The Sennen surf is simply wonderful. A bit of a swell magnet but transforming into a mellow longboard break for much of the summer, this is Cornwall in a nutshell. You will have to drive quite a ways to get there though – it’s right at the southern tip of the county.
An introduction to Sennen surf
We’re often asked about our all-time favorite surf spots. Sennen comes up quite a lot in our answers. It’s like paradise at the end of the road, tucked between Land’s End, almost the southernmost point in mainland Britain, and the wild Penwith Heritage Coast. The beaches here glow a distinct talcum white as they fringe an ocean that’s Bahamas turquoise come the summer months. The vibe is good. It’s just a lovely, lovely place to be.
The surf itself never really seems to stop. Even when the rest of the UK and South Wales is fully flat, there can be a little bump cruising and bowling through the bay at Sennen. Winters go get bigger but the prime range here is 2-7 foot. When we talk about the surf in Sennen, we’re really talking about the surf down in Sennen Cove, a charming little village that sits at the base of the cliff. Sennen proper is at the top.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in England
Sennen surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to Sennen surf?
Where is Sennen?
Sennen is almost right at the end of the road. Seriously – Land’s End, the most distant southern and western point in this leg of the county – is almost within sight. You can either follow the wiggling coast road south of St Ives or go on the bigger A roads via Penzance. Either way, you’re looking at a pretty hefty drive if you’re coming from anywhere outside of Cornwall. Traffic doesn’t tend to be too bad so long as it’s not a major holiday, though, and the drive itself can be downright beautiful.
Where to park for surfing in Sennen?
You’ll want to park in Sennen Cove, the small town – a pub, a café, some downright stunning holiday cottages – right at the entrance to the beach. If that’s not possible, and sometimes it’s not, then you can park in Sennen itself and walk down. That takes 10-15 minutes but the reveal of the beach over the hill is downright lovely.
Sennen surf spots
Sennen is kinda’ isolated being so far south in Cornwall, with the literal end of the country on one side and the reef-rocky Penwith coast to the north. The next nearest good spots are in St Ives bay. That means committing to drive down here and hoping there’s swell, which there almost certainly is.
Sennen Beach
Gorgeous Sennen Beach lies down a zigzag coast road that’s almost too narrow to fit the VW camper through. Almost. It opens up to the north and offers a series of different beach break peaks that work on different tides. They’ll shift with the sandbanks as the seasons progress, but really hit a zenith in the early summer when there’s a trickle of power left in the SW Atlantic sets and the water goes clear (which it seems to do almost overnight!?).
The best-known bank here usually accumulates around the middle to south end of the beach. We’ve seen it working on those pure summer days when the swell is the last thing you’re thinking about because the brain’s saying there’s surely none around. It favours extra footage and volume in the board choice for sure. Usually has a good crowd of locals on the peak but they’ve got a good vibe down here. Wouldn’t you if you lived in Sennen?
The ideal swell direction is SW with either a NE or N wind. Tides make a huge difference. It’s more pitching and peely at low while the push tends to fatten Sennen’s main banks up a little and get them steeper and hollower.
Gwynver Beach
The less-surfed northern end of Sennen is the most exposed of all to the dominant swell direction. It’s another downright gorgeous bay that can be accessed at low tide by walking right up the sands from Sennen Cove, or on a rocky spur of the South West Coast Path coming down from the headland above.
The waves on Gwynver tend to have about a foot or a half on what’s going on in Sennen proper. They’re also a little less busy. As the tide pushes up, sets are squeezed between the two main headlands and form wedgy little bullets that go left and right. There’s also a great spot right in front of the cliffs that separate the beach from Sennen, though it’s time limited and the lifeguards will be over like a shot to tell you how cool they are (no, they really are cool) if you stay too long.
Where to stay when surfing in Sennen?
Lordyyyyy…the hotels in Sennen are something really special. These are remote Cornish cottages that hide between clusters of cabbage palms. For us, there’s really nowhere better in the country for quiet family surf vacations or romantic couples’ surf romps. We’ve stayed in a few corkers, which we list below. Almost all of them get you to Sennen Cove town, which is within walking distance of the beach.
- Sennen Surf Loft – The PERFECT thing for one or two couples on a surf trip down to this idyllic bay, the Surf Loft is a stylish place that fuses Scandi and traditional Cornish design with frontal views of the beachfront and the waves. That balcony! Ah, it’s to die for!
- The Old Success Inn – The hearty pub in the middle of Sennen Cove has this pub, which feels like it’s been going since the days of Long John Silver (hang on, is that him sipping a pint in the corner). The fire in the main lounge makes it but the rooms are also super nice.
- The Old Beach Store – A modern little bolthole that sleeps just two, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Sennen’s waves. This one’s the top couple pick.
Step-by-step guide to planning your Sennen surf trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the Sennen surf…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Get insuranceThis is kinda’ important. Not just for surf trips but for any trips. SafetyWing is great for nomad travelers. They offer rolling contracts that cover amateur surfing.
Step four (optional): Rent a car If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Sennen?
Sennen really shines in the summer months. There’s surf all winter, of course, but the exposure here means that it’s often too big and has no shape. That’s largely because the winter and spring storms help to shape and settle the sandbanks. They, in turn, wait for the smaller June-September sets to offer the trademark cruisers of Sennen Beach. The autumn can see some bigger days and the sandbanks are narrowed out by that point in the year, meaning there’s something more hollow in the offing on occasion.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
