Places to visit Guidebook
Sightseeing
The SEA LIFE TRUST Cornish Seal Sanctuary is a charity that rescues and rehabilitates grey seal pups from around the Cornish coastline.
Each season (September - March), the Sanctuary rehabilitates over 70 seal pups that have been rescued for various reasons, from malnourishment to being separated from their mum.
The Sanctuary also provides a permanent home to animals that need special care from our team of marine animal experts.
When visiting the Sanctuary, you can experience wonderful marine animals up close and personal and learn all about their individual stories. (TR126UG)
187 locals recommend
Cornish Seal Sanctuary
The SEA LIFE TRUST Cornish Seal Sanctuary is a charity that rescues and rehabilitates grey seal pups from around the Cornish coastline.
Each season (September - March), the Sanctuary rehabilitates over 70 seal pups that have been rescued for various reasons, from malnourishment to being separated from their mum.
The Sanctuary also provides a permanent home to animals that need special care from our team of marine animal experts.
When visiting the Sanctuary, you can experience wonderful marine animals up close and personal and learn all about their individual stories. (TR126UG)
A national Trust property with three valleys of Glendurgan to lose yourself in - full of fun, informality, natural beauty and amazing plants.
Wandering through the garden leads down to the unspoilt hamlet of Durgan on the Helford River: a place to watch birds and boats, skim stones and build sand-castles.
Walking back up from Durgan you can find a boat-seat, a gigantic tulip-tree and ponds teeming with wildlife. You can also learn about the Fox family who created this garden and the maze within. (TR11 5JZ)
160 locals recommend
Glendurgan Garden
A national Trust property with three valleys of Glendurgan to lose yourself in - full of fun, informality, natural beauty and amazing plants.
Wandering through the garden leads down to the unspoilt hamlet of Durgan on the Helford River: a place to watch birds and boats, skim stones and build sand-castles.
Walking back up from Durgan you can find a boat-seat, a gigantic tulip-tree and ponds teeming with wildlife. You can also learn about the Fox family who created this garden and the maze within. (TR11 5JZ)
Lovely pebble beach, usually not too busy with National Trust parking available just a short walk away, above on a hill. (TR11 5JR)
24 locals recommend
Grebe Beach
Lovely pebble beach, usually not too busy with National Trust parking available just a short walk away, above on a hill. (TR11 5JR)
Loe Bar beach is a half mile shingle bank which separates the Loe, the largest natural fresh water lake in Cornwall, from the sea.(TR13 0RD)
24 locals recommend
Loe Bar
Loe Bar beach is a half mile shingle bank which separates the Loe, the largest natural fresh water lake in Cornwall, from the sea.(TR13 0RD)
Three glorious miles of sand and steeply shelving shingle running east from the historic harbour.
When the tide is out, you can walk along to Loe Bar and the Penrose Estate from the granite pier of the harbour, accessed from the village. But please take note of the tides!
Bathing is not advised as there are strong undercurrents here. Surfing, although popular, is only recommended to experienced surfers. (TR13 9EH)
13 locals recommend
Porthleven Beach
South West Coast PathThree glorious miles of sand and steeply shelving shingle running east from the historic harbour.
When the tide is out, you can walk along to Loe Bar and the Penrose Estate from the granite pier of the harbour, accessed from the village. But please take note of the tides!
Bathing is not advised as there are strong undercurrents here. Surfing, although popular, is only recommended to experienced surfers. (TR13 9EH)
Wheal Prosper is a lovely little engine house right on the coast at Rinsey Head. Unlike its name, this mine was fairly unsuccessful, opening in 1860 on the end of Trewevas’s sett, mining mostly tin and a little copper. It worked for six years, closing in 1866. (TR13 9TS)
Wheal Prosper Tin Mine
Wheal Prosper is a lovely little engine house right on the coast at Rinsey Head. Unlike its name, this mine was fairly unsuccessful, opening in 1860 on the end of Trewevas’s sett, mining mostly tin and a little copper. It worked for six years, closing in 1866. (TR13 9TS)
Originally built in the 1890s, the picturesque harbour at Mullion Cove shelters a small fishing fleet from powerful westerly storms.(TR12 7ES)
29 locals recommend
Mullion Cove
Originally built in the 1890s, the picturesque harbour at Mullion Cove shelters a small fishing fleet from powerful westerly storms.(TR12 7ES)
One of the world's most spectacular beaches, for centuries Kynance has been a magnet for adventurous tourists. Turquoise seas meet a white sandy beach. At low tide caves and islands are yours to explore, but visitors need to be aware of the risks of being cut off by the tide. In the summer Kynance will have limited parking, arrive early to avoid disappointment. (TR12 7PJ)
223 locals recommend
Kynance Cove
One of the world's most spectacular beaches, for centuries Kynance has been a magnet for adventurous tourists. Turquoise seas meet a white sandy beach. At low tide caves and islands are yours to explore, but visitors need to be aware of the risks of being cut off by the tide. In the summer Kynance will have limited parking, arrive early to avoid disappointment. (TR12 7PJ)
