St Austell Bay and Charlestown have their own beaches, offering outstanding cliff and coastal scenery. Sand and pebble beaches that are ideal for all the family. Also close by is Par Beach which is a large sheltered beach bordered by sand dunes and a brackish lagoon where many species of birds have made it their home.
There is a variety of things to see and do around St Austell. Visit the Shipwreck and Heritage Centre in Charlestown and board a tour of the magnificent square rigger tall ships and dip into the history of the cobbled harbour. Located in a historic china clay building it charts a fascinating 200-year history of fishing, wrecking and mining. It houses the largest exhibition of artefacts recovered by divers. Walk through underground tunnels where clay trucks were pushed out to the ships in the port.
Surrounding St Austell and its neighbouring villages is a landscape renowned for its clay pits created by years of mining. The striking and dramatic scenery has been made more accessible by the development of trails for walking, cycling and horse riding. Known as The Clay Trails of St Austell.
Visit St Austell Brewery and Visitor centre for an insight into brewing, methods have hardly changed in 140 years.
There is a choice of 3 superb golf courses nearby at St Austell, Carlyon Bay or Portpean.
St Austell boasts an extensive range of restaurants and several pubs that serve meals.