It is quite mind boggling to me that somewhere as extraordinary as Holywell Cave is hiding in plain sight on one of Newquay’s most popular beaches. There are no signposts and no evidence from the cave mouth that what you are about to see looks like it could be part of the Aladdin film set.
Step into the unassuming cave entrance and prepare to be awestruck as your eyes adjust and you can take in the kaleidoscope of vibrant coloured rock and ornate terraces that lead into a small chamber. I don’t feel like that description does it any justice so you really should go and see it for yourself!
And while you’re there you should also visit the additional secret cave with its intricate formations normally only seen in expensive show caves.
Here’s how to find them.
Visiting Holywell Cave
A note on the tides
Holywell Cave is best visited a couple of hours either side of low tide at which point it’s fully cut off from the sea.
Tides move high and fast in Cornwall, so if you’re visiting after the low just make sure you keep an eye on where the tide is at, but you should have no problems up to two hours after low tide.
Swells are not relevant in the case of these sea caves as the water will be nowhere near the caves a couple of hours either side of low tide.
The walk to Holywell Cave (aka St Cuthbert’s Cave)
The stats
Distance: 0.8 miles (1.3km) each way
Elevation gain: 20m
Difficulty: Easy to the cave mouth, but a short slippery climb required to reach the formations
Trailhead: National Trust Car Park, Holywell
The walk
From the Holywell Bay car park (full parking details below) you follow the gravel path downhill to the beach.
Approximately 300m in you’ll need to cross the little bridge if you want to avoid the small stream of water that comes in on the left side of the path.
Once you’re on the main beach (550m from the car park) you will head right and walk for about half a mile (800m) along the sand.
It’s a stunning beach in any weather, with sea stacks and rugged cliffs giving it a wild vibe. The sand is relatively compact, so it’s not too challenging, though walking on sand is always more tiring than a firm path.
As mentioned, there are no markings or signposts for the cave so you’ll need to keep an eye out for the cave opening, you are aiming for these coordinates 50.397374, -5.1439078. It’s to the left of a deep blue pool that sits at the foot of a cliff, you can see the cliff you have to aim for and the pool in the photos below.
It’s quite noticeable when you know to keep an eye out and comes just before a rocky section which almost separates the next bit of beach from the main beach.
Exploring Holywell Cave
Even the cave entrance is cool, with a slanted mouth in a looming mound of dark rock. When the tide is out there isn’t really any water in the cave beyond a few puddles, it’s just sand.
You’ll start to see some colours on the walls of the cave, but to see the really jaw dropping formations you do have to climb a little.
The rock is permanently damp, it’s fine climbing up, but a little more care is needed coming down as one section is a bit slippery.
You can first climb a few steps up and along the left side of the wall then you will reach the first of the terraces. This is also when the rock gets grippy.
There are large pools of water inside the terraces, so just go barefoot and you won’t have any trouble. It’s only that first section which is a little slippery and even if you did slip, you wouldn’t fall far, it’s not high, so don’t be put off.
Once you’re on the first terrace you will see the hole leading into the next tiny chamber. However, you don’t even have to climb into that chamber to see all the incredible colours and formations.
The wow factor is all in the terraces and the rainbow coloured rock.
There are so many colours and formations that in honesty it doesn’t look real. We’d seen some pretty epic sea caves in Cornwall by this point, but nothing compared to the absolute magic of this cave.
Climbing through the hole in the top to the next little chamber involves crouching quite low and you’ll want a torch to see the chamber better as the light doesn’t really reach this point.
When it comes to climbing back down, it’s really only around 8 or so steps down the grippy terraces and then you have that short somewhat slippery bit which is only 1m or so.
It’s probably not even that slippery, but I have a perpetual fear of slipping so took it very cautiously!
The legend of Holywell Cave
As if all that wasn’t enough there is even a legend attached to the cave. It’s said that in 995 AD the body of St Cuthbert was brought to the cave by the bishop of Lindisfarne and when his bones touched the spring water (yes it’s freshwater inside the cave) it gave the spring healing properties.
Many people still take a sip of water from the terraces today, just as they have done for the last thousand years.
The secret cave
Just 150m before Holywell Cave you’ll see another innocuous cave entrance and this one seems to fly completely under the radar. It’s a simple walk-in cave, with a sandy bottom and no climbing required.
At first you’ll see the cave wall is adorned with red, gold, pink and green streaks, but let your eyes adjust and you’ll see so much more.
You’ll find the most amazing calcium carbonate formations, including stalactites and stalagmites, the likes of which you rarely see outside of cave tours.
It’s somewhat dark inside and water droplets hitting the cave walls and the rolling waves beyond are the only sounds you’ll hear.
Some of the formations looked a bit like skulls and it had a slightly eerie feel, I loved it and couldn’t believe no one else came along despite us visiting in the busy school summer holidays.
What makes the whole experience even more special is that you can just head into these caves yourself, there’s no guided tour or entry fee required, it’s just you and an otherworldly set of caves that really could be part of a fantasy movie set! It’s an absolute Cornish must do.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Holywell Bay Parking
There is a large gravel car park at Holywell Bay, postcode TR8 5PP, you can see it on Google maps here. It’s run by the National Trust and free for members.
If you’re not a member the current charges are £2.50 up to 1 hour, £5 up to 4 hours or £9 all day. There is also an ice cream stand and bar located 100m along the walk down to the beach. It’s just under a 15 minute drive from Newquay.
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