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The Lizard Peninsula is one of the most unspoilt and beautiful areas of England, which feels like a refreshing step back in time. You can stay on the peninsula itself or visit easily on a day trip from Falmouth to the east, or Penzance to the west. For the best Lizard visit, pick a couple of different beaches, the most southwesterly point of Great Britain, and one of the quaint fishing villages on the peninsula. Here are some suggested stops, and alternatives, to help you plan your visit.
The Lizard is a 10-mile-long peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean on the southern coast of Cornwall, in the South Cornwall region.
The west side of the Lizard can take a battering from the winds off the Atlantic Ocean, but on a still day offers serene views over the water. The east side is a maze of small lanes leading to tiny harbour villages and coves.
Across the whole of the Lizard Peninsula, you will find a geology unlike anywhere else in Cornwall and beautiful flowers and plants, including Cornish Heather, the ‘county flower of Cornwall’ which only grows on the Lizard.
The Lizard Peninsula offers several notable places such as ‘the UK’s most southerly port’, ‘the UK’s most southerly town’, ‘most southwesterly point of mainland Great Britain’ and ‘Britain’s most southerly cafe’.
Roads – it’s difficult to drive around the edge of the Lizard peninsula, as there is no main circular coastal road. Instead, there are a couple of main roads – one leading to Lizard, and one leading to St Keverne/Coverack – each with side branches to the coves and sights on the coastline. The branch roads are narrow and so you need to drive slowly and use the passing places to let other cars pass by. In summary, you can’t go anywhere in a hurry on the Lizard!
Get an early start – to avoid the crowds in High Season, or anytime from May half term to the start of September, make sure to visit the Lizard Peninsula early in the morning, or even in late afternoon. Sunny days can be super busy!
National Trust – quite a few of the places to visit on the Lizard Peninsula are under National Trust ownership. Car parking fees are required, although they are free for National Trust members.
Tide times – one of the key beaches to visit on the Lizard Peninsula is Kynance Cover, however it is tidal and so check what time the low tides are if you are planning to visit.
Dog restrictions – there are seasonal dog restrictions on several beaches from 1 July to 31 August.
From Falmouth, drive 1 hour to Kynance Cove.
Kynance Cove is one of the jewels of the Lizard Peninsula and has become one of Cornwall’s most popular and photographed beaches (thanks social media!). Recently, the new Harry Potter HBO series filmed here, so Potterheads are now also making the pilgrimage here. As a result, it can get extremely busy.
If a crowd-free Kynance Cove is your priority, then aim to visit outside of school holidays, out of season, or even at the end of the day after most of the crowds have gone.
On the day of our visit, low tide was at 8.30am. We visited Church Cove first and so didn’t arrive at Kynance Cove until 9.30am by which time it was already crawling with people (May half term week) – Rookie error!
Tide times – before setting off, check the tide times for Kynance Cove as you really want to be visiting at low tide for the best experience.
Parking – the road to Kynance Cove ends at the National Trust car park on the top of the cliffs. You can pay via the JustPark App.
Path to the Beach – follow the steep pathway down to the beach; there are steps for the final section. The views on the way down are gorgeous, as turquoise water and white sand come into view amongst scattered rock formations and arches on the beach.
On the beach – at ground level, you can wander around the large rock stacks made of serpentine that rise from the beach and the water. Serpentine is a dark green and red coloured rock which Queen Victoria was a fan of (more of that later).
As you explore the beach area, you’ll find some large caves which you can enter at low tide. As the beach is tidal, you need to keep your eye on what the tides are doing, to make sure that you don’t get cut off on the beach.
Refreshments – the Kynance Cove Cafe sits on a rock overlooking the beach and offers a great spot to refresh with a cup of coffee and a snack. When we visited, as well as tables with parasols, there was a row of blue and white striped deck chairs with the best seats and views in the house!
Dog restrictions – a dog ban applies in the summer months from 1 July to 31 August.
The road back to the car park – at the end of your visit, take the road which runs behind the café and toilet block, and continue up the hill. This avoids the need to return via the steep stairs; it also offers fabulous views of Kynance Cove on the way up.
