Gunwalloe Fishing Cove - circular walks

Gunwalloe Fishing Cove

The beach at Gunwalloe Fishing Cove, Cornwall

The slightly long-winded name of Gunwalloe Fishing Cove is to distinguish it from Gunwalloe Church Cove and from other Fishing Coves in Cornwall (one at Godrevy and another at Trebetherick Point next to Daymer Bay). It's also known as Halzephron Beach.

The beach is mostly sand with some small ridges of rock. Along the top of the beach, the sand is fairly coarse and this gets finer towards the low tide line. There's not much beach at high tide but at low tide the beach runs all the way to the Loe Bar.

It is a deceptively dangerous beach despite its innocent appearance which makes swimming very unwise. As well as strong currents around the headland, cavitation of the shingle beneath the sand caused by breaking waves makes it easy to fall or be hit by a projectile pebble, be stunned and inhale seawater. Both humans and dogs have drowned along this stretch in recent years. Local names include "Death beach".

Circular walks visiting Gunwalloe Fishing Cove

  • 5.3 miles/8.5 km - Moderate

    Gunwalloe Coves

    Coastline at Gunwalloe

    Gunwalloe Coves

    5.3 miles/8.5 km - Moderate

    A circular walk from the Loe Bar to Dollar Cove passing the wrecks of treasure ships whose cargo still washes ashore, returning via the Halzephron Inn which still has a trapdoor leading to an underground network of tunnels used by smugglers.

  • 7.6 miles/12.3 km - Moderate

    Poldhu Cove to Cury

    Gunwalloe Fishing Cove

    Poldhu Cove to Cury

    7.6 miles/12.3 km - Moderate

    A circular walk via some of the mediaeval farmsteads on the west of The Lizard to the ancient churchyard of Cury from the coves of Mullion and Gunwalloe where the wrecks of treasure ships still lie.

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