A guide to the Lizard Peninsula

The Lizard is a haven for nature-lovers, with rare geology, fascinating flora and fauna, vast stretches of quiet clifftop paths and ample coves to discover. Foodies will love the Lizard’s variety of traditional fisherman’s pubs, welcoming cafés, and top-quality restaurants, to savour the local cuisine – often with a seaview. And despite its secluded feel, there’s also plenty to keep families entertained here, from the Cornish Seal Sanctuary to Roskilly’s Dairy Farm. 

If you’re looking for travel inspiration for your escape to the Lizard Peninsula, dig into our guide to the best places to eat, drink and explore.

The food & drink

Whether you’re after a hearty post-coast-path-walk lunch, a traditional Cornish pub, or an afternoon tea overlooking the ocean, the Lizard has a great array of eateries for all tastes. 

Best for a pasty

Pasties are the long-cherished national dish of Cornwall, so it would be rude not to sample at least one whilst you’re visiting the county! Fortunately the Lizard is home to two of the best. The first is famed pasty-maker Ann’s Pasties – follow your nose to the mouthwatering smell of hot flaky pastry, beef, and onion wafting from their shop in the Lizard’s village square. The second is Gear Farm, a well-established family-run business in an idyllic spot in the village of St Martin. Locals and visitors alike travel from far and wide to enjoy their perfect pasty creations, and they often sell out in the afternoon so you might want to aim for an early lunch.

Best for locally-grown ingredients

Flora is a café set in the historic Trelowarren Estate, amongst 1,000 acres of woodlands, gardens, and farmland. Here you’ll find freshly baked pastries, sourdough, homemade granola, and fresh fruits on the breakfast menu. At lunchtime, take your pick from their ever-changing selection, featuring the likes of garden salads and grilled fish. And for dinner, enjoy mouthwatering mains like ‘Pork Chop, Anchovy, Sage & Kalibos’ or ‘Roasted Turbot, Cider Butter Sauce, Sorrel & Crown Prince Squash’. The food is all sustainably sourced from their network of farmers, fishermen and foragers – and some is even grown in their very own walled garden on-site. 

Best for afternoon tea with a sea view

If you like your scones and cream overlooking the ocean, make your way to Mullion Cove Hotel, dramatically perched on the Lizard’s exposed west coast. As well as serving excellent fine dining dishes in their AA-Rosette restaurant, Mullion Cove’s Afternoon Tea is available all day in the lounges and bar, or out in the garden should the weather allow. Expect decadent sandwiches, tarts and cakes, plus, of course, homemade scones with Cornish clotted cream and jam – jam goes first, don’t forget! For an extra indulgent treat, upgrade to the Champagne Afternoon Tea and savour it whilst you soak up the staggering views. 

Best for a colourful salad

The family-run Fat Apples Café is a delightful spot to stop for lunch, just a few minutes from Porthallow Beach. On the seasonal menu you’ll find all sorts of satisfying dishes, from chunky sandwiches to smoked mackerel fillets. The salad plates, however, are their biggest draw in our opinion! Packed with fresh and colourful ingredients, the salad plates feature the likes of ‘marinated beetroot and apple salad with horseradish dressing’, ‘kale, orange, feta and walnut’, and delicious sautéed potatoes to accompany the specials. And when the sun’s shining, you can enjoy your lunch in the quaint garden, complete with bunting and deckchairs.

Best for a traditional Cornish atmosphere

Pubs don’t get much more Cornish in character than the Cadgwith Cove Inn. This 300-year-old establishment has barely changed since the cove’s old smuggling days, serving pints and pub grub right beside Cadgwith’s working fishing harbour, surrounded by colourful boats and lobster pots. Whether you’re staying to eat (the seafood is divine) or just here to sink a few drinks, you’ll get a warm welcome and a good fill. For the ultimate traditional Cornish experience, come by on a Friday night, find a seat to squeeze into and enjoy the Cadgwith Singers bellowing out sea shanties in the bar.  

Best for foodies 

If you’re happy to drive a little further west beyond the Lizard, you’ll find Porthleven, a picturesque harbour town with a foodie reputation. Michelin-starred restaurant Kota, laidback bar-café The Mussel Shoal, and 17th-century harbour-front pub The Ship Inn are some of our favourites. Or for a more casual takeaway, call into The Shipyard’s Market and pick up an artisan pastry or some Thai street food. Dedicated foodies should check out the popular Porthleven Food Festival too!

The beaches

From near-deserted sandy bays to rugged coves and caves, the Lizard has many stunning beaches for wild swimming, watersports, a gentle stroll or simply to lay out a blanket.

Best for breathtaking scenery

Kynance Cove is one of Cornwall’s most iconic beaches, well-loved (and photographed) for its white sands, turquoise waters and dramatic rock formations. It’s one of the best places to see the Lizard’s unique geology, snakelike red and dark green serpentine rock, with caves and corners aplenty to explore. Its exceptional beauty does mean that Kynance attracts a lot of visitors – it’s often one of the busiest spots on the Lizard Peninsula, in fact, so be sure to turn up early if you want to get a parking space. Kynance Cove is only accessible at low tide too, and it isn’t lifeguarded so be extra careful. 

