9 Most Beautiful Waterfalls in Cornwall

Cornwall is not a county well-known for its waterfalls, but if you know where to go, it has a good variety of falls, ranging from beautiful woodland cascades to spectacular plunges over cliffs.

Here are some of our favourites:

St Nectan's Kieve

St. Nectan's Kieve is the largest waterfall in St. Nectan's Glen, formed by the River

Trevillet as it carved its path through the valley.

Surrounded by ferns and mosses, the water drops into a shallow pool before making its way down the valley.

There's about a mile to walk through the woodland from the car park located on the B3263, but the path is not accessible to wheelchairs.

There's an admission fee of £8 per adult and £4 per child to visit the waterfall, but you can explore the woodland walk and nature trail free of charge.

The Tree of Life cafe is open daily for drinks, snacks and lunches. There's also a gift shop where you can purchase souvenirs of your trip.

https://www.st-nectansglen.co.uk/

Golitha Falls

Located on Bodmin Moor, Golitha Falls are a series of cascades as the River Fowey tumbles over the rocks in the beautiful woodland gorge.

The Golitha Falls drop a total of 90m, but don't expect a dizzying drop - the beauty of Golitha Falls lies in the water tumbling over the rocks within its beautiful ancient woodland setting.

The woodland is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

There's a free car park a quarter of a mile from the falls - but if you have mobility issues be aware that the path becomes a bit of a scramble in places.

Pentargon Waterfall

Immortalised in Thomas Hardy's Poem "Under the Waterfall", Pentargon Waterfall drops 37 metres to the sea below.

The area below the waterfall is known as Seals' Hole - you may be lucky enough to spot some.

The waterfall is about 1.7 miles from Boscastle, and there's a circular walk which returns to the village along the river valley. The walk is steep in places, but the spectacular scenery makes the effort worthwhile.

Eden Project Waterfall

Cornwall is one of the few places with an indoor waterfall!

You'll find it in the rainforest biome at The Eden Project.

So once you've enjoyed more than 1,000 varieties of plants, and climbed the spectacular canopy walkway to the aerial viewing platform, you can cool off next to this lovely man-made waterfall.

Kennall Vale

The Kennall Vale Nature Reserve is a picturesque woodland area with lovely open glades.

The area is home to many species of woodland birds and pipistrelle bats also have roosts in the woodland.

There are numerous small waterfalls within Kennall Vale where the stream tumbles over moss-covered rocks. There is also a fall within the remains of the old gunpowder works.

Due to the popularity of Kennall Vale, the Cornwall Wildlife Trust are asking visitors to consider avoiding weekends if possible, to prevent overcrowding and protect the area's wildlife.

When visiting, please park in Ponsanooth village and avoid parking in the narrow lane leading to the nature reserve. Climb Cot Hill Road on foot, past the Kennall House gateway, and the Kennall Vale entrance is on your right at the old pottery.

Tregardock Beach Waterfall

At the northern end of beautiful Tregardock Beach, about mid-way between Port Isaac and Tintagel, you'll find a small waterfall.

Water cascades from the cliff-top above in front of the mouth of a small cave and onto the beach below.

If you're exploring this beach, be careful not to get cut off by the tide as the beach disappears at high tide.

Lansallos Waterfall near Polperro

Lansalos waterfall is a small fall, cascading onto the sandy beach below.

You can park in the National Trust car park in Lansallos village and walk down the wooded lane called West Coombe to the beach.

Alternatively, the South West Coast Path passes the cove and you can walk from either Fowey or Polperro.

Once you're on the beach, you'll find the waterfall on the west end - it's a great place to cool off on a hot day.

Speke's Mill Mouth Waterfall

Strictly speaking, this waterfall is just across the county boundary in Devon - but it's such a beautiful location, we couldn't leave it out - it's well worth seeing.

On the North Devon Coast, you'll find Speke's Mill Mouth waterfall, where a torrent of water plunges over the cliff edge onto the beach below.

Park at Hartland Quay and walk along the spectacular South West Coast Path to the waterfall. The walk will take about half an hour and is rugged in places, but not too hard if you have suitable footwear.

Luxulyan Valley Waterfalls

Explore the beautiful woodlands of the Luxulyan Valley north of St Austell, and you'll find several waterfalls.

The River Par cuts through the woodland and forms both natural falls where it gushes over rocks and man-made falls.

The best example of the latter is Carmears Wheel Pit where there used to be a large water wheel harnessing the power of the river, but now the water cascades down unhindered.

Luxulyan Valley is a unique place where you can see ancient woodland and industrial heritage in the same place.

You can park in Luxulyan village and choose a 2.5 mile or a 4 mile walk through the valley.

 

As you can see, there are a variety of beautiful waterfalls in Cornwall to explore. We hope you have a great time visiting them all.