Praa Sands

Praa Sands (properly pronounced "pray"; "prah" or "prar" are incorrect) is a coastal village in the Parish of Breage, located off the main road between Helston and Penzance in Cornwall, England, UK. Formerly serving the local mining industry, it is now predominantly a tourist-oriented area.

Praa is the ancient Cornish word meaning "hag's" or "witch's cove".

Situated in a sheltered depression within Mount's Bay, it has a long, wide sandy beach, lapped by comparatively large waves for the area. As well as attracting surfers from all around the UK, the shallow waters and seasonal lifeguard service make it attractive for families looking for a beach holiday.

Canoes can be hired from the surf and dive shop on the beach.

To accommodate this interest there are holiday chalets and caravan parks. It is also a popular camping spot with several sites in the area.

Adjacent to the beach is former England and Yorkshire cricketer Chris Old's restaurant and fish and chip shop, as well as other more traditional retail outlets serving the holiday maker. Between the village and the main road there is Praa Sands Golf Club, a 9-hole links course, which welcomes non-members. The village is also the site of a "haunted" castle, a small "keep" building that is in private hands; Pengersick Castle is also supposed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the UK, and holds regular ghost-hunting activities and other similar pursuits, such as holding events at Christmas and Halloween. It was also investigated in series two of Most Haunted with Yvette Fielding and Derek Acorah.

To the west side of the village is another small beach, Kennegy, which is accessible from the cliff path at low tide.

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