Kynance Cove
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.