Scenic Point in Cornwall

Kynance Cove on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall is the most spectacular and most photographed beach in Cornwall, a dramatic cove of serpentinite rock stacks rising from turquoise water between white shell-sand beaches whose combination of the extraordinary geology, the rock arch formations and the colour of the sea creates a coastal scene of such complete visual drama that it has been the subject of paintings, engravings and photographs since Victorian tourists first arrived in large numbers. The National Trust manages the surrounding heathland and the cove is accessible by steep paths from the clifftop above. The rocks of Kynance Cove are serpentinite, an unusual metamorphic rock of striking colour and pattern that is found almost exclusively in the Lizard Peninsula in Britain, its green, red and purple banding and the smooth polished surfaces creating a geological spectacle of considerable visual interest. The serpentinite has been used as a decorative stone for centuries, its distinctive colour making it one of the most recognisable of all British geological materials. The combination of the coloured rock, the turquoise water and the white sand creates an appearance that seems almost deliberately composed for maximum visual impact. The approach to Kynance involves a cliff descent that reveals the cove progressively as the path descends, the full drama of the scene appearing only as the beach level is reached, and the tidal character of the cove means that the area of accessible beach changes dramatically between high and low tide, requiring careful timing for the best experience.

Marazion on the Penzance coast of Mount's Bay is the oldest chartered town in England, a small coastal settlement that serves as the mainland connection point for St Michael's Mount and provides the finest views of the mount from the sea wall and the beach extending eastward along the bay. The view across the shallow waters to the mount, with the castle rising above granite rock above the bay, is one of the most frequently reproduced images of Cornwall. The tidal causeway visible at low tide across which visitors walk to the mount, and the boats that carry visitors at high tide, provide the visual and practical connection to the island that has been used since the medieval period. The combination of this crossing experience and the dramatic profile of the mount creates one of the most memorable coastal encounters in the southwest. The beach east of the town is one of the finer sandy beaches in Mount's Bay and the combination of beach, town and the extraordinary view of the mount across the water creates a destination that justifies a full day for those wishing to combine the beach with a visit to the island.