Nanjizal Beach and the Song of the Sea (+ lunch at Porthgwarra)
Nanjizal beach is an iconic cove that you’ve probably seen in many a Cornish coast walk guidebook!
This little cove (also known as Mill Bay) is on the most southerly tip of Cornwall, a mile’s walk along the coast path from Land’s End. It has no direct road access and it’s so remote that it’s taken me a ridiculous number of years to finally dedicate time to going to find it! But Niki and I ventured down to West Cornwall and the Penwith coast and did it a few weekends ago, and I’m so glad we did.
One of the main draws of this beach is its famous ‘Song of the Sea’; it’s part cave, part archway, naturally cut into the side of the cliffs on the east side. You may have seen photos of it, as it looks particularly magical due to the incredibly clear, blue water all around it. It truly looks like a mermaid lagoon!
Apparently it was featured as a location in a 1960s episode of Doctor Who, if you like your obscure facts!
How to get to Nanjizal and where to park
This beach is pretty remote as there’s no easy way to get there by car or anywhere to park nearby. I’ve outlined a few different options for visiting below, depending on how much time you want to be walking for and what you want to see!
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If you want to go straight to Nanjizal and back (what we did)…
Park on the roadside at the village of Trevescan, and walk into the village. Opposite the bus stop here there is a public footpath sign (it looks like it takes you through someone’s front garden but there is a stone style at the back to climb over!); follow this footpath through some fields and through Trevilley farm and you eventually reach the coast path! From here there are steps down to a bridge, and a staircase down to the beach itself. Follow your steps to go directly back.
Approx. 40 minute walk each way. -
Nanjizal and Land’s End circular walk
If you want to extend your walk with more sightseeing, instead of going straight back, you can walk north on the south west coast path towards Land’s End. Once you get to Land’s End you can follow the road out of there and turn right so you’re heading back towards Trevescan.
Approx. 90 minute walk in total. -
Park at Land’s End and walk to Nanjizal and back
If you want to take in the coastal sights without the countryside / farm path, you can park at Land’s End car park and just walk south towards Nanjizal and back again.
Approx. 40 minute walk each way. -
Park at Porthgwarra and walk to Nanjizal and back
We cheated and drove to Porthgwarra for lunch after we got back to the car at Trevescan! But you could always park in the car park at Porthgwarra and walk north on the coast path to Nanjizal, and back again.
Approx. 50 minute walk each way. -
Park at Sennen cove for a longer, circular walk via Land’s End and Nanjizal
For a longer hike, iWalkCornwall has a route mapped for a circular walk from Sennen cove! Apparently it’s just under 10km, and looks like it would take around 2 – 2 and a half hours in total.
Tips for Visiting Nanjizal Beach
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There are no facilities so bring ‘supplies’ with you!
Because it’s so remote, there are no toilets and no cafe here. So ladies, bring whatever you may need for a nature wee! And if you’re not stopping off anywhere else for lunch (Trevescan has a cute little cafe in the village that’s open in season, and we went to Porthgwarra cafe, as shown below) definitely bring a picnic with you to enjoy the view.
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It is dog friendly, but the rocks and steps might not be suitable for older dogs
The beach is dog friendly all year around, but the wooden staircase down to the beach is quite steep, but all the dogs I saw managed it okay. Our older dog struggled a bit with the rocks and boulders at the bottom though, which make up a large part of the beach.
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Check the tide times before you go
We visited at mid-tide, and there was a bit of sandy beach, which apparently disappears at high tide. I think the Song of the Sea arch might still be accessible at high tide via the rocks but I’m not sure, and I’d probably suggest going at mid or low tide just in case.
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Stay safe when swimming
There are no lifeguards on this beach and the tides and currents around this bit of coastline can be unpredictable, especially at low tide. Unless you know what you’re doing, I’d suggest only swimming at high tide here, and do so at your own risk.
Lunch at Porthgwarra
Once we got back to the car at Trevescan, we drove down the road to the tiny fishing hamlet of Porthgwarra to see the cove and see if the cafe was open. It was a Sunday at the end of Easter holidays, and we were very thankful when we discovered it was!
The car park and Porthgwarra Cove cafe are privately run by St. Aubyn Estates, who own and manage 5,000 acres worth of land and businesses across West Cornwall.
We both ordered some well deserved sandwiches and walked across to the beach to admire the clear blue water and amazing cliff formations here, with spectacular granite tunnels and balancing boulders!
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We live on Bodmin Moor and enjoy exploring the coastline of Cornwall – particularly out of season. The Nanjizal, Porthallow, Porthcothan walks are all a feast for the senses and not to missed. Please remember to take your rubbish home with you so others may enjoy the natural beauty of our lovely country, and to avoid even more waste being decanted into our seas. Thank you.
Wish I had seen this blog before !! We parked at Porthgwara and took the route up the cliffs, it was a breathtaking view from the top
But timed out for Nanjizal as we had to reach Minack by noon
Next time for sure, this time with lots of time and thanks to this blog we know there are a few others ways to reach Nanjizal
Song of the Sea was a cartoon film. ;)) The natural arch at Nanjizal is called “Zawn Pyg” Lets keep things real here.
It has only been known in very recent years as this “other” name. Why? probably some romantic arty type, posted it on Facebook or instagram, and others follow like sheep.
As some would have you believe it is not a translation of “Zawn Pyg” It roughly translates as a “Pointed Chasm”
There are lots of Zawns, and caves along that stretch of coast, which are basically deep and narrow sea inlets, Ive been using that beach for over 50 years, and it was only ever known as Nanjizal, in Mill Bay, and the rock formation as Zawn Pyg.
We used to be able to park in the farmers field, sadly that got stopped when visitors ignored the parking signs and jammed up the approach lane.
“This spot has somewhere been spoken of under the name of “The Song of the Sea,” perhaps the waves were thought to make a singing noise: no tradition of such a name is remembered in the locality. Carn les Boel, the “cairn of the bleak place,” pierced by a cavern, forms the southern boundary of the cove. The cavern is called Zawn Pyg, “cave like a bird’s beak.”” Yes – lets get real. These words were written in 1859 by J T Blight in “A Week at the Lands End” more than 100 years before you started going there. Hardly recent! However I concede that it is all very curious.
“This spot has somewhere been spoken of under the name of “The Song of the Sea,” perhaps the waves were thought to make a singing noise: no tradition of such a name is remembered in the locality. Carn les Boel, the “cairn of the bleak place,” pierced by a cavern, forms the southern boundary of the cove. The cavern is called Zawn Pyg, “cave like a bird’s beak.”” Yes – lets get real. These words were written in 1859 by J T Blight in “A Week at the Lands End” more than 50 years before you or “arty types” started going there
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