These wonderful side-by-side beaches join up at low tide to form one epic stretch of golden, flat sand. At the eastern end is the small, National Trust–owned cove of Godrevy, with its island lighthouse (said to have inspired Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse). To the west lies Gwithian, a great sandy arc that extends to the Hayle River. The grassy cliffs (known in Cornish as towans) are an important wildlife habitat, and carpeted with wildflowers in summer.
They also provide nesting sites for seabirds including cormorants, guillemots and several gull species. Around the headland from Godrevy, there's also a small cove where you can usually spot grey seals basking on the beach, and occasionally, you might even spot bottlenose dolphins riding the surf.
There is a National Trust car park at Godrevy (free to members), along with an overflow car park a short drive along the headland. There is also a large public car park behind the dunes at Gwithian.
