Poldhu Cove Beach

Poldhu Cove opens between low headlands on the sheltered western flank of the Lizard, where the little Poldhu stream threads across the sand to meet the sea. Behind the beach lie dunes and reedbeds alive with birds and insects, a soft green hinterland that gives the cove a gentler, more enclosed feel than the wave-battered Atlantic beaches elsewhere on the peninsula. Its relatively easy access and family-friendly character have long made it one of the best-loved beaches on this otherwise wild and rocky coast.

The clifftop above carries a remarkable slice of history. It was here, in December 1901, that Guglielmo Marconi transmitted the first transatlantic wireless signal, the letter 'S' tapped out in Morse and received more than two thousand miles away in Newfoundland. Four towering masts once rose above the cove for the experiment; today the story is told at the Marconi Centre run by the National Trust, with a monument marking the spot where modern global communication was born.

For all its heritage, Poldhu is at heart a place for simple seaside days. Families gather on the sand at low tide, children paddle in the shallow stream, and the much-loved beach cafe draws walkers in off the coast path. On breezier days the west-facing swell brings in gentle waves that suit the surf school, making it as good for first lessons as for lazy afternoons.