Par Sands
A sheltered south-Cornwall beach with pale china-clay sand — a good fallback when the north coast is out.
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● Spot · shaded: the wind directions that work here. It is not a riding area or a permitted kite zone. Two fingers to move the map.
Location & launch
Know before you go.
- Launch
- Sheltered south-coast sand with a large beach at low tide and a campsite behind.
- Wind
- SE · SSE · S · SSW · SW winds work here.
The shaded area shows the wind directions recorded as working here. It is not a permitted kite zone or a safe launch boundary. Check local signs.
Local rules, hazards & spot guide
Need to know
The things that catch people out here.
- Sheltered and shallow — one of the calmer beaches recommended to Cornish beginners.
- The pale sand comes from the china clay industry. Water quality has historically been variable.
- Good fallback when the north coast is unmanageable.
Conditions
- Best
- Works
- Offshore
- Works in
- SE, SSE, S, SSW, SW
- Best in
- S, SSW, SW
- Offshore (careful)
- N, NNE, NE, ENE, E, NNW
- Wind quality
- moderate
- Water
- Flat to choppy
- Depth
- standing
- Best tide
- Low to mid
- Spring range
- 5.1 m
Sea breeze · May–Aug
- Beginner
- Ideal
- Intermediate
- Good
- Advanced
- Workable
Hazards
Most serious first. The level is in words as well as colour.
- medium
pollution Historic china clay works nearby; the beach sand is characteristically pale and water quality has been variable.
- low
shipping Par Docks handles occasional small commercial traffic.
Access & rules
- Launch
- Sheltered south-coast sand with a large beach at low tide and a campsite behind.
- Permit
- Not required
- Insurance
- Third-party liability expected
- Tuition
- Permitted
- Facilities
- toilets, cafe, campsite
Parking
- Par Sands car park
paid
Safety
Who is around if it goes wrong. None of it makes the water safe.
- Lifeguards
- None
- RNLI
- Fowey RNLI
- Nearest A&E
- Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro (~30 min)
- Water quality
- Designated bathing water — sufficient
The spot
Par Sands is a sheltered beach on Cornwall's south coast, with a large area of shallow water at lower tides and a campsite immediately behind. It is one of the beaches Cornish schools point beginners at when the north coast is too powerful.
The distinctive pale sand is a legacy of the china clay industry, and water quality here has historically been more variable than on the county's Atlantic beaches.
Links & local
Clubs, forums & groups
- Kernow Kitesurf Club · club
Sources
Where this record came from, and how confident we are in it.
- Into Cornwall — kitesurfing guide
Checked 2026-09-07 · skill, spots
- Kitesurf Kit — Par Sands
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- adventuresportsholidays.com — Par Sands
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
- cornishvybes.com — Par Sands
Checked 2026-09-23 · wind
Verify locally. Coordinates 50.3460, -4.6931. Conditions, access arrangements and beach rules change; check them on the day before you rely on anything on this page.