Panorama taken from The Towans beach near Hayle in Cornwall. The picture was taken at low tide when miles of golden sand is exposed.

The Towans Beach - Hayle visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'The Towans Beach' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Cornwall.

The Towans lies on the north side of St Ives Bay in Cornwall, between the mouth of the Hayle River and Gwithian Beach, a short distance from Hayle. On the other side of the river is Carbis Bay. Together these beaches form a line of sand and are very popular with surfers all year round.

The Towans is comprised of Mexico Towans, Upton Towans, and Gwithian Towans. The site used to contain an explosive factory, but has now been declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a nature reserve. The sand dunes and are home to the pyramidal orchid, glow worms, the silver-studded blue butterfly, and the skylark among others.

Around The Towans are a number of camp and caravan sites, the Beachside Leisure Park is right by the beach. There are hotels in nearby towns and bed and breakfast places and holiday cottages in the countryside.

Train: Hayle Station
Bus: Halye Towans from Hayle Terrace
Car: The Towans is 2 miles from the center of Hayle, which is 5 miles from St Ives (A3074), 6 miles from Penzance (A30 and B2201) and 10 miles from Redruth (A30 and B2201)