For peace and quiet, a chance to breathe, to step back, to notice - book a Lizard Peninsula winter break.

Clean air, a mild climate, quiet roads, uncrowded beaches and beautiful crisp walks are just a few reasons why the Lizard is a wonderful place for an off-season break.

And, if you need more convincing, just read on!

The beauty

Mullion Cove in winter

This is wild Cornwall – windswept, rugged and impossibly beautiful. In the quiet of the off-season, you can really enjoy a Lizard Peninsula winter break. Soak up the charm, solitude and fantastic scenery of this designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The light

Dramatic winter's light on the remote Pentreath beach

The low sunlight is perfect for artists and photographers alike to capture dramatic scenes on a Lizard Peninsula winter break - from cliff tops and wide open beaches to wild woodland.

The walks

The South West Coast Path on cliffs above Mullion Cove

The air is crisp, clear and unpolluted by industry on a Lizard Peninsula winter break. The unspoilt peninsula is full of contrasts with the changing scenery providing exceptionally beautiful walks. Flat grassy coast paths wind across the clifftops from Mullion, with breathtaking views of Kynance Cove, along to the dramatic cliffs of Lizard Point, while to the east the softer, greener landscape of the Helford presents another face of this extraordinary region.

And after all that fresh air, why not kick back in the Lizard’s award winning pubs, sample some fresh ale and huddle round warming fires?

The wildlife

Chough on the Lizard Peninsula in winter

The Lizard Peninsula, with the sea on three sides and the Helford River to the north, attracts a broad selection of birds of sea, woodland, field and open moor. The presence of Cornish chough, one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds, is a living symbol of the Lizard’s specialness. These red-beaked, red-legged crows are very social, so on your Lizard Peninsula winter break, look for a group 'chattering' away with their haunting 'chee-aw' call!

Other birds to spot include great northern divers, guillemots, razorbills, hen harriers, peregrines, merlins and purple sandpipers. You may also be lucky enough to see starling murmurations, where thousands of birds flock together, swirling in the sky at dawn and dusk – one of the ultimate winter spectacles!

Spread across 40 acres in Gweek, the Cornish Seal Sanctuary is open all year and offers a chance to meet adorable seals, penguins, otters and sea lions.

The storm watching

Stormy winter's sunset at Kynance Cove

The Lizard Peninsula is a storm watcher’s favourite as it takes the brunt of most major storms! Kynance Cove and Poldhu Cove are both equally dramatic, putting on a pretty spectacular show. At Mullion the Atlantic swell sends waves over the top of the harbour walls and Lizard Point can put on a quite breath-taking display of power – that’s if you can stand up in the wind. We suggest you bring a thermos on your Lizard Peninsula winter break - then enjoy the view or hunker down in the warmth of a nearby café or hotel bar with views out to sea. Just remember to avoid taking any unnecessary risks and make sure you watch the storms unfold from a safe vantage point.

The community

 

The Lizard Peninsula is home to some great villages, bastions of Cornish life that have overtly at least, escaped modern life. On your Lizard Peninsula winter break, experience a quiet time here and a chance to encounter the real local’s Cornwall apart from the crowds. Fishermen’s choirs sing in their local pubs and harbours are decked with lights and lanterns for Christmas. Friendly locals and great beer, what more could you ask for?

The climate

Fishing boats in the harbour at Coverack in winter

The unique Lizard Peninsula stands proud in the sea, presenting a rugged face to the elements, yet paradoxically the climate is probably the warmest in Britain. Even in the dead of winter, you can feel the mildness in the air on your Lizard Peninsula winter break.

The flora

Camellias in winter

The warm local climate generates an abundant growth of sub-tropical vegetation and a constant profusion of colour all year round. Where else do primroses flower before Christmas, or camellias open in December? On your Lizard Peninsula winter break, you can often see daffodils decorating the hedgerows in January, to be followed closely by a myriad of other wild flowers, the abundance of which is rarely seen elsewhere.

The gardens

The valley garden at the Bonython Estate

The magnificent Bonython Estate Gardens provide a beautiful backdrop when you take a Lizard Peninsula winter break at our exquisite Lizard holiday cottages. Guests can take advantage of the unique location and enjoy one of the 'Great Gardens of Cornwall' whenever they please. The 20 acres of enchanting grounds and gardens offer a colourful and spectacular display even throughout the colder seasons. The microclimate enables subtropical gardens like Trebah nearby to boast interest all year round, providing a sheltered getaway, impressive vistas and its very own secluded beach, Polgwidden Cove.

The food

 

Cornwall’s warm and hearty comfort food is so much better in the colder months! Steaming pasties bursting with flavour are certainly hard to beat when you’re out and about exploring England’s most southerly point on a Lizard Peninsula winter break. There is much organic farming on the Lizard, so locally grown food and fish plucked fresh from the sea is served in the many restaurants, pubs and hotels. And don't forget – cream teas aren't just for summer!

Our Lizard Holiday Cottages

From left to right: Bonython Farmhouse, Mews Cottage, Spring Water Barn, St Corantyn Cottage

Why not treat your loved ones to a Lizard Peninsula winter break at one of our 5 Star cottages on the Lizard Peninsula? Equipped with wonderful wood burning stoves and sumptuous beds, our luxury gems are available for mid week or weekend winter breaks with a minimum 3 night stay. Bonython Farmhouse is dog-friendly too - great news as the blissfully empty beaches are pooch-friendly outside of the summer months. All of our cottages offer a picture perfect base for exploring the Lizard Peninsula in winter - without the bustle of summer crowds.