Walking - Number 7 In Cornwall

A Stunning Coastal Walk Around the Lizard Peninsula

Posted on 01/06/202526/12/2025 by Nick at Number 7

Looking for a coastal adventure with breathtaking views, hidden coves, and a sprinkling of Cornish charm? This circular walk around the Lizard Peninsula is a real gem. You can make it any length you need, from 4 to 15km. It’s easily shortened to suit all walking styles — whether you’re out for a short stroll or a full-day adventure.

We did it as a family and loved that we were never more than 20 minutes from the car — or an ice cream stop! It’s a brilliant route for all ages, with plenty of places to pause and take in the scenery.

Approximately 9 miles from Number 7, this is one of our favourite walks- stunning in the sunshine and with the prospect to be totally wild in cooler months.

🚗 Where to Park

We parked in the centre of Lizard Village, on the Green. Not only is it a convenient starting point, but it’s right across the road from a fantastic ice cream shop. Ideal motivation for the walk ahead (or a well-earned treat at the end!). 🍦

⛪ Down to Church Cove

From the Green, follow the signs down a peaceful country lane towards Church Cove. This hidden gem is postcard-pretty, with a quaint little slipway, colourful boats, and beautifully clear water shimmering in shades of blue and green. It’s an idyllic and peaceful start to the route. From Church Cove, turn right and ascend the cliff on the South West Coastal Path – the dramatic cliff top route gives both the lungs and your senses a workout!

🚤 The Lifeboat Station

Just along from Church Cove is the impressive Lizard Lifeboat Station, tucked into a dramatic cove. It’s well worth a visit — not just for its jaw-dropping setting, but for the stories of courage and community behind it. There’s a small viewing platform and sometimes volunteers on hand to share fascinating tales of local rescues. A shady, serene stop… until the steps back up to the coast path give your legs a proper wake-up call!

🌊 Along the Cliffs: Bass Point to Housel Bay

Rejoining the South West Coast Path, the walk continues around Bass Point and Pen Olver, offering sweeping views across the Atlantic. Expect wildflowers, wind-whipped headlands, and dramatic cliffs — pure Cornish magic.

Next stop is Housel Bay, a serene and often overlooked beach at the bottom of a deep valley. If you catch it at low tide, you’ll be rewarded with golden sand and inviting turquoise water. To reach the beach, turn left at the bottom of the valley and head down the steps.

📍 Lizard Point – The Southernmost Tip of Britain

Continue along the coast, passing the Lizard Lighthouse, and you’ll soon arrive at Lizard Point — the southernmost point of mainland Britain. It’s a breathtaking spot with rugged cliffs, soaring seabirds, and uninterrupted sea views. We made the most of the café here, enjoying milkshakes and chips with a view. Bliss.

🏖️ Pentreath Beach & Kynance Cove

About an hour further along the path, you’ll come to Pentreath Beach — wild, remote, and achingly beautiful. At the moment, the main steps down are inaccessible, so the only access is a steep scramble down loose rock. Worth the effort if you’re confident on your feet, but definitely one to approach with care.

A short walk on brings you to the showstopper: Kynance Cove. This is Cornwall’s Insta-famous darling — and for good reason. Its white sand, dramatic rock stacks, and impossibly clear water make it one of the most photographed spots in the UK. Expect crowds in summer, but the views are spectacular all year round (our recommendation is to enjoy Kynance at its best out of season and as the tide is heading to its lowest point). Be sure to head up to the viewpoint above the cove for that classic photo angle.

🥾 Back to Lizard Village

From the Kynance Cove car park, follow the lane inland. After about 500m, at the first sharp bend, take the footpath ahead across the fields. After a gentle 15-minute walk, you’ll arrive back in Lizard Village, perfectly placed for that second ice cream (you’ve earned it!).

If you’re looking to shorten the route, there are several well-marked paths from the coast back into the village at various points, making it easy to tailor the walk to your needs.

🌼 Final Thoughts

This Lizard Peninsula route is one of Cornwall’s finest — a walk that offers big views, quiet coves, wildlife encounters, and a touch of local history. Whether you’re in it for the scenery, the exercise, or the ice cream, this trail is packed with highlights and perfect for families, nature lovers, and day-trippers alike.

