Gorran Haven

Fishing village with a sandy beach on the south coast

Gorran Haven is a small fishing village on Cornwall’s south coast, about 4 miles south of Mevagissey. The village sits around a sandy cove with a harbour wall, a seasonal beach cafe, and a slipway where a few boats still launch. The beach is sheltered and suitable for swimming, with rock pools at low tide. A village shop and the Llawnroc pub provide essentials.

The South West Coast Path passes through the village, with walks in both directions offering contrasting scenery. Heading south, the path climbs to Dodman Point - one of the largest headlands on the south coast, topped by a granite cross erected in 1896 as a sea mark. Going north, a 20-minute walk reaches Vault Beach (also called Bow Beach), a remote sandy cove that is rarely crowded. The Lost Gardens of Heligan are about 4 miles by road.

Gorran Haven has remained largely uncommercialised. There are no chain shops, no amusement arcades, and limited mobile signal in parts of the village. The nearest supermarket is in St Austell, about 7 miles north. For visitors who want a quiet south-coast base with good walking and a usable beach, it delivers without the premium prices of nearby Fowey or Mevagissey.