Kynance Cove

The walk down to Kynance Cove rewards you properly. Serpentine cliffs - those distinctive striped rocks in green and purple - drop dramatically to a crescent of golden sand, and on a clear day the visibility stretches for miles. It's a proper spectacle, the kind of place that makes you understand why people hike across Cornwall just to tick it off.

You'll find golden sand, rock pools teaming with life, and sea caves you can actually explore if the tide's right. The approach is steep - not treacherous, but your calves will feel it on the way back up. Allow a good hour to get down, potter about, and climb out again. Families with younger kids should factor in rests; teenagers and proper walkers will be fine.

It's free to visit, which is brilliant, though the nearest car park fills quickly in summer. Go early morning or late afternoon, especially in school holidays. The beach itself is relatively sheltered, so even on breezy days it's swimmable.

Kynance sits nicely within easy reach of Helston, making it a natural day trip if you're based at Henry's Camp Site or The Secret Garden Glamping further afield. Combine it with other Lizard Peninsula walks - Mullion Cove is close - and you've got a cracking coastal morning sorted. Bring proper shoes, not flip-flops. The rocks are sharp and the path's unforgiving in the wrong footwear.