Legend has it that the patron saint of Cornwall, St. Piran, washed up here alive after being cast into the sea lashed to a millstone. This huge expense of westerly facing beach is a great swell catcher, and the relatively gentle slope makes it popular with beginners and intermediates. At the southern Droskyn end, is a good, sometimes hollow left breaking in front of the cliffs from low to mid tide. Backwash then turns it into a bumpy, unpredictable proposition. The main beach at Perranporth, stretching away to the north, doesn’t handle larger swells, but in small to medium surf there’s plenty of room to spread the crowds out. The relaxed vibe makes it a good place for less experienced or travelling surfers to check. Inexperienced surfers should access the water via the beach, not the cliff path to the jump off point at Droskyn Head.