You might also enjoy some of our other blog posts/ideas for activities:

Magical Gillan Cove

Magical Gillan Cove

Porthcurno to Land’s End Walkhttps://number7incornwall.com/porthcurno-to-lands-end-adventure/

Porthcurno to Land’s End Adventure

5 Top Swim Spots in the Helford

5 Top Swim Spots in the Helford

Porthcurno to Land’s End Adventure

Posted on 26/05/202526/05/2025 by Nick at Number 7

🌿 Overview of Porthcurno to Land’s End

A spectacular coastal walk from Porthcurno to Land’s End in Cornwall, this 10-mile circular route showcases jaw-dropping beaches, dramatic cliffs, hidden coves, and flower-filled green lanes. Porthcurno is approximately 35 miles from Number 7. Although a bit of a drive, this walk ties in a number of iconic spots you may want to visit. Starting and ending in Porthcurno, this walk includes Pedn Vounder, the Minack Theatre, Porthchapel, Porthgwarra, Gwennap Head, the magical Nanjizal Cove, and finally Land’s End, before looping inland through peaceful countryside lanes and footpaths.

We planned to do a smaller loop, but extended it to take in Nanjizal and Land’s End. We’re so glad we did. For a shorter version, it’s easy to return inland via numerous footpaths.

🚗 Starting Point: Porthcurno

We parked at Porthcurno car park – a pay-on-exit facility that accepts card payments. A quick tip: the RingGo app doesn’t work well here due to poor reception. From the car park, a short stroll south takes you to the breathtaking Porthcurno Beach.

Porthcurno deserves every accolade. With its soft near-white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters, it’s consistently ranked among Cornwall’s top beaches – and rightly so. Framed by towering granite cliffs, the beach is visually stunning, but also geologically fascinating. The sand here is made from pulverised seashells, which give it a unique texture and colour that enhances the sea’s dazzling hue.

Just beyond lies Pedn Vounder, arguably the crown jewel of Cornish beaches. Though we didn’t catch the tide right this time, at low tide you can walk around the headland to this secluded slice of paradise. Once a local secret, it’s now a favourite on Instagram – and for good reason. Expect dramatic sandbars, translucent water, and a true sense of escape. A quick point of note- this is a known naturist beach. Pedn Vounder is also one to take careful note of the tides with – if you miss your window, your only exit is a steep, tricky scramble up the cliff path.

🎭 Minack Theatre & Porthchapel Cove

Heading west from Porthcurno, steep steps lead up past the iconic open-air Minack Theatre (you’ll have to book in advance if you’d like to visit the Minack Theatre Gardens). From here, the coastal path offers panoramic views at every turn. Our next stop was the hidden gem of Porthchapel Cove. Accessed via a fairly manageable (but slightly scrambly) path, this idyllic cove features white sand, clear water, and even a freshwater waterfall and stream. It’s the perfect peaceful stop before continuing along the cliffs.

Above the cove lies St Levan’s Chapel, which we didn’t visit on this walk. If you didn’t want to do the full Porthcurno to Land’s End walk, this would make a great point to loop back for a shorter route.

🌸 Wildflowers & Porthgwarra

The stretch from Porth Chapel to Porthgwarra was a sensory feast – the cliffs were bursting with spring wildflowers. In an area often too exposed for buildings or farmland, nature thrives. We spotted sea campion, blue bells, lousewort, sea thrift, wild honeysuckle, and more. It was like walking through a living bouquet.

Porthgwarra itself is a charming, tiny cove complete with a tunnel carved through the rock to the beach, and a slipway – all recognisable features for fans of Poldark. We couldn’t resist stopping for a well-earned ice cream at the café.

🌊 Gwennap Head

From here, it was a short but dramatic walk to Gwennap Head, where the views opened up to wide Atlantic panoramas. The headland is known for its lookout station and the distinctive red and white day markers used to align shipping routes. On a clear day, the Isles of Scilly are just visible on the horizon. It’s a brilliant spot for seabird watchers, and if you’re lucky, even dolphins.

📸 Nanjizal Cove – The Showstopper

Next was the stunning Nanjizal Cove – a photogenic favourite that’s become something of an Instagram sensation in recent years. Despite the hype, it still feels remote and untouched, as there’s no direct road access. You have to earn this one on foot, which only adds to the magic.

