Gyllyngvase is one of the four beaches associated with Falmouth, Cornwall, United Kingdom, south of Pendennis Castle.
It is to the south of Falmouth town centre, but was an essentially rural area as recently as the late 19th century. However, the growth of tourism in the town at around the turn of the 20th century saw the area become more built-up and the seafront on Cliff Road became home to several major hotels.
The Falmouth Hotel was the first hotel to be built at Gyllyngvase, yards from the entrance to Pendennis Castle. It opened in 1864 and has been partly expanded on several occasions since.
The Bay Hotel opened in 1909 halfway along Cliff Road, but closed due to a fire in 1990 and was demolished three years later. Bay Court, a four-storey block of private apartments, was built on the site.
Other hotels in the area include the Royal Duchy Hotel and the Falmouth Beach Hotel.
Palm Beach Hotel, built in the 1930s, was demolished in 2007. It overlooked Queen Mary Gardens and had closed several years earlier, having been attacked by vandals and arsonists after its closure.
Queen Mary Gardens were opened next to Gyllngvase Beach in 1910.