This appealing sandy beach is a central part of Whitsand Bay that stretches from Polhawn Cove in the south east, westwards to Finnygook Beach at Portwrinkle, a striking distance of 7.2kms. It has Freathy Beach to the east, the other side of Sharrow Point, and Tregantle Beach west of Crowstone Cliffs.
The area of beach next to the access point is also known as Grotto Beach after a small cave excavated by hand in 1874 by a hermit called ‘Lugger’. It is a National Trust property.
PL10 1JT - From the A374 Trerulefoot to Torpoint road, turn off on to the B3247 and continue to the viewing lay-by next to Tregantle Fort; just beyond is a right turn to the coast road; continue for 1.8kms and on the left there is Sharrow car park (capacity 140+cars); There used to be some roadside parking but no longer due to restrictions. There are three paths from the road opposite the car park that are all close together and converge and lead to steps down to the beach and also the cave (which is fenced off). There is also a small steep path at Sharrow Point that winds down to Freathy Beach on its easterly side. There is also a narrow and steep path from the road, 630m west of the car park down Tregantle Cliffs.
The ‘fingers’ of rocky outcrops divide the wonderful sandy beach into smaller cove-like sections many of which have little or no dry sand at high water which can make access off the beach on incoming tides an issue. At low water it is possible to walk around Sharrow Point to Freathy and westwards to Tregantle Beach and Long Sands.
There is safety equipment at the Lifeguard Lookout on the Point. The RNLI Lifeguard Service runs from early May until the end of September. Dangerous rip currents, especially at low water, make swimming only advisable in the designated area when the Lifeguards are on duty. It can have reasonable surf at low water. It is not a snorkelling beach but there are a few good rock pools.
Dogs are allowed all year. There are no toilets, the nearest being at Millbrook (2.5kms). See Tregonhawke for other facilities.
Water quality is not known but is believed to be good. It is a fine beach but the steps and a lack of facilities might be a problem for some.
