The Lizard is mainland Britain's most southerly point, a peninsula of rare rocks, wildflowers and sheltered coves that feels a world away from the rest of Cornwall. The coast path from Lizard Point east to the fishing village of Cadgwith is one of the best walks on the peninsula: a few hours of cliff-top scenery, a lighthouse, a lifeboat station and a thatched village at the end.
Getting there and parking
Lizard village is at the end of the A3083, about eleven miles south of Helston. There is parking on the village green and a National Trust car park at Lizard Point itself, reached down a lane from the village. Parking in Cadgwith is very limited, with a small car park at the top of the village and a steep walk down, so it is easier to start at the Point and walk there and back, or use the local bus where it runs. Check timetables before you rely on it.
Lizard Point
At the Point, cliffs drop to a jumble of rocks and reefs that have wrecked many ships over the centuries. The old lifeboat station sits in the cove below, and the cafés on the cliff top look straight out to sea. This is one of the best places in Cornwall to watch for wildlife: choughs, the red-legged crows that are the symbol of Cornwall, returned to breed here in 2001 after decades away, and grey seals are often seen on the rocks below.
The Lizard Lighthouse
Just east of the Point, the white Lizard Lighthouse has guided ships past this dangerous coast since 1752. The heritage centre tells the story of the light and its keepers, and on some days you can climb the tower. Opening times vary through the year, so check before you go.
The walk to Cadgwith
From the lighthouse, follow the coast path east. You soon pass Housel Bay, a small sandy cove below the cliffs, and the former Marconi wireless station at Bass Point, where early radio experiments took place around 1900. Further on is the Lizard Lifeboat Station at Kilcobben Cove, built into the cliff with a long slipway.
The path continues past Church Cove, at the hamlet of Landewednack, and on to the Devil's Frying Pan, a huge collapsed sea cave just south of Cadgwith. At high tide in rough weather, the sea boils inside it. The whole walk from Lizard Point to Cadgwith is roughly three and a half miles one way. Allow two hours or so at an easy pace, plus time to explore. The path is uneven, with some steep steps down to the coves, so wear proper walking boots.
Cadgwith
Cadgwith is a working fishing village with thatched cottages, a shingle beach where boats are still hauled up, and a sense that very little has changed in a century. Fishing boats land crab and lobster here, and you may see the catch coming in. Wander the lanes, sit on the beach and watch the boats, then head back along the coast path or inland via the lanes to Lizard village.
Serpentine and wildflowers
The Lizard's geology is unusual. Much of the peninsula is serpentine, a green and red rock that was once part of the ocean floor, polished by local craftspeople into ornaments you can still buy in the area. The soils it creates support rare plants, including Cornish heath, which grows wild almost nowhere else in Britain. Late spring and early summer are the best times to see the cliff tops in flower.
Good to know
- Combine this walk with Kynance Cove, about a mile and a half west of Lizard Point along the coast path.
- There are toilets and cafés at Lizard Point and in Lizard village. Facilities in Cadgwith are limited.
- Keep dogs on leads near the cliff edges and where cattle or ponies are grazing.
- Bring binoculars for choughs, seabirds and seals.
Photos: Lizard Lighthouse by Helmut Zozmann, CC BY-SA 2.0; Cadgwith Cove by Derek Voller, CC BY-SA 2.0; via Wikimedia Commons.
