The most southerly peninsula in Britain has a lot going on. Here’s where to start.
1. Swim at Polurrian Cove
Start with the obvious, because the obvious is genuinely excellent. Polurrian Cove is a wide, sheltered, sandy beach that sits just below the hotel, and on a sunny morning it’s as good as Cornwall gets. The water is clean, the waves are gentle enough for families and lively enough for bodyboarders, and the cliffs around it keep things feeling tucked away and private. Get down early, find your spot, and don’t feel any pressure to move.
2. Walk the Lizard Coastal Path
The South West Coast Path runs right along the clifftops here, and the Lizard section is among the finest stretches anywhere on the route. Head south towards Lizard Point and you’ll pass Kynance Cove, Church Cove and some of the most dramatic rock formations in the country, all serpentine green and rust-red and striated in ways that look almost designed. The walk to Lizard Point and back from Polurrian is around 8 miles, manageable in a day, and the views make every step worth it. Proper footwear, a water bottle, and something to eat at the other end, that’s all you need.
3. Visit Kynance Cove
If you only make it to one beach on the Lizard that isn’t your own, make it Kynance. It’s a short drive or a beautiful cliff walk from Polurrian, and it earns every bit of its reputation. Sea stacks, turquoise water, white sand and those extraordinary serpentine cliffs, it photographs beautifully but it’s even better in person. Go at low tide for the full experience, when the sand opens up and the rock arches and caves become accessible. The National Trust café at the top does a decent pasty, which after a cliff walk is exactly what you want.
4. Explore Lizard Village and the Southernmost Point
Lizard village is small, genuinely charming and sells what many locals will tell you is the best pasty in Cornwall, a claim taken seriously in these parts. From the village it’s a short walk to Lizard Point itself, the most southerly tip of mainland Britain. It’s the kind of place that feels like it should be more dramatic than it is, and yet the combination of the open sea on three sides, the working lighthouse and the simple fact of being at the very bottom of the country gives it a quiet significance that stays with you.
5. Kayak or Paddleboard from Mullion Cove
Mullion Cove is one of the most sheltered natural harbours on the Lizard, and in summer it’s a brilliant base for getting out on the water. Hire a kayak or paddleboard and work your way along the coastline, exploring the sea caves and rock stacks that are only accessible from the water. On a calm day the sea here is extraordinarily clear, and the cliffs look entirely different from the perspective of a board or a boat. It’s a short drive from Polurrian and one of those activities that tends to take up considerably more of the day than you planned, in the best possible way.
6. Seal Spotting off the Headland
Grey seals are a regular presence along the Lizard coastline, particularly around the rocky outcrops near Lizard Point and Cadgwith. Walk quietly along the cliff path in the early morning or late afternoon, find a spot above the rocks, and simply wait. They’re curious animals and often come surprisingly close to the shore. There’s no ticket required, no booking needed, it’s just one of those quietly wonderful things that happens when you’re in the right place.
7. Wander Around Cadgwith Cove
Cadgwith is a working fishing village that looks almost exactly as it has for a hundred years or more. Small, thatched cottages set back from a shingle beach, fishing boats pulled up above the tide line, crab pots stacked against the walls. It’s about a 20-minute drive from Polurrian and thoroughly worth an hour of anybody’s afternoon. There’s a pub, naturally, the Cadgwith Cove Inn, which has a reputation for folk singing on certain evenings that is entirely deserved. Ask at the hotel and they’ll tell you when to go.
8. Explore Helston and the Penrose Estate
Helston is the Lizard’s main market town and a good one, with independent shops, a proper butcher, a farmers’ market and the kind of high street that hasn’t been entirely homogenised. It’s also the gateway to the Penrose Estate, a National Trust property that wraps around Loe Pool, the largest natural freshwater lake in Cornwall. The walks here are quiet and beautiful, through woodland and along the lake shore, with the sea visible in the distance. It makes for a genuinely lovely half-day, particularly if the coast path has had your legs for a few days and you fancy something a little flatter.
9. Eat Seafood Somewhere Proper
The Lizard’s proximity to the Atlantic means the seafood here is exceptional, and summer is the best time to take full advantage. Crab, lobster and fresh-caught fish turn up on menus across the peninsula throughout the season. The Harbour Light at Porthleven is a favourite for a long lunch by the water, and the kitchen at Polurrian itself makes good use of local suppliers and the day’s catch throughout the summer menu. Either way, eating something pulled from the sea a few miles away, on a warm evening with the windows open, is one of those things that makes a Cornwall summer feel properly complete.
10. Do Considerably Less Than You Think You Should
This one is underrated. The Lizard is a place that rewards staying still as much as it rewards exploring. A morning on the terrace at Polurrian with a coffee and the bay spread out below. An afternoon on the beach with no agenda. An evening in the bar with something local in a glass. The temptation on any holiday is to fill every hour, and the Lizard will give you every opportunity to do that if you want it. But it’ll also give you the space to simply be somewhere quietly beautiful, which in summer, with the right base, is sometimes the best thing of all.
Staying on the Lizard this summer?
Polurrian Hotel sits on the cliffs above Polurrian Cove, with direct access to the beach, coastal path and everything the Lizard Peninsula has to offer. Whether you’re planning a family summer holiday in Cornwall, a couple’s escape to the coast, or a solo break somewhere genuinely off the beaten track, we’d love to have you.
Check availability and book at polurrianhotel.com
