Cornwall has some of the most incredible wild swimming spots in the UK and on a sunny day you’ll question if you’re actually still in the UK at all! With shimmering turquoise rockpools, emerald lagoons, quarry pools and picturesque waterfalls, you’re swimming wish list is likely to be longer than you could possibly manage in one trip!
If you love longer swims, there are many calm stretches of water where you can swim from bay to bay, stopping at lots of hidden coves along the way - none of which can be accessed on foot giving you a little patch of private paradise even during the busy summer holidays.
We’ve well and truly fallen in love with Cornwall, so you can see this list as a work in progress because we’ll be adding many more spots in the future.
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1: Godrevy Rockpool, Hayle
2: The Song of the Sea Cave, Nanjizal
3: Porthcothan Emerald Lagoon, Padstow
4: Vugga Cove, West Pentire
5: Treyarnon Rockpool, Padstow
6: Mother Ivey’s Bay, Padstow
7: Rocky Valley Waterfall, Tintagel
8: Ray Pool, Penzance
9: Lankidden Cove, Lizard
10: Kit Hill Quarry, Callington
11: Lantic Bay, Polperro
12: Chapel Pool, Polperro
13: Church Cove, Lizard
14: Kynance Cove Mermaid Pool, Lizard
15: Pedn Vounder Beach, Land’s End
16: Golitha Falls, Bodmin
17: Bossiney Cove, Tintagel
18: Bessy’s Cove, Penzance
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 places clean.
The best wild swimming spots in Cornwall
A note on the tides
As many of the spots on this list are rockpools or sea swims, it’s worth noting you need to be mindful of the tide and swell. Some rockpools are best around low tide and will be inaccessible on higher tides. Other spots are best at high tide and may have drained fully at low tide.
The swell is also important for some rockpools and sea swims and you’ll ideally be looking for a ‘smooth’ or ‘slight’ reading. If the pools are set very far back from the sea then you can visit on any swell.
Cornwall does have rips sometimes and people get caught out every year, so you really do need to check the swell and know how to spot a rip current before embarking on any of the sea swims.
Each pool or cove we mention below has an individual article dedicated to it which will tell you the exact conditions you need for the best possible experience.
1. Godrevy Rockpool, near Hayle
Walk length: 0.3 miles (450m) each way
Difficulty: Moderate due to the scramble
A deep blue pool sits on the rock shelf with stunning views out to the iconic Godrevy Lighthouse. Surrounding the pool are numerous smaller tidal pools and rock channels, which could easily be mistaken for somewhere in the Mediterranean on a sunny day.
Swimming in the blue pool in particular is an absolute dream, with clear water and no current at all to worry about. The rock channel is also fantastic, but requires calm conditions as it’s not cut off from the sea and therefore more subject to incoming waves.
If you pass by on the coastal path above, the pools look inaccessible, but if you know where to look you’ll find the scramble down is relatively easy. Here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit.
2. The Song of the Sea Cave, Nanjizal near Lands End
Walk length: 1.1 miles (1.8km) each way via the quickest route
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
The Song of the Sea Cave is an evocative name perfectly fitting for this mesmerising sea cave and pool. The water is a beautiful shade of turquoise even when in shadow, which is most of the time due to the high cave walls.
The arch appears like a secret doorway adding to the allure and mysterious feel of the place. Swimming is best on a low to mid tide, but if you opt for mid tide you ideally want a very calm sea as the waves will crash closer to the pool.
Time it right and it’s like to be one of the most atmospheric swims you have in all of Cornwall.
The quickest route to the pool is 1.1 miles/1.8km each way, but there are longer much more scenic walks you can do if you have more time to spare. For the quickest route, the place to park is on the side of an unnamed road just south of the village of Polgigga. You can find the exact spot on Google Maps here.
We like to walk from Sennen Cove which offers amazing views, you could also start at Lands End but that comes with a very hefty parking fee!
3. Porthcothan Emerald Lagoon, Padstow
Walk length: 0.4 miles (650m) each way
Difficulty: Very easy
A deep cleft in the cliffs fills up at high tide creating a shimmering emerald lagoon. For sheltered swimming in clear calm water it’s hard to think of a more stunning spot that is this easy to access.
