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Pedn Vounder Beach Cornwall
Fully updated January 2024
Cornwall is home to an astonishing 300 beaches! If we had to choose just one beach from all of the beautiful beaches gracing Cornwalls coastline. Then Pedn Vounder would likely be that beach.
Shallow clear turquoise water, golden sand, tower cliffs and even a sand bar at low tide. You would be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled across a tropical paradise in a far off land. Pedn Vounder beach is voted as one of the best beaches in the world and is a true gem of Cornwall.
Pedn Vounder is not an easy beach to get to, it is not lifeguarded and if you are more conservative then the local group of nudists that grace Pedn Vounder may put you off. There are other beautiful beaches in the area such as Porthcurno that are more suitable for families and those with mobility issues.
PEDN VOUNDER TRAVEL INFO
LANGUAGES | ENGLISH AND CORNISH
CURRENCY | POUND STERLING
POPULATION | 566,000
INTERESTING FACT | Pednee is how you pronounce Pedn. with Pedn meaning ‘Head’ and Vounder meaning ‘Lane’.
WHERE IS Pedn Vounder Beach?
Pedn Vounder Beach is located on the South West coast of Cornwall. The beach it’s self is nestled between Logan Rock and Porthcurno Beach. Pedn Vounder is a tidal beach and is cut off at high tide, meaning that you will need to time your visit with the tides.
Pedn Vounder is is a 20 minute drive from Penzance which is the closest large town. To the west of Pedn Vounder is Lands end. Pedn Vounder is a fairly remote beach and has only recently been discovered by toruists is the last few years, maily thanks to Instagram and the Covid Pandemic when more people were visiting Cornwall due to staycations.
Pedn Vounder is a popular beach with the local naturist community and during any visit you will be sharing the beach with naturists.
WHEN TO VISIT Pedn Vounder Beach?
Pedn Vounder is an all year round destination with its incredible beatuty always on display especially if the sun is shinning. During the winter months the waves can be ferocious and the sea mist can obscure the paths to the beach making it a dangerous journey so we recommend extreme caution.
Pedn Vounder can have strong rip currents and is non lifeguarded all all year round so take caution when entering the waters. Having said that, when the tide is fully out then there is lots of shallow areas of water to explore and cool down in on a summers day.
The best time to visit is during the shoulder seasons either side of summer. The weather is still generally warm and good for relaxing on a beach and the holiday crowds will have left. While Pedn Vounder is much more busy than it used to be, it is still relatively quiet compared to other local beaches such as Porthcurno.
Where to park when visiting Pedn Vounder beach?
Despite Pedn Vounder being a fairly remote beach on the south coast of Cornwall it does have good parking options.
The first and easiest location is Treen carpark. Treen Carpark is a privately owned car park and the prices are very resonably. While the prices have increased over the last couple of years, it is still a very affordable option for a day at Pedn Vounder, or to even walk the South West Coast Path.
Treen carpark also allows overnight parking for campervans and motorhomes and is one of our favourite locations in all of Cornwall to take our van. Again the price has increased over the last couple of years, but it is still one of the most affordable over night campervan locations in Cornwall especially compared to Treen campsite just down the road.
The walk to Pedn Vounder beach from Treen carpark is roughly 20 minutes.
You can also park at Porthcurno Beach car park, this is a council run carpark and is much more limited in size compared to Treen carpark. It is a great option if you want to spend time at both Porthcurno and Pedn Vounder beaches.
The walk along the coastal path to Pedn Vounder is 40+ minutes.
How to access Pedn Vounder Beach?
We like being rewarded for putting in a bit of effort to get somewhere. These days beach access is all too easy, you can park your car on a beachfront car park and walk straight onto the sand. Pedn Vounder is different, it makes you work for it. Finding the route down to the beach is the first challenge and then after a dusty narrow track along the edge of the cliffs you have to make the final challenging descent down a rock face onto a beach that is often covered by strong tidal waters.
The walk from either Treen carpark or Porthcurno is relatively easy along the coast path. That is until you reach the top of the cliffs leading down to Pedn Vounder.