From Kynance Cove, drive 10 mins to Lizard Point
From Kynance Cove, you will pass through the village of Lizard on the way to the Lizard Point car park run by the National Trust. There are toilet facilities at the car park.
Follow the path down towards Lizard Point, the most southwesterly point of mainland Great Britain. There is a small cafe, Polpeor (‘Britain’s most southerly cafe’) with great views overlooking Lizard Point, and a small art shop. The path curves around the bottom of these and continues down to a small cove below, complete with an old lifeboat station.
As you walk down to the cove, you will have a good view of the rocks which constitute Lizard Point, stretching away from the headland.
Keep your eyes peeled for seals in the water, and even on the beach below. We spotted about 8 seals hanging around in the water – their heads bobbing up and down in the water, watching the visitors come and go.
Retrace your steps back up the hill and continue along the coastal path for a couple of minutes until you reach the Lizard Lighthouse, built in 1752. This working lighthouse is an impressive structure performing an important job guiding ships away from these rock-filled waters. You can take a guided tour of the lighthouse tower from the Visitor Centre.
If you want a longer walk, there is an option to continue along the cliff path for ¾ mile to the Lizard Wireless Station, from where the Lloyds insurers used to keep watch for ships returning from overseas packed with foreign goods so they could inform London by telegram. Apparently, Marconi also sent his first radio transmission in 1901, to the Isle of Wight from here. You can see the white wireless station on the hill from the lighthouse.
As you pass back through Lizard Village – the UK’s most southerly village – there are a couple of good options for food if required, such as, Lizard Fish Shack selling local fresh fish, and The Witchball for a proper pub lunch.
From Lizard Point, drive 15 mins to Cadgwith Cove
For something completely different to the above stops on the Lizard Peninsula, visit the gorgeous fishing village of Cadgwith. You will need to use the designated car park at the top of the hill (paid car park, but not National Trust this time) and pick up the path to the village at the bottom of the car park.
The path into Cadgwith starts wooded, opens out into a field, and then enters the cluster of houses and cottages, many of them thatched, constituting the village. You will also pass a very simple clapboard wooden church in an elevated position on the path from the car park which is quite charming.
Eventually you will reach a small T-junction. Turning right will bring you to the Todden, a small ridge of land in-between the small but perfectly formed Cadgwith Cove and Cadgwith Harbour. There are benches on the Todden where you can sit and enjoy the views.
Cadgwith is a working fishing village and so you may see fishermen returning to the village with their catch of the day. In fact, they have been fishing in Cadgwith since medieval times. It once had a large fleet of pilchard fishing boats during the 18 and 19th centuries. Today the boats pot for crabs and lobster, or use nets to catch monkfish, mullet, cod and pollock.
We enjoyed watching the process of winching the fishing boats from the water and up the beach, before boxes of fish were unloaded. There are signs of fishing everywhere around the harbour – lobster pots and boats waiting for activity.
Cadgwith was a haven for smugglers and many of the 300-year-old houses have secret hiding places for smuggled spirits and Tobacco. Smuggling dropped off after a coastguard station, customs house and lockup were opened in the village. Cadgwith also had its own Lifeboat Station until 1963; now the old station building is used by the Gig Club to store its six-oared gigs which race from the harbour during the summer months.
For refreshments, there is a restaurant at the top of the slipway offering local fish options, and the Cadgwith Cove Inn which hosts folk music nights. We bought the best crab sandwiches from the small shop in the centre – with a slither of lime mayo and optional brown crab meat – yes please!
After lunch, you can walk 0.3 miles on the coastal path to the Devil’s Frying Pan, a dramatic collapsed sea cave just south of the village.
On the way back to the car park, we walked back on the road, rather than the path, and passed Lighthouse Studios offering a small outdoor display of pottery including gorgeous ramen bowls. Each item had QR codes so you could pay and go – all very trusting!
From Cadgwith, drive 25 minutes to Gunwalloe Church Cove.