The lagoon is much warmer than the sea and ridiculously easy to enter, you simply step from the sand into shallow water which quickly becomes deep enough to swim.
Much of the pool is shoulder height and above, and the water has a glorious emerald hue, yet you can see right through to the bottom. Here’s our detailed guide to visiting which includes everything you need to know about how the pool is affected by the tides.
4. Vugga Cove, West Pentire near Newquay
Walk length: 0.4 miles (670m) each way
Difficulty: Easy
Vugga Cove is a glorious easy to reach bay with turquoise water and silvery rock walls. There are two large inlets offering a huge amount of space for a proper swim without going out into the open sea.
It’s best at high tide when you can swim straight off the rocks and dare devils can jump from the cliffs. The colour and clarity of the water really adds to the wow factor, so if you can, save this one for a sunny day when the water really shines.
You can also swim at nearby Crantock Beach which has another fabulous high tide cove that you will pass on route to Vugga Cove. Here are all the details on where to park and what the walk is like.
5. Treyarnon Rockpool, near Padstow
Walk length: 0.25 miles (410m) each way
Difficulty: Easy, but involves a small rock scramble
We visited Treyarnon Tidal Pool late in the evening so our photos really do not do justice to how beautiful the water colour truly is! It’s an absolute beauty with clear turquoise water and enough room for a proper swim.
It’s also very easy to reach, so it’s no surprise that it’s a popular spot. However, don’t let this put you off if you’re visiting in the warmer months, come early or late in the day and you can still have a quiet swim. You may even luck out and get it all to yourself.
There are also two smaller mermaid pools right beside Treyarnon, so you can take your pick between a lazy float and a long leisurely swim. Here’s more details on the tides and what the walk from the nearest car park is like.
6. Mother Ivey’s Bay to the secret beach, near Padstow
Walk length: 0.4 miles (620m) each way
Difficulty: Easy
This was my first ever sea swim in the UK and what an introduction! For starters Mother Ivey’s Bay is breathtaking, a world class beach that genuinely looks like a tropical paradise on a sunny day.
I could wax lyrical about this beach all day long but suffice to say even if you don’t want to swim over to the secret beach, you won’t be disappointed with Mother Ivey’s Bay.
However, if you’re up for swimming around 10 minutes (probably much less for those more accustomed than me!) you can reach a jaw-dropping cove that can’t be accessed on foot.
There was no one else on the beach at all and to say it blew me away feels an understatement. It is a simply magical place to get all to yourself and the swim (in calm water) is surprisingly easy.
Here are all the details.
7. Rocky Valley Waterfall, near Tintagel
Walk length: 0.6 miles (1km) each way
Difficulty: Moderate due to the pool access
Rocky Valley Waterfall is a gorgeous canyon waterfall with a clear plunge pool at the base.
It’s much bigger than it looks in photos, in fact, it’s bigger than it looks until you’re actually inside it, as you can’t see half the pool from above. It’s not the easiest place to access if the flow of the falls is high, but once inside the pool it’s fabulous!
It’s like a proper little slot canyon and when you are in the left side of the pool no can see you from the track, so it feels like your own secret spot.
The water is deep but you can still touch the bottom in most of the pool. There are some handily placed rocks which make for a great perch outside of the main flow of the falls, however, these rocks do mean there isn’t enough room to swim, it’s more of a plunge pool experience.
As mentioned, it can be tricky getting into the pool and we cover exactly what it’s like in this guide.
8. Ray Pool, near Penzance
Walk length: 0.45 miles (715m) each way
Difficulty: Moderate
Taking a dip in the clear waters of Ray Pool is the stuff dreams are made of. The water shimmers blue or emerald according to the light and the surrounding rock walls are jagged and dramatic.
In fact they appear so steep and foreboding that many people walking the coastal path above assume the pool is inaccessible.
However, look a little more closely and you’ll see that scrambling down is actually not too difficult and your reward is rockpool paradise.