Turning off of the coastal path to the trail that leads to Pedn Vounder becomes more challenging with large rocks and a much more uneven path. You will then carry along this path until you turn left down a narrow steep passage which eventually takes you to the most challenging section yet. The final 15-20 meters is a scramble down a large rock face to the beach. Standing on top of these rocks also gives you the best views of Pedn Vounder yet!
While the hike to the beach is challenging, it is more than doable for most people. we suggest wearing sturdy footwear and taking only the bare essentials.
We have seen dogs and small children carried down the final rock face scramble to the beach, we have also often helped confused visitors with there children, dogs and deckchairs. From our experience if we had children we wouldn’t take the risk and would stick to Porthucurno beach instead which is lifeguarded in the summer months.
Be aware of the tides on Pedn Vounder beach as there is a risk of being cut off. For current tide times check here.
What Facilities are available at Pedn Vounder beach?
Pedn Vounder is a virgin beach, meaning that there are no toilets or other facilities. You will need to take everything with you for the day. Please also remember to take everything home with you at the end of the day.
It is also worth mentioning again that Pedn Vounder does not have any lifeguards and there are often strong rip currents to be aware of. Mobile phone signal is almost no exsistant and calling any emergency services should you need them would be challenging, so please take caution especially with small children.
WHERE TO STAY?
There are many campsites in the area to stay at. Two of the closest options are Treen Farm Campsite. It has everything that you would expect from a campsite. It is clean and very well run, the views out across the ocean are worth staying for. It is not the cheapest campsite and is also extremely popular and almost always fully booked.
Treen farm campsite does not take bookings and you are required to put your name on a waiting list in the morning to get a pitch. This is not a problem out of high season, but in the summer months it really is a first come first serve scenerio.
Due to the narrow tracks leading to Treen Farm Campsite vehicles over 6.7 meters cannot be accepted as they simple wont fit. We couldn’t stay the first year when we hired a motorhome as it was 6.9 meters. Our 5.7 meter campervan though was no problem.
The alternative to Treen Farm Campsite is Treen carpark. The village car park allows over night parking for campervans and motorhomes, is very affordable and only 5 minutes walk from Treen Farm Campsite. There are toilets available in the car park and the lady that owns the car park will allow you to use her water tap. Other than that there are no facilities available.
WHAT ARE THE TOP THINGS TO SEE AND DO near pedn vounder beach?
Porthcurno Beach
Porthcurno is the sister beach to Pedn Vounder. It is much more suitable for families and those needing easier beach access. Porthcurno has life guards during the summer months and a convenient car park.
Porthcurno is also a spectacular beach and is best see from the cliffs above. During spring tides you can walk from from Porthcurno all the way to Pedn Vounder on the sand and also access many other hidden coves.
Minack Theatre
Perched high on the cliffs over looking Porthcurno and Pedn Vounder Beaches is the spectacular Minack theatre! The theatre is the life long project of Rowena Cade. You can visit the theatre to enjoy the beautiful gardens and incredible views. You can also book tickets to watch live theatre productions. Read our guide for all the information about the Minack Theatre.
South West Coast Path
Take in the spectacular coastal views of Cornwall along the South West Coast path. The path covers 630 miles of coastline and takes in some of the most beautiful natural scenery in all of England.
Watch Sunset from Logan Rock
With Pedn Vounder being on the south coast of Cornwall there is no sunset on the beach. The cliffs shower the beach in shade as the tide rolls in.
One of the best places to be able to watch sunset from is Logan Rock. A beautiful part of the cliffs at the end of Pedn Vounder Beach. Logan Rock can be walked to from the coastal path and has easy access from Treen and the surrounding campsites.
Lands End
A short 15 minute drive from Pedn Vounder beach is Lands End. A popular tourist attraction to stand at the the most westerly point of England.
Sennen Cove
Sennen Cove is a beautiful mile long stretch of golden sand. It is a surfers paradise offering consistent waves at the edge of Cornwall.
