Lizard Point
Places to Visit
Dramatic cliffs shaped by the Atlantic. The Lizard features white beaches, turquoise seas and unique nature.
From the National Trust car park the walk down to Lizard Point takes between 5 and 10 minutes along a stretch of coastpath. The views are really quite special on route as you head to the Point.
Facilities:
There are toilet facilities in the car park, these are the closest toilets to the Point. There are 2 cafes at Lizard Point and many other options available in the village. Polpeor Café, a National Trust approved concession managed by Peter and his family, offers views and cream teas and are famous for their homemade meringues and donuts. The beach at Lizard Point, located next to the old lifeboat station, is small but offers a dog friendly place to visit year round. We also operate a small visitor information point where you can find out about our work, purchase membership to the National Trust and buy a souvenir from our shop.
Walking:
There are plenty of walks at or around Lizard Point, from short circular walks exploring the local area around the Point to longer more challenging walks taking in some of the inland paths that we look after. The walk to Kynance Cove is a very popular 2.5 mile route along the South West Coast Path and has the option to return via Lizard village. For more information about some of our walks click here.
Lizard Point is the most southerly point of mainland Britain. It’s over 600 miles as the crow flies south of Dunnet Head in Scotland. The exposed nature of the Point has created a wreckers delight as many ships have fallen victim to the currents and strong winds produced as the Atlantic meets the English Channel. The meeting of these two seas however creates fantastic feeding grounds for basking sharks and the seal colony that can often be seen lounging in the sun on the rocks or bottling in the waves below Lizard Point.
Wildlife:
Lizard Point has become well known for its wide variety of diverse wildlife. From Cornish Choughs to seals, rare plants and reptiles there is plenty to spot for all levels of wildlife enthusiast. For more information about wildlife at Lizard Point we recommend heading down to the Wildlife Watchpoint which is situated in the most southerly building. Run by volunteers the Watchpoint has become a really important place of reference for recording the many species visiting or calling Lizard Point home. The Watchpoint is open from Easter through the summer months.
For the finest panoramic views head south to Britain’s most southerly point. However be aware it can be unexpectedly foggy here. From Kynance north to Poldhu you can follow the coast as it drops down into hidden coves and caves and rises up to reveal some of the best views and places to watch an incredible sunset. The beaches along this stretch at some of the best on the Lizard no matter what time of year you visit, featuring white sand and turquoise seas all best explored on foot via the South West Coast Path.
Breathing spaces and sunset places
Storm watching with a pint
In the winter months the west coast is the best place to watch winter storms battering the harbours and beaches from the safety of a village pub. Visit Mullion Cove Hotel near the harbour at Mullion or the Ship Inn in Porthleven for the best views of the winter swells coming into land as you relax in the warm with a pint or a cup of tea. As a consequence of the storms the west coast stretch in particular is home to hundreds of shipwrecks. Take a trip to Lizard Point and visit the lighthouse heritage centre to find out about these local wrecks and how the lighthouse has saved thousands of lives at sea, or scan the beaches after a storm and you may even find some lost treasure.
Mullion harbour
At Mullion you can visit a small working harbour nestled into the cove. The harbour is a place to witness extremes; on a calm day you can swim in the turquoise water of the inner harbour and on a wild winter’s day witness the storms battering the harbour walls. Find out more about our work to look after Mullion here.
West coast flora
The west coast is the best place to access the Lizard National Nature Reserve (NNR) and the heathlands, home to over 250 species of both national and international importance.If you walk between Lizard Point and Kynance you can take in some of the NNR; home to a wealth of colour and life. From maritime grasslands at Caerthillian, famous amongst botanists for its varied species of clovers, to the heathlands around Kynance with species such as wild asparagus and hairy greenweed. Four native species of heather grow here too, ling, bell heather, cross leaved heath and, unique to this area, Cornish heath. The best time to see the heathlands is between July and August but the coastal species tend to flower a little earlier in the year.
… and fauna
The west coast doesn’t only offer incredible and rare flora, there’s plenty of fauna too. You might see the famous Cornish choughs, stonechats and peregrines as well as dragonflies, toads, adders and even lizards.
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