Green cliff cove

The cliffs at Green Cliff Cove drop sharply into a small rocky beach that only reveals itself at low tide. It's one of those Cornish spots where you can stand at the top and actually feel the edge - proper dramatic, especially when the Atlantic's having a go at the rocks below.

Getting down is straightforward enough if you're reasonably fit. The path is well-worn and marked, taking about ten minutes from the clifftop car area near Looe. Once you're on the beach itself, you've got rockpooling territory, some decent scrambling if the tide's out, and the kind of isolation that makes you wonder why everyone flocks to the busier spots. It's not a swimming beach - the rocks are unforgiving - but for geology types and photographers, the striations in the cliff face are worth the trip alone.

Walkers will find this works nicely as a loop walk combining the South West Coast Path, and it's genuinely quiet even in summer. Families with young kids should time it carefully around the tides; older children who don't mind rough ground will get a kick out of the exploration side. Allow a couple of hours if you're pottering about in the coves.

Stay at Killigarth Manor or Tencreek, both within spitting distance, and you've got easy access without feeling like you're at a theme park. The Looe area itself has enough going on to fill a few days - beaches, pubs, a proper working harbour - but this cove is where you come for the quieter moments.