If there’s a more sublime swimming spot in Cornwall we haven’t found it yet; though we’re definitely still looking!
9. Lankidden Cove, near Lizard
Walk length: 1.5 miles (2.4km) each way
Difficulty: Moderate with one tricky scramble
Lankidden Cove is one of Cornwall’s best hidden gems, with turquoise water, pristine sand and even a couple of extra coves and sea caves thrown in for good measure.
When it comes to swimming, as long as the swell is slight it’s absolutely glorious with hardly any waves, and bays and sea caves you can reach that those on foot cannot.
It’s a very quiet beach even in the summer holidays so you may be wondering what the catch is.
Well, that comes in the form of the last few metres down to the beach which are steep, loose and scrambly, but it’s made easier due to two sturdy ropes.
Most people will go down this without a second thought, but not me. It took me four attempts before I finally got the whole way down, but I am happy to say the way up is very easy so once you’re down the hard bit is over!
10. Kit Hill Quarry, near Callington
Walk length: 0.75 mile (1.2km) circuit
Difficulty: Easy
Let’s change it up a bit with another freshwater swim and this time it’s in an abandoned quarry. The peaceful quarry pool is perfect for a long leisurely swim and feels pretty warm in summer, warming up a lot earlier in the season than most of the tidal pools.
Kit Hill Quarry is especially picturesque in the sunshine when the water reflects the surrounding trees and shimmers a vibrant green.
The craggy rock walls tower above you and there are plenty of birds and dragonflies to keep you company!
There’s a little bit of shuffling over gravelly shallow water to reach swimmable depth so you may want to bring water shoes for this one. Here’s all the details on the walk and where to park.
11. Lantic Bay to Little Lantic Bay, near Polperro
Walk length: 0.65 miles (1.05km) each way
Difficulty: Moderate
Lantic Bay is a true beauty; turquoise water laps the beach and steep headlands hem it in on both sides making for a truly picturesque setting.
It’s nicely sheltered for swimming and you can either head across to the petite sandy delight known as Little Lantic, or you can head in the other direction and find small un-named coves that nobody seems to visit.
Or do what I do and try both as the total swim time to Little Lantic is only around five minutes from the eastern end of the main beach.
Swimming over from Little Lantic to the un-named coves would be around three times that distance and more if you wanted to explore further.
The beaches are also surprisingly quiet, even in the summer holidays, which is pretty mind boggling when you see how spectacular they are! You can read all the details on the quickest walk to Lantic Bay here.
12. Chapel Pool, Polperro
Walk length: 0.7 miles (1.2km) each way
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Chapel Pool is a beautiful tidal pool located in the pretty village of Polperro. It’s big enough for a decent swim and the water shines a gorgeous blue/green in the sunshine.
It’s surrounded by jagged rocks and close enough to the sea to have great views, without being affected by waves (swell permitting).
The pool is natural but for one small bit of retaining wall so it still feels wild in a way that some of the fully hemmed in man-made pools do not.
It is a popular spot in the summer months so a swim early or late is usually your best bet if you’re crowd averse. Here are all the details on visiting Chapel Pool.
13. Church Cove, near Lizard
Walk length: 0.3 miles (450m) each way
Difficulty: Easy
Swimming at Church Cove is a delight, especially at high tide when the water becomes deep enough to swim within a few steps of entering.
The colour and clarity of the water looks especially good when you’re swimming, as opposed to looking in from outside, it’s a deep bluey emerald in the sunshine.
When it’s cloudy it’s more of a blue grey so definitely pick a sunny day if you can.
It’s a very short walk to the cove from the nearest car park (next to St Wynwallow’s Church - you can see it here on Google Maps) but you can also visit via the highly scenic walk from Lizard.
Even when the sea is calm there is still some current, but only very minor waves in the channel of water beside the rock wall which makes swimming very leisurely.
The cliff wall feels incredibly high when you look up from the water and there’s even a little sea cave - though I don’t recommend going inside it as it’s really wavy in there even on a calm day.
