Cornwall’s favorite beach has become a place of “exaggerated” danger.

We recently reported that one of Cornwall’s most popular beaches was named a “hidden gem” by TikTok travel reviewers, and while some might think that’s a good thing, others aren’t so sure. Over the years, many have praised Pedn Vounder’s golden sands and turquoise waters, and it has gradually gone from a best-kept secret to one of our most dangerous and over-the-top locations.

The number of people visiting the beach near Treen for that perfect Instagram selfie or five-second TikTok clip has led to very real concern from people who live in the area. The beach’s rise in popularity has led to a host of problems, from gridlocked traffic and dumped litter and waste, including human excrement, to fights, fires and alleged drug abuse by those seeking to replicate the Ibiza experience in Cornwall.

The fact that the beach is notorious for dangerous currents and lacks lifeguard cover only adds to residents’ fears, and there are fears that bird breeding is leading to erosion and degradation of the area’s beauty.

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When we visited it in the past, a resident told us: “Apart from the access problems and the lack of facilities, including rescue, the huge coverage it has attracted on social media in recent years has resulted in overwhelming numbers of visitors, which in turn created massive infrastructure problems for the local area”.

Another agreed that its national and local popularity and coverage as a “secret gem” was having “catastrophic effects on the local environment and infrastructure. Simply, the narrow streets, the coastal paths and the huge volume of “Instagramma” visitors who have “heard”. about it via social media’ are putting a huge strain on local infrastructure. It is no longer a secret beach, and its beauty is in danger of disappearing.”

It is not uncommon for traffic to be backed up to Porthcurno – which also has a popular beach – with vehicles left abandoned on the verges when the available parking spaces fill up quickly in the height of the summer season. There is a total lack of beach facilities, exacerbating local concerns about litter, dirt and pollution.

As anyone who has visited Porthcurno knows, it’s certainly not Ibiza. The roads are narrow and can’t cope with busy days in peak season, when up to 3,000 cars have been recorded trying to squeeze into the village, not just for the beaches but also for the popular Minack Theatre.

One resident, who contacted CornwallLive with his concerns, said the problems started in 2018 when Pedn Vounder started going viral on social media: “The world and his wife descended on West Penwith and Treen. We had blocked roads, emergency services couldn’t operate, the local bus network shut down, rubbish removal services and food delivery trucks couldn’t get to Treen Farm campsite, Minack staff and performers couldn’t get to the theater , there were diapers in the hedgerows, aluminum grill pans left everywhere, human excrement in every field and resort entrance, bottles, cans, food wrappers and garbage bags strewn liberally in the hedgerows, the drive to the beach was a dangerous nightmare , degraded, people climbing over each other hoping for a photo to share on social media, the beach was crushed, there were shards of broken glass, tent pegs, excrement left in the sand.

“Every summer since then has been just as stressful. Including the two years of isolation where all sorts of people who would normally have been in Ibiza sought out Pedn Vounder, lured by Instagram promises of “#paradis” or “#bestbeachintheworld”. As a result, gangs of party bosses threw themselves onto the beach, a can of beer on one shoulder, a ghetto-blaster on the other, unseen by Covid, desperate to “load up”.

He added: “The last decade has seen the beach transform from a quiet sanctuary where a few respectful people might find some peace and quiet in nature to a scene from an over-the-top summer festival that has gone on far too long time. Up to the ankles. bottle tops, vomit, dog excrement, trash, droppings, fights, fires, smoke, graffiti, drug abuse and paraphernalia. The same can be said for Porthcurno beach, Kynance, Sennen and numerous other hot spots in the county.

The resident pointed out that the large rip currents of the Pedn Vounder “can be fatal to unwary bathers, as has been observed many times. The main way down to the beach is dangerous, slippery, a rock climb, there are numerous opportunities to kill yourself. People every year injure themselves, often because they’re completely oblivious, wearing flip-flops, lured by Instagram’s promise of a “#bucketlist experience.” time and rockfalls happen. There are no lifeguards – just a bunch of selfless locals who help out more and more we have to call the emergency services, RNLI/Coastguard/Air Ambulance etc. “

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