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Seven days, seven snorkels in South-West Cornwall
CJ & Mike from Bimble in the Blue discover snorkelling around the coast of Cornwall
Cornwall is a stunningly beautiful county and with such a huge amount of accessible coastline, it’s no wonder there are plenty of great snorkelling spots to choose from. Having attended university in the Falmouth area and being very keen on all things water based, I spent a great deal of my time in the sea off the south west coast of Cornwall.
Given the variety of coast, unless there’s really bad weather you can usually find a sheltered spot to get in the water. By checking the local surf forecasts for wind, wave and tidal info, you can ensure a safe and fun trip. There are far too many great places to cover in one blog, but below are some details of 7 snorkel spots from Falmouth round to Land’s End, one for each day of the week!
1. Pendennis “Silver Steps”
On the headland next to Falmouth town is Pendennis castle, a 16th century fort and a view point for the entrance to the Fal estuary. Following Carrick roads round past the viewpoint, you come to a small lay-by on the left hand side. A path leads to the steps that take you down to a gully in the rocky shoreline. The coast here is a series of rock gullies which offer great snorkelling and is also popular with dive schools conducting open water training, due to the easy entry and sheltered location.
Crabs, lobsters, anemones, wrasse, shannies, cuttlefish and dogfish can be seen here on a regular basis. Snorkellers venturing away from the rocks may also come across the boiler from an old fishing boat or discover some of the metal sheeting from the WWI U-boats that were beached at Falmouth for explosive trials in the 1920’s.
2. Swanpool Beach
Swanpool boasts a small beach, car park, crazy golf course lake and cafe. It is located west along the coast from Falmouth and the better known Gyllingvase beach. Both beaches are sandy with a rocky area between them. A coastal path winds along the shoreline and while snorkellers can enjoy floating about the rocks on either side of the sands, the more adventurous can snorkel from one bay to the other and choose to stop for ice-cream before swimming or walking back. In summer kayaks can also be rented and a day can be spent happily exploring this small safe area of coastline.
3. Maenporth Beach
Moving west along the coast we come to Maenporth beach, a shallow sheltered bay, calm in all but easterly winds. There is parking and a cafe on the beach with toilet facilities. The rocky walls on either side offer lots of nooks and crannies for wildlife and the wreck of the Ben Asdale, a Scottish trawler wrecked in December 1978 is a major point of interest when following the shore to the left. The shallow water of the cove means there can be a large area of sand at low tide, so it is worth checking the tide times. Night snorkelling can also be fun here as little cuttlefish can be found over the sands as well as flatfish and dogfish.
Maenporth has also been known to have basking sharks visit in the late spring to early summer and I once had the great fortune to be approached by these incredible creatures when on a snorkel in the bay.
4. Grebe Beach, Durgan, Helford Passage
The Helford estuary is a picturesque area and the National Trust owned Durgan village is no exception. Grebe Beach is accessible by a small path down hill from the NT car park (free for members or £2 all day). The beach is pebbly and slopes gently down to the water where it gradually deepens out into the passage. This site offers a very different snorkel as it is home to a beautiful eelgrass bed, where happy hours can be spent in search of sea-slugs, cuttlefish, pipefish, dragonets, crabs, fan worms, delicate hydroids and a wide range of anemones. The large blocks from boat anchor points are also host to absolutely huge plumose anemones!
5. Drawna Rocks, Porthkerris
Porthkerris is is a large pebble beach on the east of the Lizard peninsula with a dive centre boasting great facilities: 2 boats, beach cafe, campsite, parking, kit washing and an excellent house reef.
The Lizard peninsula has notoriously strong currents, which has resulted in many wrecks and excellent marine life. Thankfully the cove provides protection from the worst of these and boasts a fabulous house reef called Drawna Rocks.
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From the beach you can see the rocks approximately 100m offshore, beyond these a submerged reef continues out for another 200m. With lots of reef and gullies to explore it is suitable for confident snorkellers is generally sheltered from all but Easterly winds. It is important to check the tide in this location and the dive centre staff are very helpful in advising the best route for the tide.
On the outer walls of the rocks, which are swept by the stronger currents there are walls of anemones, tunicates and sponges. There are also spider crabs and large numbers of fish. On a site like this there is also the chance to see some larger life if you’re lucky!
6. Lamorna Cove
Lamorna is a village in west Cornwall on the Penwith peninsula approximately 4 miles south of Penzance. This is a snorkel for a calm day and you must have cash to pay for the car park. (It is privately owned and cash only. They take no prisoners, so make sure you come prepared!). The little harbour provides good access to the water and has a little cafe nearby. My favourite route is to exit the harbour wall and turn right along the rocky coast, exploring the gullies and looking for the numerous spider crabs and other crustaceans. This site is also home to the rare sunset cup coral, which may be small, but is certainly beautiful.
7. Kennack Sands
Kennack Sands is a surf beach on the Lizard peninsula and while not at all suitable for snorkelling when the waves are stacking up, it has a great macro site right of the beach when the sea is calm. I love nudibranch hunting, so for me this site is worth the wait for a calm day.
It is best to go when there is no surf, the tide isn’t strong and aim at mid-low tide. The lower the tide the easier it is to see the rocks you are aiming for and to enter and exit the water. The rocks are out a little ways out so be prepared for a bit of a swim over the sandy bottom while looking out for rays and flounder. The rocks are in about 8m of water at mid tide and covered in kelp.
The best stuff is under the kelp, so stick your head under it and search for nudibranchs, anemones, cup corals and crustaceans. I usually see at least 4 different species of nudibranch, plus lots of other life. Scan the surrounding sand for cuttlefish, which are there in abundance in spring and summer. The beach is also stunning and you can get ice-cream from the cafe, what’s not to love?
So there are my top seven snorkel sites to do if you have a week in the South West area of Cornwall. UK waters are full of incredible marine life and you are sure to have a great time exploring and will certainly end up eating far too many ice-creams, pasties and chips after days spent in the water!