14. Kynance Cove Mermaid Pool, near Lizard
Walk length: 0.6 miles (1km) each way
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Kynance Cove is one of the most spectacular beaches in all of Cornwall with incredible turquoise water and Thai-style sea stacks.
The bay on the western side is calm and great for swimming, though, for me, it’s the Mermaid Pool that steals the show.
Here you can swim in emerald water surrounded by rugged rock walls which give the pool a dramatic setting. It’s popular with cliff jumpers but even in the summer holidays, there’s usually a gap where no one is jumping for a while.
Accessing the pool is best on a low to mid tide, though on a mid tide you will have to wade across, with the very last section being a mandatory swim (obviously this isn’t an issue when you’re planning to swim anyway, but if you’re visiting with people who don’t want to swim, then the closer you are to low tide will mean they don’t need to swim at all).
Here are all the details on accessing the pool.
15. Pedn Vounder Beach to Porthcurno Beach, near Lands End
Walk length: 0.2 miles (400m) if starting at Porthcurno Beach, 0.6 miles (1km) each way from Pedn Vounder Beach
Difficulty: Easy if starting at Porthcurno Beach, moderate if starting from Pedn Vounder Beach
The 400m (ish!) swim between Porthcurno Beach and Pedn Vounder Beach is sensational. The water is crystal clear and you’ll pass a stunning secluded cove along the way (just after leaving Porthcurno).
I swam past someone on this route and we looked at each other and laughed because we were both grinning from ear to ear, it really is that beautiful!
The water clarity is superb and the route takes you between two of the most spectacular beaches in the UK. I swam around mid tide which was fantastic, but you could swim at high tide too.
At low tide you would need to swim further away from the shore to avoid shallow wading, but you would get to see the sandbar at Pedn Vounder Beach which is pretty incredible, so it’s a bit of a trade off.
You can read more about the beaches and walking route between them here.
16. Golitha Falls, near Bodmin
Walk length: 0.25 miles (400m) each way
Difficulty: Easy
Golitha Falls has a series of picturesque plunge pools nestled between huge mossy boulders and trees which make a nice break from all the sea swims!
Don’t come expecting a huge waterfall, it’s very much a series of cascades, but the setting is gorgeous.
None of the pools are large or deep enough for a proper swim, but they make for a lovely and peaceful place to cool off and never seem to get busy.
There are some pretty pools early on, or you can venture a little further and reach some really secluded spots. Here are all the details on where to find them.
17. Bossiney Cove to Benoath Cove, Tintagel
Walk length: 0.4 miles (600m) each way
Difficulty: Moderate due to the exit route
At low tide you can walk this route but at high tide it’s one of my favourite short sea swims in Cornwall. The turquoise water is some of the most beautiful we’ve seen in Cornwall and that really is saying something.
Benoath cove at high tide
Words like jaw-dropping can be bandied around unnecessarily at times, but I honestly think my jaw did drop when I saw it for the first time. The water is at its most exceptional at high tide and it’s also quieter, which are two good reasons to aim your swim for this time.
Benoath cove at low tide
Though you can swim the route in either direction, the path from Benoath Cove is easier as an exit route than an entry route due to the steep terrain (there’s a rope assisted climb involved, but as an ascent route it’s pretty easy).
18. Bessy’s Cove, near Penzance
Walk length: 0.25 miles (420m) each way
Difficulty: Easy, but not flat
Bessy’s Cove is a beautiful little bay with stunning turquoise water and rugged rock walls that create small sheltered swimming channels at high tide.
They aren’t cut off from the sea like a rockpool would be, but they are more protected than the sea around the main beach - although it’s generally pretty calm here too. The walls reminded me a lot of Greece and on a sunny day with that crystal clear water, you really could be somewhere in the Med!
The bay itself is also best at high tide when there is very minimal rock shuffling involved to reach swimmable depth.
Here are all the details on the walk and the cove.
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All the best wild swimming spots in Cornwall, from shimmering turquoise rockpools to emerald lagoons, quarry pools and stunning waterfalls. If you love longer swims there are many calm stretches of water where you can swim from bay to bay stopping at all the little gorgeous coves along the way.