Kynance Cove to Mullion Cove
The Route
Kynance Cove to Mullion Cove is about 4 miles
Kynance Cove
Early morning light beginning to hit Kynance Cove
DAY 1
Kynance Cove Before the Crowds Arrived
I arrived at Kynance Cove at around 6:30am, and for a brief moment, it felt like the entire place belonged to me.
No crowds. No noise. No phones being held in the air for social media. Just the sound of the sea, birds echoing around the cliffs, and the morning sunlight beginning to illuminate one of Cornwall’s most iconic locations.
Even though I’d seen countless photos and videos of Kynance Cove before, nothing really prepares you for standing there in person as the first light hits the water. The colours almost looked unreal. The turquoise sea, the dark serpentine rocks, and the golden light reflecting across the cliffs made the entire place feel cinematic before I’d even taken the camera out of my bag.
This trip was the beginning of filming my hike from Kynance Cove to Mullion Cove for my YouTube channel, and honestly, I couldn’t have asked for better conditions. The weather was calm, the sea was gentle, and the tide slowly began to recede while I explored the area over the next few hours.
I spent around three hours photographing and filming around the cove using both my Nikon Z6II and drone, capturing a mixture of long exposure images, aerial footage, and handheld video clips for the upcoming film. For the long exposures, I used both ND1000 and variable ND filters to smooth out the movement in the water and create a softer, more atmospheric look to the scene.
One of the best parts of the morning was simply slowing down.
It’s easy to rush through locations like this trying to capture as much content as possible, especially when filming for YouTube, but Kynance Cove almost forces you to pause for a moment and take it all in. Every angle seemed to reveal something new — waves washing through the rocks, reflections appearing in the wet sand, and the changing textures of the cliffs as the sun climbed higher into the sky.
As the morning went on, a few more people slowly started arriving, but even then, it still felt peaceful compared to how busy Kynance Cove can become later in the day. Getting there early completely changed the experience.
I managed to capture a wide mixture of drone footage while the conditions remained calm, including sweeping aerial views of the coastline and the surrounding cliffs. Seeing the cove from above really shows why this stretch of Cornwall is so famous.
But for me, the real highlight wasn’t the drone footage or even the photographs.
It was the atmosphere.
Standing there with a camera in hand, listening to the sea, watching the tide retreat, and having time to properly experience the location before the world woke up felt incredibly special.
Mornings like this are exactly why I love photography and exploring Cornwall.
And this was only the beginning of the journey.
Low tide reveals more
A wonderous moment on the beach
DAY 2
Exploring Kynance Cove at Low Tide
I found myself back at Kynance Cove again this morning at around 6:30am, but this visit felt completely different from my previous trip.
The weather was still beautiful, with a mixture of sunshine and drifting cloud rolling across the coastline, but this time there was also a noticeable breeze in the air. It wasn’t strong enough to ruin the morning, but it was enough to stop me flying the drone safely — something that was admittedly a little frustrating considering how incredible the coastline looked from ground level.
In a strange way though, not being able to fly actually forced me to slow down and experience Kynance Cove differently.
The biggest difference today was the tide.
When I arrived, the sea had retreated enough to allow access onto the beach itself, opening up parts of Kynance Cove that had been hidden during my previous visit. Walking across the sand surrounded by towering rock formations, caves, and the sound of waves echoing around the cliffs felt incredibly special.
There’s something almost surreal about Kynance Cove at low tide.
The textures in the rocks, the patterns left behind in the wet sand, and the constantly changing colours in the water make it feel less like a beach and more like another world hidden away on the Cornish coastline.
I spent a large part of the morning focusing purely on photography, taking a mixture of handheld shots and long exposure images using my Nikon Z6II paired with both my 24-70mm and 12-28mm lenses. With the movement in the sea and the dramatic foreground rocks exposed by the low tide, it felt like the perfect opportunity to slow the water down using ND filters and capture a softer, more atmospheric feel to the scene.
One particular moment stood out to me while photographing waves wrapping themselves around one of the larger rocks on the beach. Standing there listening to the sea while watching the water slowly move through the cove felt incredibly peaceful and almost idyllic at times.
As the morning continued, I also managed to hike further along the coast path above Kynance towards Mullion, giving me an even wider appreciation of just how dramatic this stretch of Cornwall really is. Every turn along the path seemed to reveal another cliff edge, hidden inlet, or sweeping coastal view.
A few people slowly began arriving later in the morning, but compared to how busy Kynance Cove can become during the day, it still felt relatively quiet and calm.
Even without the drone flights, the morning never felt wasted.
If anything, it reminded me that photography isn’t always about capturing the biggest shot possible. Sometimes it’s simply about being present in a location long enough to properly appreciate it.
And this morning, Kynance Cove delivered that feeling once again.
Some Views Have to Be Earned
Not every photography trip goes to plan.
DAY 3
Getting Lost Somewhere at Predannack Wollas
This morning started with good intentions, an early alarm, and the promise of another section of the South West Coast Path to explore as I continued filming my journey from Kynance Cove towards Mullion Cove.
The weather looked perfect.
