Picturesque fishing village

Coverack

Coverack Holiday Cottages

Our Coverack holiday cottages are situated in or near this delightful fishing village tucked away in a sheltered bay on Cornwall’s Lizard Peninsula. Its pretty cottages and eateries are clustered around the historic harbour, which is the focal point of activity here. The harbour is steeped in history — it was built in 1724 from local serpentine stone as a base for the thriving pilchard fishing fleet. Shoals of pilchard could number hundreds of thousands, so it is easy to imagine the hustle and bustle of times gone by as luggers landed the catch for salting and packing.

Scattered along the seafront within easy reach of our Coverack holiday cottages you’ll find several small cafes, souvenir shops and a small but well stocked village shop, as well as a fabulous chippy and restaurant housed in the old lifeboat station. The excellent pub by the harbour serves Cornish ales and other tipples as well as good honest pub food.

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The Coverack guide

Cliffs near Coverack holiday cottages by Forever Cornwall

Stunning clifftop walks

The location of our Coverack holiday cottages in the heart of the Lizard Peninsula’s east coast makes it a perfect base for walking some of the most breathtaking stretches of the South West Coast Path. The coast in both directions are classified as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and this is in the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) which stretches all the way to the Helford River valley on the west and Loe Pool and Porthleven in the east.

Pass by the ancient sites of Iron Age castles at Chynalls Point and Lankidden, and take in panoramic views at Black Head, where, on a clear day, you can see both the Fal Estuary and the Dodman. Whether you’re on a full day’s hike or an evening stroll to watch the sunset, the Lizard is a pretty special place to spend time in nature.

Flora and fauna

From Coverack you can ramble to Porthoustock (3.5 miles), Porthallow (5 miles), Kennack Sands (5 miles), Cadgwith (7 miles) or even Lizard Point itself (10 miles), mainland Britain’s most southerly point. The Lizard Peninsula has incredible flora, fauna and geology — over half of all the UK’s species of plants can be found here, including over fifty rare and special species. You will probably spot seals and may be lucky enough to see dolphins or basking sharks out at sea.

The rocks and minerals here are also spectacular, making the Lizard a favourite region for geologists — part of the reason is that this is a crunch-point for plate tectonics. The ocean floor and continental landmass were mashed together here in the Devonian era, between 358 and 419 million years ago, and Coverack is one of the only places where this can be seen.

Harbour near Coverack holiday cottages by Forever Cornwall

Windsurfing, diving and hidden wrecks

This stretch of coast used to be notorious for smuggling and shipwrecks (the coast here was dubbed the “graveyard of ships”). The Coverack Windsurfing Centre offers paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing trips, as well as RYA windsurf tuition. The sandy bay provides protection from prevailing southwesterly winds, creating a perfect beginner’s area close to the shore until you build your confidence and head further out.

The warm, clear waters around the Lizard make for fantastic diving. There’s abundant marine life (dolphin, basking shark, seals) and some spectacular reefs to explore, plus some fascinating shipwrecks — thousands of ships met their fate on the reefs and cliffs of the Lizard, which juts out into the Channel. Head to The Paris Hotel after — the pub takes its name from the American liner which hit the rocks off Lowland Point on Whit Monday, 1899.

Beaches
Food & drink
Things to do

Beaches

Coverack

If you’re staying in Coverack, the village’s main beach is a pretty, quiet cove backed by a seawall. There’s little sand at high tide — but good rocks for scrambling — but wait until the water recedes and you’ll be rewarded with a lovely stretch of sand and lots of rockpools to explore. It’s a great beach for dogs, who are allowed here all year round. It’s also a great swimming spot since it’s very sheltered — every year on Christmas Day hundreds of locals and visitors run into the water for charity. At low tide you can spot the Manacles reef — one of the south’s best diving spots.

Kynance Cove

Kynance Cove is one of Cornwall’s most dramatic beaches. It’s also one of the most popular (and has been since the Victorian times) and best avoided on a scorching summer’s day. It’s a bit of a walk from the carpark but visitors are rewarded with turquoise seas, huge rock stacks and hidden corners of sandy beach (when the tide’s out!) where you feel as though you’re the only ones there. The Kynance Cove Cafe serves up light lunches and hot drinks using local suppliers and producers. Dogs are welcome between October and Easter Sunday.

Poldhu

Poldhu is a sheltered cove with parking, a cafe and a surf school — and blissful golden sands. With seasonal lifeguards, it’s a great place to try out watersports at the Dan Joel Surf School, go for a paddle or, when the tide’s out, head to the rockpools for some exploring. There’s also a cafe right on the sand selling amazing hot chocolates with toppings that change with the seasons and homemade cakes, as well as light lunches and drinks. In the summer they put on live music and woodfired pizzas, too. Dogs are welcome between October and Easter Sunday.

