Short answer: Porthpean is the family beach, though the slope down is steep. Par Sands is easiest for winter dog walks, with Cornwall Council parking at a flat £2 from 1 November to 31 March. Carlyon Bay has almost two miles of coarse sand and winter parking free at the top of the steps. Pentewan is privately owned. 360 Cornwall lists no lifeguards at these beaches.
St Austell Bay is a wide, sheltered curve, and the beaches near St Austell are strung around it like beads: Pentewan to the south, Porthpean and Charlestown in the middle, Carlyon Bay and Par to the east. 360 Cornwall lists no lifeguards at most of them, and almost all have a dog rule that changes with the season, so the useful way to choose is by what you need rather than by name. Here is how they compare, with parking and dog rules taken from council and tourism pages.
Porthpean Beach is the family beach most locals name. Google has 4.6 from 712 reviews for the beach, and reviewers mention rock pools at low tide, a beach cafe or kiosk, kayak and paddleboard hire, and a safe feel for children. 360 Cornwall describes public toilets, a pay and display car park, no lifeguards and a seasonal cafe. The downside is the approach: 360 Cornwall describes a steep incline from the car park, and a reviewer said a long hill down and steps up to the cafe and toilets would be hard for some people. Cornwall Council bans dogs from 10am to 6pm between 1 July and 31 August, and 360 Cornwall lists dogs as allowed in the winter months.
Pentewan Beach is a sheltered bay, with 4.6 from 653 Google reviews. Reviewers like it for swimming, paddleboarding and sea glass, and one says it avoids long hills and steep steps. The catch is that it is privately owned by the holiday park behind it, which sets its own dog rules. 360 Cornwall lists dogs as allowed in winter only, and reviewers report that dogs are not allowed for most of the year. Phone the park before you bring one. 360 Cornwall also notes paid parking, either at the pay and display car park near the beach or in the village.
Par Sands Beach is the easiest to recommend. The St Austell tourism site says dogs are welcome all year round, and Cornwall Council's Par Beach car park (300 spaces) charges only a flat £2 from 9am to 4pm between 1 November and 31 March, with nothing from 4pm to 9am. From 1 April to 31 October the charge is £1 for under an hour, £1.80 for up to two hours, £3 for up to four and £4.20 for 24 hours. Google has 4.2 from 493 reviews, with reviewers calling it great for dogs, though not a beach to spend a whole day on. A freshwater stream crosses the eastern side, and one reviewer mentions a cave or tunnel at the eastern end. Facilities are a walk away, and reviewers mention a coffee van in the car park.
Carlyon Bay is the second choice. 360 Cornwall describes almost two miles of coarse sand in three sections (Crinnis, Shorthorn and Polgaver), a large pay and display car park a few minutes' walk away, public toilets and seasonal cafes. The tourism site says parking is free at the top of the steps in winter and off season, and that dogs are welcome from October to Easter. Wear shoes if the coarse sand bothers your feet, and expect steps down.
360 Cornwall lists lifeguards as not available at Porthpean, Carlyon Bay, Charlestown or Pentewan. Its Charlestown page lists deep water as a hazard. If cover matters to you, check the RNLI's list of lifeguarded beaches before a summer trip, because cover can change from year to year. If you are swimming, choose a calm day and stay close to shore. Tide times are not on those pages, so check a local tide table or the 360 Cornwall app before you go.
Charlestown Beach has 4.6 from 167 Google reviews, and reviewers describe two very small pebble beaches beside a harbour and say it is rocky and not a swimming spot. 360 Cornwall says a large beach shows at low tide and dogs are allowed all year. It is the best option for a wet day on the coast because 360 Cornwall lists cafes open all year, along with shops and restaurants, and there is a short walk round the harbour. Parking charges apply, and a reviewer mentioned a mobility scooter being able to get around. For where to eat, see our Charlestown cafe guide.
Par and Pentewan are the two where reviewers describe easy access: one called Par very accessible for poor mobility, and another said Pentewan does not involve many hills. Porthpean and Carlyon Bay both involve a slope or steps, and so does Hallane Beach. For more options, see easy-access days out near St Austell.
Hallane Beach is a small cove below Hallane Mill near Pentewan. The St Austell tourism site says it has no facilities and suggests parking at Trenarren and following the track and then a bridleway into the valley. Reviewers describe a walk of about a mile from the nearest parking, a waterfall and coarse sand with rocks. It is a walk, not a pull-up beach. Further round at Mevagissey, Cornwall Council bans dogs at Portmellon Beach from 10am to 6pm between 1 July and 31 August, and reviewers mention a pub and a beach shack. See our beaches near Mevagissey and the Mevagissey guide.
Charges and tariffs change by season, so read the machine, and pay by card or the JustPark app where the council car park offers it. Par Beach is the one with a published council tariff, set out above. For town parking, see our parking guide, and for budget planning, a St Austell day out for £50. More in the St Austell guide.
Porthpean is the family choice, with rock pools, toilets and a seasonal cafe, but the approach is a steep slope. Pentewan is sheltered, but it is privately owned with paid parking.
Cornwall Council bans dogs at Porthpean from 10am to 6pm between 1 July and 31 August. The St Austell tourism site says dogs are welcome all year at Par and from October to Easter at Carlyon Bay. Pentewan is privately owned, so ask the holiday park.
Cornwall Council lists a flat £2 from 9am to 4pm between 1 November and 31 March, free from 4pm to 9am. From 1 April to 31 October it is £1 for under an hour, up to £4.20 for 24 hours.
360 Cornwall lists lifeguards as not available at Porthpean, Carlyon Bay, Charlestown and Pentewan. Check the RNLI's lifeguarded beaches list before a summer visit, as cover can change.
Carlyon Bay (Crinnis) is sandy, though 360 Cornwall describes the sand as coarse, and reviewers describe Par Sands as very sandy. Porthpean has rock pools and some sand at the far end and at low tide.
Times, prices and dates are the businesses' and organisers' to change, so check before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
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