Category: Coastal wonder

Rockrapture

Starfish in a rockpool

This #SecretSeason, we’re sharing some of the mesmerising beach phenomena that can be found on our shores. The fascinating draw of rock pools and the excitement of new discoveries hiding in the seaweed and under rocks; it’s what we call rockrapture. Discover this beach phenomenon and where to find it…

There’s something eternally fascinating about the ocean – an underwater realm that holds close its many secrets, even as humans explore the farthest reaches of space.

Tidal pool rich with sea life on botanical beach

Your passing encounters with the marine world during beach days, taking the plunge into the oncoming surf or splashing through the shallows, scratches the surface of the hidden underwater universe. But in the tranquil corners of the coastline, where the tide reveals rock-pools, is where marine and terrestrial worlds intertwine.

“I love the fact that when I’m rock-pooling – even though I’ve been doing it all my life – I’m still finding things I’ve never seen before.”

Have you ever felt the irresistible urge to explore these small, teeming worlds? And when you give into that pull, the feeling that comes when a never-before-seen crab scuttles from beneath a rock? We call this rockrapture: the deep-rooted need to search through rock pools, driven by the thrill of discovering new sea creatures. And as autumn rolls in, with quieter beaches and calmer tides, it’s the perfect time of year to indulge this beach phenomena.

The pull of rockrapture

“I love the fact that when I’m rock-pooling – even though I’ve been doing it all my life – I’m still finding things I’ve never seen before,” says Matt Slater from Cornwall Wildlife Trust. “It isn’t ever boring because you never know what’s going to be under the next rock.”

Starfish in a rockpool

Asterina phylactica. Image credit: Matt Slater

“In the autumn you’ll find Cornish sucker fish, pipe fish and shannies… Last week I found a little baby lumpfish.”

Whether it’s rooted in our human instinct to be curious or a nod to our hunter-gatherer past, the sense of wonder that comes from spotting a sea creature you’ve never seen before is undeniably magical. “Most people don’t get to go underwater, and when the tide goes out, it’s lifting the curtain on a different world,” smiles Matt. “Sea creatures are very alien and really capture the imagination,” he adds.

The secret wonders of autumn rock-pooling

Beneath the surface, a wealth of marine life waits to be discovered, even by amateur marine biologists. “Spring is fantastic for appreciating the beauty of seaweeds… whereas in autumn you’ve got lots more animals like crabs and fish,” reveals Matt.

The best places to look are under small rocks and tangled seaweed close to the shoreline. “You’d be amazed at how many fish you’ll find under rocks even when they’re not in a pool,” Matt explains.

“In the autumn you’ll find Cornish sucker fish, pipe fish and shannies… Last week I found a little baby lumpfish, which is a funny little kind of box-shaped fish which you don’t see a lot of.”

Cornwall: a rock-pooler’s paradise

“We’ve got a really beautiful coastline with lots of sheltered bays and areas with really good geography and geology for rock-pooling in Cornwall,” says Matt. Combine this with the UK’s huge tidal range and it makes Cornwall one of the best places in the world for marine discovery. “Rock-pooling when the tide is out during a spring tide gives you access to areas of the coastline which would normally be the seabed.” These are the prime times for rockrapture with conditions just write for discovering sea creatures interesting sea creatures.

Fish in a rockpool

Giant goby. Image credit: Matt Slater

Secret discoveries by day and by night

These prime rock-pooling spots can be found all along the Cornish peninsula. In Newquay, rocky ledges shelter pools from the surf at Towan and South Fistral, Gorran Haven, on the south east coast, is home to a collection of rock pools, and if you head south west to Falmouth explore sweeping rocky reefs exposed at low tide.

Visit these rock pools in the dark, such as on a night safari with The Rock Pool Project, and you can open-up a new, technicolour view of these diverse habitats.

“If you shine a UV light on certain [sea creatures], they glow and it can give you some quite interesting effects,” explains Matt. Sea anemones, some corals, and even prawns fluoresce under UV, lighting up the pools in ways you don’t see by day.

Sea slug in a rockpool

Elysia viridis, solar-powered sea slug. Image credit: Matt Slater

Night rock-pooling also reveals species that are more active after dark. “Things like crabs and other crustaceans are more active [at night],” explains Matt.

Whether you’re drawn to the sea by day or find its mysteries more intriguing after dark, autumn is the perfect time to see what treasures the tide leaves behind

For more information on rock-pooling and how to do it safely, visit Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Discover more tips on how to get rock-pool ready.

