Proof you don't have to leave Britain: on a bright day Porthcurno's shallows glow tropical turquoise against white shell sand, framed by granite headlands near Land's End. The open-air Minack Theatre is carved into the cliff directly above — book an evening performance and watch the sea change colour behind the stage. The water is bracing, obviously, but that's what makes the first plunge memorable.
Featured in Ten dreamy beaches for your next summer escape · Beach