Godrevy

Godrevy is a National Trust headland in west Cornwall, at the northern end of St Ives Bay. Three miles of dune-backed beach stretch from the headland south to the Hayle estuary, and the white lighthouse on Godrevy Island inspired Virginia Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse.” Grey seals haul out on the rocks around the island year-round.

The headland is a fantastic spot for wildlife. Grey seals haul out on the rocks around the island year-round, and you can often watch them from the clifftop without binoculars. In autumn and winter, the birdwatching is excellent. The coastal walking here is superb - the path along the cliff gives views across the whole bay towards St Ives, and on a sunny day the water below is an almost Caribbean shade of turquoise. The National Trust car park fills up early in summer, so arriving before 10am is wise.

The beach at Godrevy is popular with surfers and bodyboarders, with consistent swells rolling in from the Atlantic. There’s a decent cafe at the car park, but otherwise no commercial development - just dunes, sea and sky. It’s a short drive from Hayle and makes an easy day trip from St Ives, Camborne or Redruth.