Best for families

A little further around the coast on the more sheltered eastern side of the Lizard, you’ll find Kennack Sands. This is one of the largest beaches on the peninsula, with masses of space for games (at low tide), brilliant rock pools to explore and a lovely café serving drinks, snacks, and ice creams in spring and summer – making it a great choice for families. It’s another good spot for budding nature-lovers or geologists to seek out serpentine rocks! History-loving families will also enjoy discovering the World War II defences at the far end of the beach, including pill boxes and an anti-tank wall. 

Best for Poldark fans

Gunwalloe Church Cove is a remote and picturesque beach within a site of archaeological importance, owned by the National Trust. It’s named after the small medieval church set into the rock of the headland, originally known as ‘Church of the Storms’ due its exposed location. Gunwalloe is well-known for its history of shipwrecks too, so it’s fitting that Poldark’s dramatic wreck scene was filmed here. Maritime fans will also love Dollar Cove just next door, where some people claim that coins still wash up from a Spanish cargo ship that wrecked there back in 1669. 

Best for surfing

Sand dune-backed Poldhu Cove is another beautiful beach on the Lizard, popular with locals and visitors. When the swell and wind align, it’s a great spot for surfing, bodyboarding or bellyboarding. If you’re new to wave-riding or don’t have your own board and wetsuit, you can take a lesson or hire the kit with Dan Joel, whose surf school is conveniently located on the beach. A donation from each booking goes straight back into helping the National Trust’s conservation work in the cove too. Post-surf, neighbour Poldhu Beach Café serves the perfect refuel: ‘epic hot chocolates’ loaded with cream and sweet treats.

Things to do 

If the beaches aren’t enough to keep you occupied, there’s plenty more to see and do on the Lizard Peninsula, from wholesome family activities to scenic outdoor adventures.

Best for seeing marine life 

No trip to the Lizard is complete without a visit to the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek. This education centre is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of grey seals and seal pups in Cornwall – and it’s a wonderful place to see the animals up close. The sanctuary provides a forever home to some characterful resident grey seals who are in need of permanent care from the team, as well as sea lions, puffins, and beavers! Allow a few hours to listen to talks from the expert team, see the seals in the underwater viewing tunnel, watch feeding time and pause for a bite to eat in the café.

Best for garden strolls

The microclimate in Cornwall makes it a spectacular destination for gardens filled with rare and exotic plants. Just outside of the Lizard on the edge of the Helford River, you’ll find two exceptional gardens. Trebah is a sub-tropical paradise with over four miles of coast path winding through its 26-acre gardens, with huge ferns, ancient trees, a magnificent hydrangea valley and its own private beach. Just next door is Glendurgan, another picturesque valley garden that runs down to the ocean, with a Victorian-style laurel maze to explore as its centre. 

Best for literature lovers 

Author Daphne Du Maurier featured Frenchman’s Creek, a gorgeous spot on the peaceful Helford River, in several of her novels. You’ll need to venture a little off the beaten path to get here, through narrow country lanes and densely wooded valleys – but it’s worth the journey to discover the stunning creek that was so inspiring for her. Explore by foot, or for an even more enchanting view of the area from atop the river, take a guided kayak tour with Koru Kayaking. On a warm day the trip includes a glorious swim at a secluded beach, too. 

Best for ice cream

One of Cornwall’s best ice cream-makers is based on the Lizard near St Keverne. Roskilly’s is a real working organic dairy farm, where you can visit to see the team (and the cows!) at work. See the herd of 125 Jersey cows being milked, wander the meadows and then head to the restaurant or the ice cream parlour to sample a scoop or two for yourself. Choose from classics like mint choc chip and strawberry, or try something a little different – how about banoffee, miso caramel and hazelnut, or Cornish cream tea flavour?

Best for a coastal walk

The Lizard has some of the most spectacular stretches of the South West Coast Path, with varied landscapes and jaw-dropping views. There are plenty of sections to choose from, depending on how much of a challenge you’re seeking. This 4-mile moderate route is fairly accessible and takes in all three sides of the peninsula and the rugged Lizard Point, the most southerly tip of mainland UK. Look out for colourful wildflowers in spring, a variety of birds including the native Cornish chough, marine life such as seals and dolphins, the Lizard lighthouse, the lifeboat station, and more.  

Staying on the Lizard Peninsula 

If you’re looking for a magical base for your adventures on the Lizard Peninsula, explore our hand-picked hideaways in this area. Perhaps you’d like to sleep amongst the trees in Skapya or Kalmynsi Treehouses, tucked away in the lush landscapes of the Helford? Or maybe you’d like to wake to vast Atlantic Ocean views at Gull Rock Cabin just south of Mullion? Or could the tranquil Owl’s Rest shepherd’s hut near the fishing village of Coverack be the place you’d like to make yourself at home? Browse our full collection of Cornwall accommodation here.