Polkerris Cove

Polkerris is a pocket-sized shingle-and-sand cove tucked into the western shoulder of St Austell Bay, sheltered behind a curving 16th-century harbour wall that makes a natural leading line for aerial shots. It is one of the few genuinely flyable south-Cornwall harbours: the beach and slipway are village-owned rather than National Trust, and the foreshore is Crown Estate, so a take-off from the sand or slip is legitimate. Launch low over the water and you get the whole horseshoe — stone pier, beached dinghies, the Rashleigh Inn and wooded cliffs framing the bay toward the Gribbin Head daymark. In summer a sailing and kayak school works from the beach, so keep well clear of people on the water and pick an early slot. South-westerlies funnel straight in and kick reflected turbulence off the harbour wall, so favour calm mornings. A paid car park sits immediately behind the beach. The nearest FRZ is Newquay/St Mawgan roughly 25km north-west, well outside any zone. Quiet out of season and pleasantly workmanlike.