Located towards the northern end of St Ives Bay and Navax Point are Gwithian Towans an area of low sand dunes bounded by The Red River. The river gets its name and colour from the tin residues of the mines upstream towards Camborne and Redruth, although since the final demise of the tin industry in the late 1990s the river is clear.
The Red River's mouth between Gwithian and Godrevy.
Nearby is one of Cornwall's best known lighthouses on Godrevey Island. This was the lighthouse which inspired Virginia Woolf's novel, 'To the Lighthouse'. The point and beach here are owned by the National Trust. Seals are a common sight on the beach and breeding colonies of guillemot, razorbill, fulmar and cormorant can be seen on the cliffs.
The Godrevy lighthouse, which was built in 1859 to protect shipping from a dangerous reef called the Stones which extends across the bay in the direction of St Ives. The solar powered lighthouse is automatic and is controlled by Trinity House from its operations control centre in Harwich.The beach at Gwithian is very popular with both families and surfers of all levels, offering a good expanse of
fine sand and excellent surfing conditions.
Gwithian Sand Pit is an area just behind the beach where the sand has been quarried for many years. It has recently been turned into a nature reserve where it extends the existing Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), with its rare species of flora and fauna.
