Short answer: Burgh Island sits directly in front of the bay, so a big swell breaks around it rather than on empty sand. The clifftop viewpoint gives you the lot, and Venus Cafe has indoor seating with sea views.
The island. Burgh Island sits a few hundred metres offshore, which gives a storm something to break against — and watching a swell wrap round an island is a better spectacle than watching it hit flat sand.
The bay faces west, so it takes everything coming up the Channel.
Above the bay, with the island in front and the grey cliffs west. The best vantage point here, and set back from the water.
In the lower car park, with sea views and plenty of indoor seating. The dry option, and it sits next to the cash ticket machine.
This is the specific risk at Bigbury. The causeway covers from both sides and a storm surge gets there earlier than the tide table suggests. The sea tractor does not run in heavy weather. If there is a storm running, stay on the mainland.
The bay is at its best with a westerly swell on a high spring tide, when the water wraps around Burgh Island. Check the tide times before you leave — here that is a safety matter rather than a convenience.
Bring cash. The main car park pays by app and the signal is poor — worse in weather, which is exactly when you will be there. The lower car park has a cash machine and sits next to the café.
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