Beachside Holiday Park, Cornwall

A great coastal campsite located right on the beach, close to the seaside towns of Hayle and St Ives.

Just as it says on the tin, Beachside Holiday Park is perched on the Cornish coast by the port town of Hayle, opening onto St Ives Bay. Hayle is just over the headland from Penzance, to give you some indication of just how southwesterly this holiday park is!

Driving into Beachside, you approach over a winding road through sand dunes, leading past the main touring area (a large grassy paddock with electric pitches) and directly to the reception, which sits beneath the popular Coast bar and restaurant. With a balcony wrapping around two sides of the bar and enjoying panoramic views across the Atlantic Ocean, this is a major attraction for the campsite.

All pitches are grass but set on solid, firm ground with a sandy base. There is the option for a fully serviced pitch or an XL, but the bigger choice is deciding which touring area to pitch up in.

The aforementioned touring space has pitches set out in rows, with superb views over rented holiday homes to the coast. Higher in the dunes and dotted amongst sandy hillocks is a second set of pitches, also all electric but with much more variation in size and shape. This would be my preferred choice, not least because this area accepts dogs while the primary touring space does not.

There’s plenty to enjoy on site, from the lively Coast bar to the outdoor swimming pool. As you descend towards the sea, Beachside continues to provide, with another bar in the form of converted shipping containers right on the beachfront. Right next door is Hayle Surf School.

Of course, the greatest asset that Beachside enjoys is the expansive sandy beach. If you fancy venturing further afield, St Michael’s Mount is just nine miles across the headland, its medieval castle and subtropical gardens attracting visitors throughout the year. A host of historical (and indeed prehistorical) attractions lie further to the southwest, by which time you may as well visit Land’s End, if only to to get a selfie next to the Land's End signpost!

A perfect campsite for families and couples who want to be beside a golden sandy beach, and close to the popular attractions of this part of Cornwall.