The beach at Porthcurno, Cornwall ©National Trust Images Hugh Mothersole

Porthcurno on the west coast has raw beauty like no other, with crystal clear turquoise water, which can pack a punch with its waves. The marvellous Minack Theatre sits on the cliffs above. The sand is said to be made of pulverised seashells which reflect the light, creating the beautiful colour of the sea. The high cliffs also offer some protection from the wind. At low tide, it is possible to get around to Pedn Vounder (Pednee) but don’t get cut off, else it is a steep climb up the cliff ‘path’.

Maritime heather, (Erica vagans) in flower in August and view of Kynance Cove, The Lizard, Cornwall, UK. August 09.

Kynance Cove on the south coast is another area of extreme natural beauty, with clear water, white sand and a serpentine rock formation. Owned by the National Trust, it is full of caves, sea stacks and islands, rock pooling is great fun here. It is one of the prettiest coves, which was once something of a Cornish secret but has since been popularised by Poldark. The series has really put Cornwall on the map, but it now means that places like Kynance can now get very busy, so is better in low to mid-season. In winter, it is awesome.

The north coast has more wonderful beaches, so it is hard to choose a favourite. You really can’t go wrong with Bude; Summerleaze is sandy and family-friendly. Next door on the other side of the famous Bude Sea Pool (which is free to use) to it is Middle Beach, generally quieter, leading on to Crooklets Beach. When the tide is out, you can easily walk to Northcott Mouth and Sandymouth beaches but do check your tide times. However, you can always return via the south-west coast path, providing beautiful views. You can access this at Maer Cliff near Crooklets, if you want to wander in the other direction to Widemouth, then it is accessed close to the breakwater in Bude. It’s also a big surfing destination, although Fistral in Newquay is known as the key surfing beach.

While at the beach, why not be like a local and do a 2 minute beach clean? The 2 Minute Foundation was started in Bude by writer and surfer, Martin Dorey, whose campaign began in 2013 after furious Atlantic storms battered the beaches of his hometown, Bude. The first #2minutebeachclean stations were placed on 8 Cornish beaches in 2014. There are now over 800 in the UK and Ireland.

It costs nothing to do your bit for the environment and to keep Cornish beaches as plastic-free as possible.