The complete guide to visiting Priest Cove, Cornwall
Priest Cove, on the west coast of Cornwall, is one of my favourite coves in this part of the world.
Each time I visit, I’m surprised Priest Cove is not more popular! Even the hikers making their way along the South West Coast Path seem to skip it.
Therefore, I figured I’d write an article to share this cove with you. Read on for a guide to visiting the Priest Cove!
Cape Cornwall: the home of Priest Cove
On Cornwall’s Penwith Peninsula, you’ll find a place called Cape Cornwall. This is only one of two capes in the UK, the other being Cape Wrath in Scotland. (By the way, a cape is a narrow stretch of high land that juts out into the ocean!)
Anyone who’s visited Cape Cornwall has to agree: it’s pretty spectacular, with sweeping views of the ocean across the hillside. Therefore, unsurprisingly, it is popular with walkers, who take the South West Coast Path around the cape.
What is less explored is that Cape Cornwall is also home to one of the prettiest coves in Cornwall: Priest Cove.
This is not a well known cove, and whenever I visit I’m always surprised that no one is heading down here. But ultimately it works out in our favour!
A working cove
When you visit Priest Cove, you first have to make a steep walk down a slipway. Here, you’ll normally find little fishing boats and jeeps parked on the tarmac.
That’s because Priest Cove is a working cove. Wait here long enough and you will undoubtedly see a fisherman arrive from the sea with their catch, ready to pull their boat back into position on the slipway.
I absolutely don’t envy them – it looks like pretty hard work before you take into account the steep slipway (which must be a nightmare to drive on, never mind pulling up a boat!).
Rockpooling
Priest Cove isn’t a classic beach in any sense. It’s mostly rocks and boulders, with minimal sandy areas, and it mostly disappears at high tide. Where there are no boulders, you’re more likely to find bedrock and rock pools filling the gap.
At low tide, however, all the rocks will be exposed, giving visitors the perfect opportunity to do some rockpooling. Within the pools you’ll find little fish, shrimps and anemone to spot. But be careful: the animals here aren’t used to being watched by humans, so they’ll dart away from your shadow. The boulders are also slippery and uneven, so take care of your footing.
I really enjoy walking around and looking in the rockpools here. You do feel a bit like an explorer, searching for new things to discover!
For a very different (but no less lovely) beach, check out how to visit Holywell Bay (my favourite in all of Cornwall!)
Up for a swim?
Given its spot curled beneath the cape, Priest Cove is quite secluded, and is relatively gentle in terms of wind, with soft waves. This makes it great for wild swimming, if this takes your fancy; just head down the slipway and into the water!
If you don’t want to go out into the water, there’s also a sea pool present. These are pools which are covered during high tide and fill up with seawater for swimming at low tide. You’ll find them dotted across Cornish beaches, in variable states of repair, with Bude’s magnificent sea pool being the best maintained.
Priest Cove’s sea pool, by comparison, leaves a lot to be desired. The water level always seems a bit lower than it should be, and it looks like there’s a leak. Still, it’s a definite option if you don’t want to go out into the main body of water!
As with everywhere else in the UK, this is the Atlantic Ocean, and it is cold. A wetsuit will make the experience all the more pleasant.
Exploring Cape Cornwall
Priest Cove’s location at Cape Cornwall makes it a perfect lunch break for hikers coming from the South West Coast Path. Alternatively, if you’re visiting the cove anyway, why not have a short walk up Cape Cornwall whilst you’re there?
One option is to go around the headland of Cape Cornwall. It’s distinct in the area as being a much higher point than the neighbouring coastline, and has a 19th-century chimney stack on top, which really sticks out in the area. You’ll see a plaque set into the chimney commemorating Heinz’s purchase and subsequent donation of Cape Cornwall to the National Trust.
You have several options of paths to walk around it. There’s also a coast guard station at the front which you can walk down to for sweeping ocean views.
Keep walking in either direction along the South West Coast Path and you’ll be able to see a bit of Cornish heritage. For example, St Helen’s Oratory, the ruins of an ancient church, can be observed in a field between Cape Cornwall and the National Trust car park, whilst Ballowall Barrow, the ruins of a Bronze Age tomb, is located along the coast path to the south of Priest Cove. Keep walking further south and you’ll reach other pretty beaches like Sennen Cove (2 hours’ walk) and even Land’s End (2.5 hours’ walk).
You’ll also find another beach similar to Priest Cove, Porthledden, on the other side of Cape Cornwall. It’s on my must-visit list – if you’ve been, please let me know what it’s like!
How does Priest Cove rate as a destination?
As part of this blog, I give every place I visit a rating so that you can easily compare destinations and decide whether they’re worth a visit. Those are the scores you see at the top of the page!