Stay metres from the underwater world for moments of rockrapture this #SecretSeason…

Refresh and restore with land&water

Introducing land&water, the range of natural bath and body products you’ll find in most of our Beach Retreats properties. Our sister company, land&water are closely connected to us through our Watergate Bay roots and share our passion for the coastal elements.

A wide sandy bay on the North Coast of Cornwall; a place where invigoration and calm, alert and serene are endlessly intertwined.

Winding along the cliff path, gazing at isolated patches of sunlight on the sea. Floating ‘out back’ beyond the whitewater, waiting to catch an unbroken wave. Curling in a window seat with a book, while a storm rages outside. Showering after a swim, before sunset dinners and stargazing on the decking…

This ‘active relaxation’ lifestyle that sparked the land&water collection has its roots at Watergate Bay Hotel in Cornwall; land&water founder Pix Ashworth’s family’s hotel, and Beach Retreats’ sister company. As well as appreciating time out on the beach and cliffs herself, Pix has spent many years witnessing the joyful “warm glow” radiating from Watergate Bay guests after days swimming, surfing or walking on the beach.

“It’s a real honour to see people at their most happy and carefree, coming inside after days in the sea air,” she says. “They have that warm glow about them; that natural relaxed feeling, as well as the exhilaration from being active amongst the elements.”

And so Pix set about capturing that feeling; to, quite literally, bottle it.

Created in collaboration with leading apothecarist and perfumer Richard Howard, the land&water collection translates this emotion – and its distinctive blend of invigoration and calm – into its natural bath & body products.

Each recipe uses natural essential oils and actives to evoke the therapeutic benefits of time in the elements, recreating the fresh skin invigoration we feel on the shoreline. The whole collection also embodies painstaking care for the environment that has inspired it.

Like that warm glow, the land&water collection has since radiated out to other locations with similar outlooks, communities and values – whether in the mountains of the Lake District, country gastropubs, London boutique hotels, or national department stores.

The places may vary, but the feeling is always the same…

The blend of invigoration and calm is at the heart of the land&water collection. Created in collaboration with a leading apothecarist and perfumer, land&water products capture this emotion with a blend of buoyant, exhilarating citrus and serene, green and woody notes. Using a 100% vegan palette of fruit, flower and plant essential oils, as well as botanical actives identified through the latest advances in bio-technology (including moisturising and rejuvenating samphire, spike moss and sea buckthorn extracts), land&water blends carefully chosen ingredients with insight, imagination and scientific expertise.

Featuring in most of our properties, Beach Retreats has chosen from the land&water collection: a stimulating hand wash for day-seizing hands, an invigorating zesty body wash, fresh mint, mind-clearing shampoo and moisturising conditioner for high tide hydration.

Sustainability:

As the spark that lit the land&water fire – shaping its philosophy, product concept and very existence – nature is what land&water holds most dear. The brand is committed to treading as lightly as possible on the natural world that has so inspired it – from the sustainable, vegan ingredients it selects,to its 100% post-consumer Prevented Ocean PlasticTM bottles.

The brand has invested in sustainable practices from day one, selecting partners and suppliers whose principles chime with its own, and giving painstaking consideration to its ingredients, manufacturing processes and packaging.

Every product contains:

– Ethically sourced ingredients, 100% cruelty-free

– Only natural, botanical materials in all skin formulations

– High quality essential oils used sensitively and in meaningful quantities

– The full collection is suitable for vegans

– All products are made in the British Isles

– land&water’s packaging ethos centres on re-use, recycle and refill

To sample some land&water for yourself, browse their website here. Or, head to one of our retreats and try it out in a self-catering property by the coast. Our guests receive an exclusive 20% off selected bath and body products, meaning you can evoke memories of your stay and re-awaken that sense of invigoration and calm with the land&water products you explored during your time in Cornwall.

Browse the land&water range

Instant beach

Freedom. Ease. Drop-of-a-hat adventuring. As you wake to the stirring sounds of the ocean, surf-check from your balcony and pace your day to the pattern of the tides –you’ll soon discover the joy that comes with staying a stone’s throw from the shore.

From first-light swims and car-free beach days to nature spotting and late-night sundowner suppers on the sands – strip back the stress, dial-up the magic and put the best of the coast at your fingertips by staying footsteps from the beach.

Fancy staying in a holiday retreat with a hot tub? Check out our cottages with a hot tub for a relaxing getaway.

DAWN BREAKERS

Bracing waters in the light of a fresh day, nothing starts the day off quite like it. Staying so close to the sand means first-light dips in the vast blue are as simple as rolling out of bed, gathering the troops or going it alone, getting the coffee on to brew and being back in time to warm up your hands up with a mug or two.