By the time I arrived at the car park around 6:30am, the sky was completely clear, the sun was already shining, and not a single cloud could be seen anywhere along the horizon. It felt like one of those rare Cornish mornings where everything comes together.
Unfortunately, my navigation skills had other ideas.
Instead of making my way back to the point where I had finished filming on my previous visit, I took a wrong turn and found myself heading in entirely the wrong direction. What should have been a straightforward walk quickly turned into an unexpected detour, costing me around thirty minutes before I finally got myself back on track.
By the time I reached my actual starting point, it was around 7:10am.
Frustrating? Absolutely. But sometimes these little setbacks are simply part of exploring.
Once I finally got moving along the correct route, the coastline quickly reminded me why I'd dragged myself out of bed so early. - the views were simply incredible.
With the morning sun illuminating the cliffs and the sea stretching endlessly into the distance, every section of the path seemed to reveal another dramatic viewpoint. It's one of the reasons I keep returning to this part of Cornwall. No matter how many times you visit, the landscape always manages to surprise you.
What made the hike more challenging this morning was the wind.
While the sunshine made everything look calm and inviting, the reality on the exposed cliff tops was very different. Strong gusts constantly pushed against me as I walked, and carrying camera equipment only added to the effort. There were moments when it felt like every step forward required a little more energy than it should have.
The wind also ruled out any chance of flying the drone, which was disappointing. I'd hoped to capture more aerial footage for the project, but conditions simply weren't suitable.
Rather than fighting the conditions, I switched my focus entirely to photography.
Sometimes that's one of the lessons landscape photography teaches you. You can plan every detail of a shoot, but nature ultimately decides what is and isn't possible.
Over the course of the morning, I covered around 5.5 miles, continuing further along the coast path and capturing images whenever the scenery demanded I stop and take it all in.
And there were plenty of those moments.
Towering cliffs. Endless sea views. Hidden coves. The kind of scenery that makes you forget about tired legs for a while.
Almost.
By the time I eventually finished the hike, I was both relieved and exhausted. The combination of the distance, the constant wind, and carrying camera gear had certainly taken its toll. But standing there looking back across the coastline, it felt worth every step. The best photography locations are rarely the easiest to reach, sometimes you get lost, sometimes the weather refuses to cooperate, sometimes the wind feels determined to send you backwards.
But every now and then, you reach a viewpoint that reminds you exactly why you started walking in the first place.
And this morning was one of those days.
Some views simply have to be earned.
The Morning Everything Finally Came Together
Hiking Towards Mullion Cove
DAY 4
After battling strong winds on my previous hike, this morning felt completely different from the moment I arrived.
By around 6:30am, I was making my way back onto the coast path, continuing my journey from Kynance Cove towards Mullion Cove. The difference compared to my last visit was immediately obvious.
The wind had almost completely disappeared. The sea looked calmer, the air felt still, and for the first time in a while, everything seemed to be working in my favour.
As I followed the path further along the coastline, the landscape began to feel increasingly remote. The further I moved away from Kynance Cove, the quieter everything became. The dramatic cliffs remained, but the coastline somehow felt wilder and more rugged than before.
Best of all, I didn't see another person.
For several hours, it felt like I had this small corner of Cornwall entirely to myself.
There is something incredibly special about experiencing places like this in complete silence. No traffic. No crowds. No distractions.
Just the sound of the sea below and the occasional call of a seabird drifting across the cliffs.
The conditions were so calm that I was finally able to get the drone into the air, something I had been unable to do on my previous hike. After days of battling wind and adapting my plans, it felt good to finally take advantage of the weather.
As I continued along the path, I eventually reached a headland that provided an entirely new perspective towards Mullion Cove and Mullion Island.
I've seen Mullion Island countless times before, but never from this angle.
Standing there looking across the coastline, I found myself stopping for far longer than planned, simply taking it all in. The island seemed to sit perfectly within the landscape, surrounded by deep blue water and illuminated by the morning sunshine.
It was one of those views that immediately makes you reach for the camera.
I spent some time photographing the scene before launching the drone and capturing aerial footage above Mullion Island. Watching the island from above while the coastline stretched away into the distance was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the morning.
Moments like that are difficult to describe. Not because they're dramatic or spectacular, but because they're peaceful. Everything simply felt right.
The weather, the light, the location, and the complete absence of crowds combined to create one of those rare mornings that remind me exactly why I enjoy exploring Cornwall with a camera.
For once, there was no rushing. No battling the elements. No changing plans.
Just time to walk, photograph, film and appreciate the landscape.
I also stopped to capture a photograph of Mullion Island from the headland before continuing my hike. Whether it turns out to be one of my favourites remains to be seen, but standing there looking across the coastline was memorable regardless of what the image looks like on a computer screen later.
Sometimes the experience matters more than the photograph.
By the time I turned around to begin the journey back, I realised how much closer I had moved towards Mullion Cove compared to previous hikes.
The project is slowly taking shape.
Each walk reveals another section of coastline, another viewpoint, and another story to tell.
And while every outing has been different so far, this one will probably be remembered for one simple reason.
It was a perfect morning.