Why the Lizard works so well for young families

The Lizard Peninsula is the southernmost tip of mainland Britain, a place of serpentine rock, tiny fishing coves and high, wind-bent cliffs. For families with small children it has one enormous advantage over the rest of Cornwall: choice. Because the peninsula juts out into the sea on three sides, you can almost always find a beach that is out of the wind, and the coves are close enough together that you can change your plan at lunchtime without a long drive.

The key thing to understand is that the Lizard faces several different directions. When a south-westerly swell is rolling in, the west-facing beaches take the brunt and the east-facing coves stay calm. On a still, bright day almost everything is gentle. So before you pack the car, check the wind direction as well as the tide — it matters more here than the temperature does.

Sandy coves for a proper day of digging

Three beaches on the peninsula reliably offer sand rather than shingle, and all three have the practical comforts that make a long day out with little ones manageable.

• Poldhu Cove — a broad, gently sloping sandy beach with a stream running across it, which keeps children happily occupied for hours. There is a car park a short walk away, toilets and a café, and seasonal lifeguard cover in the summer months. It is at its best from mid-tide downwards.
• Kennack Sands — really two beaches separated by a low, rocky headland, so you can move between them as the tide turns. The sand is soft, the water shelves gradually, and there are excellent rock pools at low tide. Parking, toilets and a café sit close by.
• Gunwalloe Church Cove — a lovely sandy cove with a medieval church almost on the beach itself, which makes it a good place for a gentle history conversation alongside the sandcastles. There is a car park up the lane and lifeguard cover in high season.

Do check tide times, though. At big spring tides the sand at Kennack and the smaller coves shrinks dramatically, and a beach that looked enormous at ten in the morning can be a narrow strip by two o'clock.

Rock pools, streams and small adventures

For many children the rock pools are the real attraction, and the Lizard has some of the best in Cornwall. The lowest tides expose a whole world of limpets, periwinkles, beadlet anemones, small crabs and the occasional prawn, along with a startling variety of seaweeds.

A few practical points make the difference between fascination and frustration. Wear wellies or old trainers with grip rather than sandals — wet serrated wrack is genuinely slippery. Encourage children to look under stones and then put them back exactly as they found them, and to use wet hands when handling anything living. A small plastic tub with a little seawater in it is far kinder than a bucket left in the sun, and everything should go back where it came from before you leave.

The streams at Poldhu and Kennack are another quiet winner. Dam-building, leaf boats and a bit of splashing can fill an entire afternoon when the sea is a little too cold for a long swim.

Where to head when the wind picks up

If the forecast is blowing from the south-west, drive round to the eastern side of the peninsula. These coves are sheltered by the land and often feel like a different day entirely.

• Coverack — a sheltered harbour village with shingle that gives way to sand at low tide, clear water and a genuinely calm feel. There is a car park, a couple of places for ice cream, and a slipway that is good for paddling.
• Cadgwith — a working fishing cove of pebbles and steep lanes, better for crabbing off the harbour wall and watching boats than for sandcastles.
• Porthallow and Porthoustock — quiet pebble beaches on the east coast, rarely crowded, with safe shallow water for paddling.

One beach to treat with real caution is Loe Bar, the great shingle bank near Porthleven. It is spectacular and worth a walk, but the currents and sudden drop-off make it unsuitable for swimming, and there is no lifeguard cover. Enjoy it from the shore instead.

Practical notes for a day on the sand

• Tide tables are essential. Plan around low water for rock pools and maximum sand, and never let children explore a cove without knowing when the tide turns.
• Lifeguard patrols generally run from Easter through to the end of September on the main beaches. Out of season, treat every beach as unpatrolled and the sea as cold.
• Car parks at Poldhu, Kennack and Gunwalloe fill by mid-morning in school holidays. Some take cash only, so keep a few coins handy.
• Take a windbreak, sun hats and plenty of water. There is very little natural shade on these beaches.
• Some beaches have dog restrictions between Easter and October, so check signs at the entrance.
• Paths down to Kynance Cove and Mullion Cove involve steep steps. A back carrier is far easier than a pushchair.

A little heritage to take home

Part of what makes a Lizard beach day memorable is what sits behind the sand. The peninsula's distinctive green and red serpentine stone has been worked here for centuries, and small workshops still polish it into paperweights, cabochons and trinkets that make excellent, pocket-money souvenirs. In the fishing coves you will see winches, crab pots and tarred sheds that speak of a working life still going on around the visitors.

Look inland from the higher beaches and you may spot the gaunt stone engine houses of the old copper and tin mines that once employed thousands across this part of Cornwall. Pointing them out turns a simple beach trip into a small piece of local history, and gives children something to look for on the drive home.