Lusty Glaze is the prettiest of Newquay's town beaches — a small cove enclosed by tall cliffs, with sand at low tide and a beach restaurant and bar set into the rocks at the back. It is technically privately owned (one of the few private beaches in Britain) but is open to the public free of charge.
Access is via a long staircase from the clifftop car park. The setting is dramatic, the swimming is reasonably sheltered, and the bar runs live music and beach barbecues through the summer. Worth seeking out for an evening drink.