The Lizard peninsula, the most southerly part of the British mainland, infamous as a site of shipwrecks in the past and overlooking what is still one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. (TR12 7NT)
113 locals recommend
National Trust - Lizard Point
The Lizard peninsula, the most southerly part of the British mainland, infamous as a site of shipwrecks in the past and overlooking what is still one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. (TR12 7NT)
The gently sloping beach has shallow water. Situated approximately two miles south-southwest of Falmouth, Maenporth beach faces east across Falmouth Bay with views towards Pendennis Castle and the lighthouse on St Anthony Head. (TR11 5HN)
43 locals recommend
Maenporth Beach
The gently sloping beach has shallow water. Situated approximately two miles south-southwest of Falmouth, Maenporth beach faces east across Falmouth Bay with views towards Pendennis Castle and the lighthouse on St Anthony Head. (TR11 5HN)
Swanpool Beach and Nature Reserve – a pretty and friendly beach on the outskirts of Falmouth. Swanpool is a beautiful sand and shingle beach with easy parking, cafe, water-sports and kayak hire. Perfect for a relaxing day at the beach. (TR11 5BG)
77 locals recommend
Swanpool Beach
Swanpool Beach and Nature Reserve – a pretty and friendly beach on the outskirts of Falmouth. Swanpool is a beautiful sand and shingle beach with easy parking, cafe, water-sports and kayak hire. Perfect for a relaxing day at the beach. (TR11 5BG)
Poldhu Cove is a lovely west-facing sandy beach is suitable for lots of fun activities from building sand castles to beach volleyball and rocks to explore at low tide and great for swimming, surfing and windsurfing. (TR12 7HZ)
6 locals recommend
Poldhu
Poldhu Cove is a lovely west-facing sandy beach is suitable for lots of fun activities from building sand castles to beach volleyball and rocks to explore at low tide and great for swimming, surfing and windsurfing. (TR12 7HZ)
Gunwalloe is a National Trust site.
The tiny church of St Wynwallow, with a detached tower set into the solid rock of the headland, is located to the north side of the beach hence the name Church Cove. (TR12 7QE)
37 locals recommend
Gunwalloe Church Cove Beach
Gunwalloe is a National Trust site.
The tiny church of St Wynwallow, with a detached tower set into the solid rock of the headland, is located to the north side of the beach hence the name Church Cove. (TR12 7QE)
The distinctive twin towers of Lizard Lighthouse mark the most southerly point of mainland Britain. See displays depicting Trinity House's history, housed in the original engine room. It was commissioned in 1752. For over 250 years, the lighthouse has provided a welcoming landfall light to vessels crossing the Atlantic Ocean. (TR12 7NT)
13 locals recommend
Lizard Lighthouse
3 Lighthouse RdThe distinctive twin towers of Lizard Lighthouse mark the most southerly point of mainland Britain. See displays depicting Trinity House's history, housed in the original engine room. It was commissioned in 1752. For over 250 years, the lighthouse has provided a welcoming landfall light to vessels crossing the Atlantic Ocean. (TR12 7NT)
The Devil's Frying Pan (also known by the Cornish name of Hugga Dridgee) has been created by the collapse of a sea cave resulting in a 100 metre deep funnel-shaped depression. The arch remaining from the cave forms a connection to the open sea. (TR12 7LA)
Devil’s Frying Pan
TR12The Devil's Frying Pan (also known by the Cornish name of Hugga Dridgee) has been created by the collapse of a sea cave resulting in a 100 metre deep funnel-shaped depression. The arch remaining from the cave forms a connection to the open sea. (TR12 7LA)
Kennack Sands, near the village of Kuggar on the Lizard peninsula, is comprised of two beaches with some grassy areas which are divided by the small hill of Carn Kennack and a shore rock feature called Caerverracks. The beach to the east is designated as a nature reserve so please treat it with respect, it can be reached via the footpath that runs along the back of the beach and over Carn Kennack.
Well known amoungst the surfing fraternity, Kennack Sands has a big tidal range due to its shallow angle and regularly throws up 4 to 5 foot waves. As is usual for beaches on the Lizard Peninsula, Kennack Sands also has its own shipwreck stories and the remains of vessels can be seen from Kennack Sands on especially low tides. The beach is also popular with geologists due to unusual rock formations spread across the two coves. (TR12 7LZ)
21 locals recommend
Kennack Sands
Kennack Sands, near the village of Kuggar on the Lizard peninsula, is comprised of two beaches with some grassy areas which are divided by the small hill of Carn Kennack and a shore rock feature called Caerverracks. The beach to the east is designated as a nature reserve so please treat it with respect, it can be reached via the footpath that runs along the back of the beach and over Carn Kennack.
Well known amoungst the surfing fraternity, Kennack Sands has a big tidal range due to its shallow angle and regularly throws up 4 to 5 foot waves. As is usual for beaches on the Lizard Peninsula, Kennack Sands also has its own shipwreck stories and the remains of vessels can be seen from Kennack Sands on especially low tides. The beach is also popular with geologists due to unusual rock formations spread across the two coves. (TR12 7LZ)