There's more to Praa Sands than just the beach although this award winning stretch of fine golden sand backed by acres of dunes (winner of an annual EU Blue Flag Award) is a Mecca for families and surfers alike. The Americans spent a considerable amount of time practising for the D-Day landings on the beach and you can still explore several bunkers, one on Castle Drive, one on the eastern end of Praa Sands and one on Rinsey Head. In 1943 a RAAF Sunderland plane crashed just offshore and this particular incident was famous because the crew of eleven men destroyed four, out of eight German fighters in 45 minutes of terrifying action. The RAF described the incident as 'one of the finest instances in the war'.
There is also an 18thC wreck that's only exposed at low tide at the eastern end of the beach together with the remains of a prehistoric forest as the whole of the bay stretching out to St. Michael's Mount was once above sea level.