Cornwall

The Lizard coastal walk

This trail around the Lizard Peninsula, the most southerly tip of mainland Britain, takes in dramatic cliff scenery, rare wildflowers and an interesting coastal history.

Near to

Kynance Cove

Start point

Kynance Cove, grid ref: SW703125

Trail information

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Difficulty*

Accessibility**

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 7 (km: 11.2)

Duration3 hours

Dog friendly***

*Some slopes and steps. For further details, please see Terrain section.
**Trail follows stony cliff top paths.
***Dogs welcome outside of council-enforced dog ban season. For further details, please see Facilities section.

Dogs
A seasonal council-enforced dog ban on some beaches, including Kynance Cove, 10am - 6pm throughout July & August.
Car park
Parking prices vary depending on the season. Pay and display machines in the car park charge between £2 and £10. Members park for free all year. Pay and display machines accept coins only.
Toilet
Located at Kynance Cove car park, Kynance Cove café and Lizard Point car park.
Café
National Trust-approved concession at Kynance Cove is open 10am - 3pm March - October (weather permitting). Please call the café for more information on 01326 290436. National Trust-approval concession also at Polpeor Cafe at Lizard Point, open 10am - 4pm March - October (weather permitting).
Total stages: 9
Total stages: 9
Start point
Kynance Cove, grid ref: SW703125
Stage 1
Set out from Kynance Cove, heading towards Lizard Point. Take the steps out of the cove at the east end of the beach.
View of Kynance Cove, Cornwall | © National Trust Images/Hugh Mothersole
Stage 2
Walk up the hill from the beach and through the car park where you can rejoin the coast path.
Wildflowers
One of the richest botanical areas in the UK, the cliffs are a colourful picture in spring, carpeted in the blue, white and pink of wildflowers like squill, campion and thrift. Many more quirkily named wildflowers bloom along the coast through spring and summer like dropwort, bloody cranes-bill, ladies bedstraw, milkwort and self-heal. The exotic looking pink and yellow flowers of the hottentot fig can be seen near to the lighthouse. Although it looks pretty it's actually a botanical bully and can smother our native flora. Cornish heath is a rare plant which grows here but nowhere else in Britain.
Maritime heather at Kynance Cove | © National Trust Images/Ross Hoddinott
Stage 3
Follow the cliff path, passing above Pentreath beach. Continue along the coast path taking in some of the coastal views along the route.
Stage 4
Look down towards the disused Victorian lifeboat station at Polpeor Cove.
Old Lizard Lifeboat Station at Polpeor Cover, Lizard Point | © National Trust Images/Hugh Mothersole
Stage 5
Continue on to Lizard Lighthouse, which is just round the headland from Lizard Point.
Lizard Lighthouse
An electric foghorn kicks in when humidity levels rise above a certain point. Make sure you cover your ears. The blast is so thunderous (about 30 times louder than a pneumatic drill), you'll feel the vibrations if passing close by. Tennyson described the twin towers of Lizard Lighthouse as 'the southern eyes of England'. Built in 1752, thousands of ships safely pass through these rock-filled waters thanks to its 26-mile (42km) beam.
Stage 6
Continue on to Lions Den, a 39ft (12m) hole in the cliff created when a cave collapsed one night in the mid-1800s.
Stage 7
Follow the trail to Pen Olver. With its stunning views it's the perfect spot for a picnic.
Lizard wireless station
Two black huts have stood on the headland of Pen Olver for more than a century. They are one of the sites that Guglielmo Marconi used for his pioneering radio experiments. In January 1901 he received a message here that had travelled 186 miles (300km) to the Isle of Wight – a new distance record. The National Trust restored the station in 2000. Call 01326 290384 for opening times.
Stage 8
From Bass Point Old Signal Station, head left inland to Lizard village.
Stage 9
Pass the village green taking a path back towards Kynance Cove.
End point
Kynance Cove, grid ref: SW703125
Trail map
A map of the Lizard coastal walk | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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