South West Beach ‘under threat’ from social media fame

Cornwall’s Pedn Vounder beach, recently dubbed a “hidden gem” by TikTok travel reviewers, has sparked debate among locals. While the beach’s golden sands and turquoise waters have long been celebrated, its rise from a well-kept secret to a hotspot has brought not only fame, but also a number of problems.

The increase in visitors looking for the perfect Instagram photo or TikTok moment near Treen has raised serious concerns among residents. The boom in popularity has led to problems such as traffic congestion, littering including human waste and anti-social behaviour, from public disturbances to fires and alleged drug use, as revelers try to recreate an Ibiza vibe in Cornwall.

Adding to the concern is the fact that Pedn Vounder is known for its dangerous currents and has no lifeguard service, increasing the risk for those unfamiliar with its waters. Locals fear the increased passage could cause erosion and damage the natural beauty of the area, reports CornwallLive.

Reflecting on the situation, a resident shared with us during an earlier visit: “Apart from access issues and lack of facilities, including rescue, the huge coverage it has attracted on social media over the past few years has led to an overwhelming number 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.”

Traffic congestion is a common sight, with vehicles often backed up to Porthcurno – another town with a popular beach. Cars are frequently abandoned on curbs when parking spaces fill up during the peak summer season.

The lack of beach facilities only adds to the worries of the locals about litter, dirt and pollution. Porthcurno is far from Ibiza. Its narrow roads struggle to accommodate the influx of visitors during the busy summer months.

On some days, 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 local also pointed out the dangers of Pedn Vounder’s strong rip currents, which “can be deadly to unwary bathers, as has been seen many times. The main path down to the beach is dangerous, slippery, a rock climb, there are numerous opportunities to People injure themselves every year, often because they are completely ignorant, wearing flip flops, lured by the promise of the “#bucketlistexperience” on Instagram it collapses from time to time and rockfalls happen. There are no lifeguards – just a bunch of disinterested locals who help out more and more we have to call the emergency services, RNLI/Coastguard/Air Ambulance etc. make a mess.”