Porthmeor.

Porthmeor is a north-facing sand beachbreak sitting directly below Tate St Ives, tucked between The Island headland to the east and the western cliffs. Its orientation gives it natural shelter from the dominant southwest Atlantic swell, which means it needs size to wrap in - west and northwest angles are the sweet spot. When those swells arrive, the beach produces hollow, fast peaks across its length, with a named peak called the Boiler delivering the most consistent section, and a right-hander peeling off The Island on the right days. Rides run 50-100m before the wave closes out or backs off over the sandy floor. The working size range skews toward 0.6-1.5m, though bigger autumn and winter groundswells can push through the gap and the wave can hold genuine size - conditions that shift the break from approachable to heavy quickly. A southerly wind is offshore. Surf schools run sessions here in lighter conditions, and the waist-deep central section over clean sand is a legitimate beginner area when the swell is small. The lineup is compact and becomes crowded fast - this is a central, easy-access town beach, and sunny weekends fill it quickly. Access is a short walk from central St Ives via steps down from Back Road West; the small clifftop car park behind the west end fills early in summer.

Hollow beachbreak wrapped by Land's End, firing hardest when south-coast alternatives sleep.