YHA Treyarnon Bay - September 2023

 

The view over Treyarnon Bay, 30 paces from the door of the hostel.

It’s a Cornwall double feature! With a week in between! Wow!

Just when you thought the season of spooks was over, art - by which I mean this blog - imitates life as I talk about a second Cornwall jaunt but a simple year after my stay in YHA Coverack. What a chilling parallel!

OK, enough frippery.

The summer of 2023 was less overwhelmingly hot than that of 2022, and my trip to YHA Treyarnon Bay in September 2023 was met with weather more familiar to the Cornwall-bound holiday-maker. YHA Treyarnon Bay was likewise more familiar ground to me, having spent very happy holidays both in Padstow to the east and in Mawgan Porth to the south. The hostel itself is right on the coast, overlooking the beach and the breakers. I had begun my hateful gentrification transformation at this point and was staying in a landpod, a decision for which, again, I remain unremittingly unrepentant. It was perfect.

Wine Cove, as viewed from the South West Coastal Path.

As I say, there is a beach a stone’s throw from the hostel, with Constantine Bay Beach also just a few minutes’ walk northwards. Both Bays are RNLI lifeguarded, and also feature numerous rock pools, some even large enough to swim in, such as the one pictured at the top of this post.

You could spend all of your time at either of these beaches and not consider your trip wasted, though in so doing you would miss out on what is to my mind the jewel in the crown of the Cornish coast: Bedruthan. Traverse the South West Coastal Path about an hour and a half southwards from Treyarnon Bay, eschewing the various delights of Porthcothan and innumerable tempting coves, and your efforts will be rewarded by the stunning vista across the towering rock formations of Bedruthan.

Bedruthan, viewed from the north.

Although access to the beach at Carnewas at Bedruthan has had a fraught history, with the latest sad entry in the saga detailing the collapse of a section of the stairs following a 2019 rock fall, it remains a stunningly beautiful place. Access to the beach is technically possible, a little way north of Carnewas, but the “RNLI and National Trust are strongly advising visitors not to try and find alternative routes onto the beach”. As much as I am loath to admit it, this is a sensible mandate. Even before the stair collapse, I had the impression that the RNLI were not too keen on people visiting, as the currents around the area are strong and unpredictable, and the further beaches are cut off long before high tide. For now, it is wise to content yourself with the view over the beautiful sands and rocks.

The view over Bedruthan, near the alternative access point. Some, as you can see, still make the descent.

North of Treyarnon Bay, the Trevose Headland is also well worth a ramble, and Harbour Cove Beach, north of Padstow, is a particular childhood favourite if you are looking for quieter seas and large stretches of sand.

YHA Treyarnon Bay verdict: Excellent!

In clement weather, you can't go far wrong with the Cornish coast, and Treyarnon Bay could hardly be any closer to it. The facilities are all well-maintained and well-equipped, and it is perfectly situated both for beach days and for coastal hikes.

Another stretch of coastline on the South West Coastal path.