West Cornwall's finest beaches thanks to its natural setting, Porthcurno has a crescent moon of white sand (from crushed shells) at the foot of imposing dark, blocklike granite cliffs. The extraordinary Minack Theatre—carved from solid rock—is on one side, and there are cafés and a pub nearby. A steep slope can make swimming a challenge at times, but one area near a stream is good for families. The village and beach are signed off B3315, and the coastal path runs behind it. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming; picnics; walking.

Located in the aptly named Whitesand Bay, Sennen Cove is a gorgeous expanse of creamy soft sand on the western tip of Cornwall. When the tide is coming in, the waves attract legions of surfers. When the tide's out, kids paddle in the tidal pools, and the sand stretches as far as you can see. Cafés are nearby, and surfing equipment is for rent on the beach. Sennen is off A30 less than 2 miles north of Land's End, and can be reached on foot on the South West Coast Path. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; surfing; swimming; walking.

One of the most famous beaches in the country, North Devon's Woolacombe is popular with surfers for its waves and with families for its soft sand and tidal pools that are great for kids to explore. This broad and extensive stretch of sand has all you could need for a dreamy day by the sea. At its northern end you'll find cafés, loungers, surfing equipment to rent, lifeguards, ice cream—you name it. If you're not looking for crowds and kids, you may want to head to the southernmost section of the beach, around Putsborough. The beach is 17 miles west of Lynton: to get here, take A361 and follow signs. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets; water sports. Best for: surfing; swimming.