This is how Priest Cove rated:
- Accessibility: 2/5 – the steps and slipway down are steep, so Priest Cove wouldn’t be accessible to a lot of people. As one of the furthest points in England, it’s also difficult to get to without a car.
- Safety: 3/5 – given its relative remoteness and poor accessibility, it’d be hard to get to a hospital in the event of an emergency. The rocks, boulders and slipway are also pretty uneven and can get slippery.
- Enjoyment: 5/5 – Priest Cove is one of my favourite Cornish spots; it’s just so tranquil and relaxing.
- Value: 5/5 – if you are a National Trust member, parking is free. There are minimal other facilities to compare it to!
Overall score: 3.75/5
If you’ve already visited, let me know if you agree with these ratings! Just to note, the ratings are my personal opinion based on my visit, so you might have a completely different experience.
More: how I rank destinations using the Everywhere Ratings system
How to get to Priest Cove
Cape Cornwall is located right on the west coast of Cornwall, just 7 km from Land’s End, so from any direction you’re looking at a long journey. I’d therefore recommend visiting if you’re already staying in West Cornwall, as otherwise you’re looking at long travel times and there’s likely to be other lovely coves near where you’re staying.
To get there, you’ll need to head to St Just, a cute town a couple of miles away. The 8 bus links St Just to Penzance (which has a train station), but buses are infrequent and there’ll be a long walk down to Cape Cornwall anyway.
From St Just, you’ll need to head down a narrow single track road. This road, I have to say, petrifies me somewhat. A couple of years ago my family got stuck on the road for over an hour as a lorry got stuck and couldn’t turn around… enough said!
Still, if you’re the passenger, the views are very much worth it. As you approach Cape Cornwall you get stunning views of it and the surrounding fields and coastline.
It’s also possible to access Priest Cove from the South West Coast Path. However, you’re looking at several hours’ walk from nearby towns and access points, so you may be better off starting your hike from Cape Cornwall!
Parking and access
There’s a National Trust-operated car park at the bottom of the hill, with toilets. There’s also a cafe stall which is sometimes open – their ginger fairings are to die for!
From the car park, you can head down to Priest Cove, or elsewhere into Cape Cornwall if you so desire. The walk is short (around five minutes) but steep and you will have to go over some steps, so it wouldn’t be suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs.
Once you’re there, relax on a rock or get exploring – the beach is your oyster!
Where to stay
Cape Cornwall is pretty far from everywhere except St Just. You might want to consider staying there – it’s a gorgeous old-fashioned Cornish town, so would make a lovely break for someone, with several campsites and holiday lets. There are lots of facilities available, with several pubs, restaurants and shops to keep you going.
You might also want to consider hubs in central Cornwall, which would place you in a better position to explore other parts of the region. Good options would be Penzance, 12 km east, or St Ives, 18 km north-east.
When you’re also in the area, consider visiting Sennen Cove or Porthcurno to the south. I wouldn’t recommend wasting your time with Land’s End; it’s busy and commercialised, and your time can be better spent at other destinations across the Penwith Peninsula!
Where to eat
Bring a picnic. Whilst there’s a cafe stall at the Cape Cornwall National Trust car park, it’s not always open; bringing your own food would be a better bet.
Trust me, Priest’s Cove is built for picnics, with nice flat rocks and a pretty ocean view. Don’t bother stopping for a pub lunch on your way through!
If you’re in need of food, pubs and cafes are available in St Just, which you can get to in less than 5 minutes’ drive. If you’re travelling from further afield, there are several supermarkets in Penzance.
For another quiet Cornish cove, check out my guide to visiting Polly Joke
What to do at Priest Cove
Don’t come to Priest Cove expecting to do a lot. On the contrary, this is a place to visit when you’re looking for quiet time, when you want to get away from the normal tourist hot spots of Cornwall.
- Take a dip in the ocean. Or the tidal pool – whatever takes your fancy! There are no lifeguards here, so just be careful to swim within your limits.
- Explore the rockpools. When the tide is out, you can climb across the rocks, peering into pools of water. I’ve found a range of fishes and shrimps in the pools, and it’s fascinating to watch them and see what’s going on.
- Sit and watch. The waves against the rocks. The birds passing above. Fishermen and swimmers entering the water… Just enjoy the ambience and let it wash over you, with the Cove mostly to yourself.
Conclusion
Priest Cove is a fantastic place to visit if you’re into rugged coastline, quiet coves, wild swimming and Cornish heritage. I love visiting and would recommend it to any travellers in this part of Cornwall.
Have you gotten to Priest’s Cove or Cape Cornwall? Let me know your favourite part in the comments!
More information
- The Cornish Bird is a good source of information regarding Cape Cornwall’s history.
- The Water Diary includes a nice account of swimming in the Priest Cove tidal pool.
