St Ives gets the galleries and the postcards, and the lighthouse out at Godrevy Point gets photographed more than almost any other spot in Cornwall. Fewer of those photographers know that the beach beneath it is also one of the more consistent beach breaks on this whole stretch of coast.
Why Godrevy?
Godrevy sits at the northern tip of St Ives Bay, a stretch of open beach backed by National Trust cliffs, with the lighthouse and a resident grey seal colony out on the point.
→ As an exposed beach break facing west northwest, Godrevy picks up swell other, more sheltered Cornish beaches miss, and it is rated fairly consistent, able to work across most of the year.
↳ That exposure is a double edged sword. The same open swell window that keeps Godrevy working also means it has no shelter from cross shore wind, so a clean session here depends on timing the forecast rather than just turning up.
Getting There and Getting Around
- Fly into Cornwall Airport Newquay (NQY), roughly 30 miles and about 45 minutes' drive to the Godrevy area.
- → By train, Hayle station on the Cornish main line sits about 5 miles away, with St Erth as the junction for the scenic branch line out to St Ives.
- ↳ Park at the National Trust pay and display car park at Gwithian (postcode TR27 5ED), open year round with extra overflow field parking in warmer months; it is free for National Trust members, and free alternative parking exists nearby at Fishing Cove and Basset's Cove.
St Ives itself is about 5 to 8 miles south and a reasonable base if you want a wider choice of places to eat and sleep, with Godrevy a short drive or taxi ride up the coast.
When to Surf
Godrevy is surfable most of the year, but the data points in two directions depending on what you are optimizing for. April is often cited as the best month for clean, surfable conditions, while the autumn and winter months bring more frequent, more powerful swell, at the cost of messier, more wind affected days. Water temperature swings from around 15 to 18°C (59 to 64°F) at the summer peak down to 9 to 10°C (48 to 50°F) in late winter, so plan your wetsuit thickness accordingly: a 3/2mm suit for summer, stepping up to 5/4mm with boots, gloves, and a hood for winter. Hazards: Godrevy has a real reputation for dangerous rips and unpredictable clean up sets that arrive without warning, the tide can cut off sections of the beach, so check tide times before you go, and there is a documented history of sewage discharge near the Red River mouth here, so check the Surfers Against Sewage water quality app if you have surfed after heavy rain. RNLI lifeguards patrol the wider Gwithian and Hayle Towans beaches seasonally from spring through late September, though exact dates shift year to year, so confirm before you travel.
Surf Break
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Godrevy: An exposed beach break producing both left and right handers.
Wave: Can hold swell up to around 8 feet, works at all stages of the tide.
Level: Workable for beginners and groms on smaller days under supervision, otherwise intermediate to advanced once the rips and clean up sets pick up.
Grey seals regularly haul out on Godrevy Point and the small island just offshore. Keep a wide distance, at least 100 meters is the standard Cornwall guidance, and give mothers with pups extra space.
Where to Stay
→ Prices below are approximate and were seen in November 2026.
Budget ($)
St Ives Bay Holiday Park, Hayle
A short drive from Godrevy and Gwithian Towans. A grass pitch for two adults runs from approx. £22/night, powered pitches from approx. £25/night, seen on Pitchup.com.
Mid-Range ($$)
The Penellen, Phillack, Hayle
A bed and breakfast close to the Hayle Towans and Gwithian stretch. Rooms run approx. £130/night, seen via a Kayak aggregated rate.
Beachfront/Luxury ($$$)
Carbis Bay Hotel, Carbis Bay
A five star beachfront hotel on the same St Ives Bay, about 8 miles from Godrevy. Rooms run approx. £325/night for a November to December stay, including dinner, breakfast, and spa access, per the hotel's own current offer.
Food and Drink
A small cluster of places serve the Godrevy and Gwithian stretch: the Godrevy Beach Café in the dunes behind the beach does breakfasts, sandwiches, and a Cornish cream tea; the Red River Inn in Gwithian village pours a changing menu of pub classics including beer battered haddock; and the Jam Pot Cafe nearby serves soups, sandwiches, and cakes. None of the three currently publish their menu prices online, so budget in line with a typical Cornwall beach café or village pub, generally a cream tea in the £6 to £8 range and a pub main in the £12 to £16 range across the region, and confirm on the day.
Photographing Godrevy (Surf Snaps)
Between the lighthouse, the seal colony, and a genuinely photogenic beach break, Godrevy is one of the more naturally photogenic spots on this list, and most of what gets shot here is the lighthouse rather than the surf. If you are shooting sessions at Godrevy, or you are the surfer who finally landed a clean one in front of that lighthouse, Surf Snaps is built for exactly this. Upload a gallery once at surf-snaps.com/upload and it stays live as a shoppable set, with no subscription, listing fee, or storage bill, and nothing owed until a photo actually sells. Surf Snaps takes a 10% revenue share and pays the rest out monthly, and the photographer keeps copyright throughout. Surfers can browse without even creating an account at surf-snaps.com/explore, with photos listed from $8.
FAQ: Surfing Godrevy, Cornwall
Is Godrevy good for beginners?
On smaller days, yes, with supervision, but it has a real reputation for dangerous rips and unpredictable clean up sets, so it is better suited to intermediate and advanced surfers once the swell picks up.
Where exactly is Godrevy?
At the northern end of St Ives Bay, Cornwall, near Gwithian and about 5 to 8 miles from St Ives itself.
What is the best time of year to surf Godrevy?
April is often cited for the cleanest conditions, while autumn and winter bring more frequent, more powerful swell at the cost of messier days.
Are there lifeguards at Godrevy?
RNLI lifeguards patrol the wider Gwithian and Hayle Towans beaches seasonally, roughly spring through late September, though exact dates vary by year, so confirm before you travel.
Where can I find photos of my session at Godrevy?
Check surf-snaps.com/explore, where photographers shooting St Ives Bay list their galleries by spot and date, so you can search for your own session without needing an account just to browse.
