Beautiful UK beach ruined by ‘smelly’ seaweed and ‘sludge’ in the water

Disappointed tourists have slammed a popular UK beach for being overrun with “stinking” seaweed and “full of flies”.

Picturesque Swanpool Beach on the outskirts of Falmouth, Cornwall, has more than 200 five-star reviews on TripAdvisor, and it’s not difficult to see why. This tiny sand and shingle cove backs onto a nature reserve, making for an impressive view.

However not all who visited were impressed, with several visitors complaining of the smell, litter and water quality. 

One woman said the seaside spot had a “disgusting stench and [was] full of flies” this summer.

She added: “I know seaweed is likely on a beach but, talking to the staff at the cafe, they have responsibility for the beach but are not allowed to clear the seaweed under their licence with the council.

“And without a public swimming pool available, it is a safe place to teach children to swim but no one I know would think of going to Swanpool to start them swimming due to the sludge in the water.

“It’s such a shame, it used to be one of my favourite beaches but the stench and being constantly bitten by sandflies is encouraging me to travel to places like Perranporth and St Ives which are well managed and you don’t have to wade through sludge to be able to swim. 

“It’s a shame for the cafe owners as well – last time I was there, all the people around me were being bitten and all said they would not be back.”

Others echoed her statements with complaints about the beach’s smell and the amount of flies with someone saying they didn’t understand how the beach had so many good reviews: “Everything was so dirty and nowhere near fit for humans let alone families.”

Another visitor said: “The view from the beach is stunning and the depth of the sea is perfect for children and adults alike. The sea bed is level and safe for children to practise swimming in.

“Beware though it really isn’t very pleasant to sit on as the seaweed and litter is a real problem. Creating sandcastles with children unearthed lots of litter, food debris and items left by others.

“Sadly, the copious amount of seaweed and litter attracts hordes of flies, wasps and other insects. Litter bins were overflowing which only increased this problem. I really wanted to like this place but I doubt we’d return, especially with young children.”

But these complaints are contrasted with glowing reviews from other visitors who say that the beach is cosy and perfect for families with lots of wildlife and facilities.