Kennack Beach

Kennack Sands lies on the gentler south-eastern side of the Lizard, near the village of Kuggar, where the coast turns its back on the prevailing weather and softens into one of the peninsula's broadest beaches. There are really two stretches of sand here, divided by the low hill of Carn Kennack and the shore reef known as Caerverracks, that merge into a single sweep as the tide falls. With a freshwater stream running down to the sea and rock pools to explore, it has the easy, sun-trap feel of a proper family beach.

What sets Kennack apart is the ground beneath your feet. The beach sits within the Lizard National Nature Reserve and is celebrated for its unusual geology, with the cliffs exposing ancient gneiss and the shingle scattered with red serpentine pebbles and other stones rarely found elsewhere in Britain. It draws geologists and curious rock-poolers alike, and the clear, sheltered water has long made it a popular spot for scuba diving as well.