You will find Kynance Cove on every single list of the best beaches in Cornwall and rightly so. Kynance is one of those beaches that makes you stop and wonder if you’re actually still in the UK because how can it look so positively tropical?
The water is turquoise, the sand golden and large sea stacks give it real Thailand vibes. It even looks amazing on overcast days because what you lose in beautiful water colour, you gain in dramatic atmosphere.
The beach is really fun to explore with small sea caves, and for me, the star of the show, an emerald mermaid pool. It’s one of my favourite places to swim in Cornwall and honestly, that’s saying something.
Here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit.
Tips for visiting Kynance Cove
How the tides affects access
You can visit Kynance Cove on any tide but the amount of beach you will find varies greatly. If you want maximum beach space, then coming a couple of hours either side of low tide is optimal.
You should be warned though that this is also the busiest time to visit and if you’re coming in the school summer holidays - especially on a sunny day - it’s going to be packed.
You will still have plenty of space at mid tide and it’s a little less busy, though there is a mandatory wade to get across to the main beach. High tide is the quietest time but you can’t explore fully as the high water covers much of the beach and caves.
You can see the tide forecast here.
How the swell affects your visit
There are two sides to Kynance Cove, the eastern side which is more exposed to the waves, while the western side is much calmer and better for swimming.
You can see the swell forecast here and you want to use the arrows at the bottom of the chart to gauge the severity of the swell. If you’re keen on swimming, then ideally you want pick a day when the swell is marked as ‘smooth’ or ‘slight’.
This will generally give a lagoon-like feel to the water on the western side and only very minor waves on the eastern side.
If you want to swim in the Mermaid Pool this is especially important. Even the higher end of a slight swell here can see waves crashing over the rocks and causing turbulent water inside the pool.
The low tide walk vs the high tide walk
The quickest route to Kynance Cove is via the low tide route, which is a distance of just under 500m (60m elevation on the way back up). That’s because the path is more direct and mainly consists of stairs.
The stairs are in good condition but not perfectly manicured. The views are gorgeous and the majority of people use this route as it’s quicker.
When you reach the beach there are a few rocks to walk over before you hit the sand. You can then cross the first beach to reach the main beach (at low tide the two join, but at mid tide it’s a wade).
Low tide route
Low tide route
The high tide path is longer at 920m one way, but it’s a much gentler descent as it switchbacks down the hill on a gravel path.
The very first bit of this track is the steepest (while still not being overly steep) and it is suitable for pushchairs and those that would prefer to avoid all the stairs of the low tide route.
High Tide trail
You’ll arrive at the sandy part of the beach just 30m from where you can cross over to the main beach (a wade at mid tide or a walk across the sand at low tide).
What to expect from the beach and caves
The beach has two separate coves, though they join up fully at low tide.
The first part of the beach that you will come to when using the low or high tide path is small, with several mini tidal pools cut off from the sea and popular with little kids.
It’s great, but the better beach is just beyond and this one is fully sandy, which isn’t always the case in Cornwall.
We usually visit on a mid-tide so crossing between the two coves involves a wade, which is anywhere between knee height and waist height.
If you’re not keen on that then come closer to the low tide and you won’t encounter any water at all unless the swell is really up.
You’ll arrive at the stunning main beach with water on either side of it. It’s also where you can walk right up to that iconic sea stack which I always find incredible no matter how many times I’ve seen it.
There are small caves to the right and left side of the beach.
The right side (when facing the lagoon like side of the beach) has two little tunnels which lead from the cave to the water which provides lots of fun for kids and adults alike! The cave also offers some shade if you need it.
The Kynance Cove Mermaid Pool
The Mermaid Pool is a stunning tidal pool surrounded by rock walls that shelter it from view until you’re almost on top of it. The large pool has shimmering bluey emerald water, and despite being very deep you can see all the way through to the bottom.
Swimming here is an absolute dream especially on a sunny day when the water is at its most exceptional.
How to access the pool
Co-ordinates: 49.975172, -5.233720
From the car park you can opt for either the low tide or high tide path (also known as the easy route) down to the beach.
You then need to cross through to the main beach and head to the right (western) side which has much calmer water.
From the western side of the beach, the Mermaid Pool is on the far right, approximately 100m away. You just need to follow the cliff line and look for the opening to access the pool (you can see the gap you’re aiming for in the photo below).
If you’re here a couple of hours either side of low tide this will be a wade that shouldn’t come above chest height and that’s only for a couple of metres.
The route through to the Mermaid Pool
It will be substantially less than this the closer you are to the actual low tide time. You can visit on a mid tide and a bit higher but you will need to swim part of the distance.
Just before you reach the pool there are a couple of rocks but nothing that involves scrambling.
The first time we visited we climbed over all the rocks you’ll see on the right side of the water, but it’s much easier to just go through the water, the next time we visited I couldn’t fathom why we’d gone across the rocks at all!
If the swell is not smooth or you get unlucky with a slight reading that in fact turns out to be quite wavy, you will experience a lot of waves and current inside the pool making it a much wilder swim.
The water becomes a bit cloudy and there may be patches of foam as well.
The pool at low tide on a slight swell
I wouldn’t recommend it if the waves are large as this could result in being smashed into the rocks. If it looks a bit wavy, watch the water for a while before entering as large rogue waves can enter the pool unexpectedly and you don’t want to get caught out.
The pool on a smooth swell 2 hours before low tide
Swimming at the Mermaid Pool
Apart from the entryway, the pool is very deep and perfect for swimming. There’s one rock you can sort of stand up on in the middle, but it’s right by where waves enter the pool so it’s not really an ideal place to stand. It’s definitely somewhere to swim rather than laze around.
Though not huge you have got a good amount of space to swim and when the swell is low it’s generally very calm, though there is always a bit of current.
People do jump from the cliffs into the pool but remember to depth check the water first. Though we did visit around midday recently in the school summer holidays and managed a quiet swim for around 10 minutes or so, it does get busy at this time.
I would recommend coming early or late if you can because if people are jumping constantly you can’t really swim in the pool. For reference we visited in the school holidays last year at around 9am and it was completely empty.
You can make a little circuit swim if you wanted to by heading through the gap in the cliff walls and round to the bay that way which is a bit more fun than heading back the same way you came in.
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.
Getting to and parking for Kynance Cove
Kynance Cove is located a few kilometres from the little village of Lizard in southwest Cornwall, postcode TR12 7PJ. There’s very a large National Trust car park which is free for members or £2 for 1 hour, £5 for 4 hours or £10 for over 4 hours.
It takes around an hour’s drive from Falmouth and Penzance and 1.5 hours from Newquay.
You can walk to Kynance Cove from Lizard village if you’re looking for a longer walk.
Facilities at Kynance Cove
There is a cafe (not run by the National Trust) just above the beach (aptly named the Kynance Cove Cafe) which offers sandwiches, jacket potatoes and sweet treats. The view is gorgeous and they have some picnic benches outside to enjoy it from.
There are toilets available at the car park.
Are dogs allowed at Kynance Cove?
Kynance Cove is dog friendly most of the year, however, dogs are not allowed on the beach between the hours of 10am - 6pm from 1 July to 31 August.
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Everything you need to know about visiting Kynance Cove, including details on how the tide effects the beach and what the low tide and high tide walking tracks are like. We’re also sharing how to find the hidden Mermaid Pool and what it’s like to swim there.