Just south of the village of Helston on the Lizard Peninsula, you’ll find the twin beaches of Dollar Cove and Church Cove. Set your sat nav for Church Cove and park in the National Trust car park – you can pay via the JustPark App. National Trust members can park for free.
Just across the road from the car park, you’ll find Dollar Cove, a pretty but pebbly beach in a small crescent shape. The name Dollar Cove apparently came from a shipwreck when a cargo of gold coins was lost in the bay. Dogs are allowed year-round on Dollar Cove. It’s a good starter but serves just to warm you up for the more impressive Church Cove next door.
In-between the two coves, you’ll find the medieval St Winwaloe’s Church, otherwise known as the Church of Storms. The church sits on the dunes, separated from the beach and protected from the elements by a row of trees – the only church in Cornwall located directly on a beach.
Around the church is a small graveyard with some interesting headstones and statues, plus a bell tower which sits separately from the body of the church. The church appears in some early episodes of the TV series, Poldark, and is where Poldark marries Demelza.
Beyond the Church of Storms you’ll find the wonderful Church Cove, a wide stretch of sandy beaches which you and your dog can enjoy at your leisure. Note that there is a seasonal dog ban on Church Cove from 10am – 6pm between 1 July – 31 August.
There’s no walking required for this stop as both coves are very close to the car park. We were too early for the refreshment options at this stop as the kiosk wasn’t open, so coffee had to wait!
If you want to trade any of the above options, here are some suggestions:
Coverack – instead of Cadgwith Cove, head to Coverack, another small fishing village on the eastern side of the Lizard Peninsula.
Mullion Cove – for a slightly larger harbour town then head to Mullion Cove on the western side of the peninsula. Its photogenic harbour is owned by guess who? Yes, the National Trust! There is also an old lifeboat station.
Kennack Sands – an alternative beach for your dog to enjoy is the beautiful sandy beach of Kennack Sands on the east coast of the Lizard. Year-round dog friendly, but you need to head to the second beach along to let your dog off the lead.
Other suggestions for your day out on the Lizard Peninsula might be:
The stop we wanted to make but missed on our trip was to the Old Serpentine Works at Corleon Cove, another National Trust property, where you can learn more about the Serpentine rock, which Queen Victoria loved. Apparently, she had a fireplace made of Serpentine at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. Sadly, the 19th century serpentine works now sits in ruins having been closed in the 1890s once it became unfashionable.
As well as having the ‘UK’s most southerly port’, Porthleven, at the top left-hand side of the Lizard, is becoming a real foodie haven in Cornwall. The harbour area is packed with great places to eat and the town hosts an annual 3-day Food Festival on the last weekend of April.
In addition to its food credentials, Porthleven is also a creative hub and holds the Porthleven Harbour Markets – Outdoor Market and Shipyard Market – selling food, jewellery, gifts, clothing and vintage items. Check the Porthleven Harbour Markets website for opening times when planning your visit: www.porthlevenharbourmarket.co.uk
Helston is the largest town on the Lizard Peninsula. It’s an inland market town with a large boating lake where you can hire pedalos. Helston also gives you access to the National Trust’s Pedrose Estate with beautiful grounds and footpaths around Loe Pool, the largest freshwater pool in Cornwall.
Helston hosts Flora Day each year on 8th May, to celebrate the arrival of Spring. If you want to see the town decorated with bluebells and gorse, and the locals dressed up and dancing in the streets then try to visit on Flora Day. It will be busy, but fun.
If you love wildlife and want to contribute to the rescue and rehabilitation of Cornish seal, then visit the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, not far from Helston. It is a charity run operation which helps care for grey seal pups found in Cornwall in need of assistance. There are daily feedings to observe, keeper talks to listen to and seals to meet, as well as nature trails around this steep hillside location.
The Lizard Peninsula is a real beauty – untamed and undeveloped, it feels like a step back in time (in a good way). The coastal views are spectacular and the villages quaint, without being too chocolate boxy. It’s the perfect place to get outdoors and blow the cobwebs away. Take your time, don’t overschedule, and be prepared to move slowly around the Lizard for the best day out from Falmouth.
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