Kennack Sands

Kennack Sands is a large beach — perfect for families, and there’s good lifeguard cover and plenty of space for kids to run. It is actually comprised of two beaches – the one furthest from the car park is a nature reserve and often goes undiscovered by visitors as it’s hidden behind the hill that separates the two. Well worth the trek up and over to visit it (there’s great shore fishing too!). The Mora Beach Cafe and Surf School offers lessons and board hire, whilst the cafe sells good coffee and light lunches. Dogs are welcome between October and Easter Sunday.

Food & drink

The Lifeboat House

After it fell into disrepair in the 1980s, Coverack’s old lifeboat house began a new life as a fish and chip restaurant — now one of the most popular places to grab a takeaway on the Lizard. Jutting out into the harbour, the building has one of the best views in Coverack (the views down the lifeboat launch ramp from the end window are particularly stunning). Freshly caught fish arrives daily at the quay before making the 50-yard journey to the lifeboat house, where it’s coated in the lightest, crispiest batter. The Lifeboat House is included in our round up of the best places to eat on the Lizard.

The Paris Hotel

If you’re looking for a scenic place for a pint, then look no further than the Paris Hotel, named after an American steamer, the SS Paris, which was wrecked on the treacherous coast near Coverack in 1899. On the edge of the harbour, the pub oozes cosy Cornish character and serves a range of wines, spirits and local ales, and fresh seafood from the Oceanview Restaurant. The pub is dog-friendly — they aren’t allowed in the restaurant, but you’re more than welcome to eat in the pub if you want to bring along the pooch.

The Greenhouse

This small, intimate restaurant in nearby St Keverne a couple of miles from Coverack has won awards for its beautiful food and innovative flavours — its focus is on local produce and Cornish suppliers, much of it coming from within the Lizard Peninsula. The creative menu features things like Fal Bay scallops and ginger cured local mackerel, and they have an impressive, purely organic natural wine list, although you can bring your own wine if you’d prefer (corkage applies). Open from Thursday-Sunday from spring through to the end of summer.

The Cadgwith Cove Inn

This characterful old pub in the heart of the picturesque fishing village of Cadgwith is a short trek down the coast from Coverack. The pub is still very much the centre of life in the village, as it has been for generations — it still has a thriving community centred around fishing. It’s right on the South West Coast Path so makes a well-deserved stop off for walkers looking for local beer and seafood, and a roaring fire to rest weary limbs. Don’t miss the sea shanties from the local group every Friday.

Local Food Guide

The Lizard has a thriving foodie scene that celebrates the very best of local flavours, from the county’s largest farmers’ market in lively Helston and farm shops serving up the tastiest homegrown produce, to award-winning fishmongers, excellent delis and village stores, and two of Cornwall’s favourite pasty makers hidden in the folds of Cornwall’s wild, remote, most southerly region.

Find out more about buying local in with our handy Local Food Guide to the Lizard Peninsula.

Things to do

Take to the water

With its sheltered waters and direct access to miles of dramatic and unspoilt coastline, Coverack is a popular spot for watersports. The RYA Windsurfing Centre in Coverack offers lessons and windsurf hire, as well as kayak and paddleboard hire from early summer to autumn. If you want to explore the wrecks and colourful reefs that surround the Lizard’s east coast, head further up the coast to the dive centre Porthkerris Divers, located on a beautiful secluded cove. They offer a range of courses, from a ‘Discover Local Diving’ session to PADI open water and freediving courses.

Cornish walking holidays Gwithian South West Coast Path

Visit Roskilly’s

Get a taster for life on a working organic Cornish farm with a trip to Roskilly’s near St Keverne, south Cornwall’s most famous ice cream parlour. Walk the ponds and meadows, feed the ducks, watch the 125-strong herd of Jersey cows being milked and then treat yourself to a scoop or two — blackberry and apple or cream tea flavour, perhaps? The Croust House Restaurant serves pizzas, soups and salads, and there are farm trails to follow. If you’re staying in Coverack, you don’t need a car to get here — there’s a brilliant five-mile circular walk from Coverack which passes right by Roskilly’s at the halfway point.

Cadgwith

Make the trip down to the coastal fishing village of Cadgwith, seven miles south. With thatched cottages, two small beaches and fishing boats in the harbour, it’s one of the most picturesque spots on this side of the Lizard. On Fridays you can experience the atmosphere of the Cadgwith Cove Singers in the village pub. The sea shanties are brilliant, the beer is delicious and it’s a quintessentially Cornish way to spend an evening. Pop into the village fishmongers before heading home and pick up something for dinner.