The cove is best known for the natural rock arch known as “Song of the Sea” – a dramatic, sea-carved slit through the towering cliffs that glows golden in the late afternoon sun. With its boulder-strewn beach, caves, freshwater stream, and peaceful atmosphere, Nanjizal feels like something out of a fantasy novel. It’s the perfect place to pause, soak up the scenery, and snap a few (hundred) photos before heading on. For us, it was a wild and windy delight.

⚠️ Clifftop Challenge & Land’s End

After Nanjizal, we made a slight misstep and followed the lower cliff-edge path instead of the safer higher one. This narrow trail is not for the faint-hearted. It’s passable, but we recommend it for those with good footing and a head for heights!

Eventually, we emerged at Land’s End – a stark contrast from the serenity of the path behind us. Suddenly, we were among crowds, tourist attractions, roped walkways, and general hustle and bustle. While a bit of a shock to the system, it was also a welcome opportunity for refreshments, facilities, and a brief rest.

🏡 The Return Route

From Land’s End, we headed inland along a short stretch of end of the A30 (thankfully it has a pavement most of the way), turning right onto the B3315 towards Trevescan. At Trevescan we headed off on public footpaths through Trevilley and Higher Bosistow.

The ancient green lanes beyond Higher Bosistow to Rafra Farm were absolutely beautiful – tall Cornish hedgerows, buzzing with bees and bursting with wildflowers, lined the peaceful paths. From Rafra Farm, we took one of the numerous footpaths back to Porthcurno, completing the loop.

🥾 Final Thoughts – Porthcurno to Land’s End

This walk from Porthcurno to Land’s End is a perfect blend of wild coastline, secret beaches, and flower-filled countryside. It is challenging in places, but the rewards are endless. Be prepared for changes in terrain, take plenty of water and snacks, and don’t forget to take lots of pictures – every turn offers a view worth capturing.

This Porthcurno to Land’s End circular walk is perfect for a full day adventure before returning to Number 7 for a well-earned cup of tea and relax.

Magical Gillan Cove

Posted on 08/03/202515/03/2025 by Nick at Number 7

Gillan Cove and its beautiful neighbour, Flushing Cove, are two of our favourite little secret gems. An absolute haven for anyone who enjoys swim-walking, wild swimming, SUPping, walking, or just getting away from it all. Sit down and listen to the birds in the trees above with the gentle lap of the water below. Nestled off the beaten track, with no parking /tourist facilities, these secluded spots tend to be quiet throughout the year. You have to put effort into reaching them, but when you do, oh my, that effort is rewarded!

Fully dog friendly throughout the year, tucked away at the entrance to the Helford Estuary, we wholeheartedly recommend you check these out.

Below are a few photos/video clips to show why we love these magical coves quite so much.

With no easily accessible parking, you can walk to Gillan Cove down the footpath from the nearby lane. There are a few passing spaces on the closest lane, which are big enough to accommodate a car and still allow passing. Alternatively, this footpath is approximately a 2-mile walk from Number 7.

The walk down to Gillan Creek..

It is an enchantingly beautiful spot – so peaceful…. just listen to that birdsong… (This was taken at low tide in March)

“The Hera” at the entrance of Gillan Cove

At Gillan, there is an unusual small prominentary. This area, known as “The Hera” provides protection to the cove. This creates a gentle area to swim or paddleboard in, particularly at high tide.

To the South of the The Hera, there are more exposed coves, where you can feel the full force of the open water at the entrance of the Helford. This video clip is taken walking up the grassy bank of The Hera.

Standing on the top of “The Hera” at the entrace of Gillan Creek and looking out to sea and towards the entrance of The Helford. Listen to the difference in the wind at this point, when compared to the clip taken in the sheltered part of the Cove (they were taken on the same day).

Walking Round to Flushing Cove

From Gillan Cove, you can either walk South on the coastal path to head to the more exposed Nare Point, passing an absolute multitude of hidden coves along the way… or head North for the very short stroll around to Flushing Cove. Flushing is another similar tiny cove, perfect for spending a relaxed day enjoying the water and walks at a totally different pace.

Walking down into Flushing Cove along the coastal path. (Video taken at low tide in March.)

From Flushing Cove you can either continue on around the coastal path, up around Gillan Creek, or stroll up the little lane, back towards Number 7 (or your car).

We hope you enjoy exploring this area as much as we do.

You might also be interested in our other post about 5 top swim spots in the Helford or our page with a map on it.

Look out for our next post… heading up around Gillan Creek to St Anthony-in-Meneage…