Image credit: Lily Bertrand-Webb

While you’ll find yourself a solitary swimmer in small coves and harbours, such as Port Isaac and Mousehole, in other larger bays, such as Gyllyngvase in Falmouth, you’ll likely meet fellow dawn dippers who’ll share a comradely nod.

Sea temperatures reach their zenith in August at around 18.5°C degrees on the North Coast, while the South Coast can be up to 2°C cooler – but the bravest swimmers dive in whatever the season. Always check the conditions, and let people know where you’re headed.

RIVER’S REACH

Stretching way beyond the beach, a water-front stay invites you to explore some of Cornwall’s most tranquil wending waterways. These easy reach river hideaways will soon have you in tune with the daily river rhythms, rills and runnels, ebbs and flows.

Lean into the low-key ease of a lazy paddle out on the River Fowey, where you can hire boards straight from the harbour. From here, let the surging river tide push you towards Golant for a beer at the Fisherman’s Arms and back in time to catch a late lunch at Captain Hank’s on the water’s edge.

Or, for big groups with a thirst for adventure, lash your boards together for a float down the Gannel estuary, where you can disembark, prop up your paddleboards and head up the steep steps to the Fern Pit Café, where refuelling means crab sandwiches and a stellar sea view.

WHEN TO WALK

If your hound is in the holiday party, staying beach-side is a real boon. While some beaches are open all hours to dogs, others have restricted access between 10am and 6pm. Staying within walking distance of the shore means cutting out the drive and making the most of freshly tide-washed sands with your faithful friend in tow. And if you’re an early riser, you’ll often have the beach to yourself.

Image credit: Lily Bertrand-Webb

Dogs are free to roam year-round anytime on Perranporth and Watergate, while other spots such as Porth and Sennen means hot-footing it to the sands before the crowds descend.

Find a shorefront property welcoming well-behaved four-legged visitors…

Interested in looking at our developments? Check out our holiday developments across Cornwall.

WHATEVER THE WEATHER

Azure blue skies, splinters of sun bursting from behind clouds, and brooding black veils signalling storms on the horizon – weather watching takes on new dimensions when you’re this close to the coast. Image credit: Lily Bertrand-Webb

Sit back and savour sublime vistas on your seafront balcony, or let the pattern of the skies shape your day. Seek out gentle sunny hazes to set the scene for your little ones paddling in the shallows at Porth, embrace fat-rain raucous swims with your whole gang on Croyde, and take advantage of your seaside spot at Gylly to be the first out onto the sand when the sunshine’s on your side.

And as the hours ebb away into evening, capture a clear horizon and take yourself down to the sands for a North Coast Cornish sunset – if you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the elusive green flash.

NATURE SHOW

A glimpse of a dorsal fin dipping below the surface, the swoop and caw of a low-flying kittiwake, and the bobbing head and bristling whiskers of a seal; with the sea within your sights, nature’s bound to put on a show.

Beachside dwellers regularly catch sight of playful pods of dolphins as they skirt the bays and wave ride next to surfers. Keep your eye on the waters and take yourself to the closest cliff top or headland for a clearer view. Lucky sea-watchers recently caught a rare glimpse of a majestic humpback whale not far off the Pentire headland in north Cornwall – best keep your eyes peeled.

SWIM FOR YOUR SUPPER

As the day rolls on into the evening, explore the epicurean offerings of your stone’s throw beach-front stay. Whether it’s a post-swim hand-stretched pizza under romantic festoons at The Jam Jar just a short stroll from Crantock, or bringing some crowd-pleasing Rick Stein’s Fish and Chips back to your blanket at Padstow – why not leave the culinary work to someone else when you’ve escaped to the coast.

From rolling dunes to endless white sands, river-front retreats to bustling bays, get the instant beach experience from your holiday…

Embark on a coastal adventure with our guide to exploring seven bays in seven days, uncovering the best of Cornwall’s seaside splendour.

Newquay Wild Activities

“The minibus is buzzing with conversation as we drive the family group back to their hotel. As the youngest son gets out, he hugs the guide and says, ‘I want to be a marine biologist just like you.’”

We recently caught up with our friends from Newquay Wild Activities, who gave us a run down on their latest Rockpool Ramble on Fistral beach.

Visiting with a large group? Discover our large holiday homes perfect for big families or friend groups.

Image credit: David Kirwan

The day started when Liz picked them up three hours earlier from Watergate Bay. A lovely group down on holiday and booked with Newquay Wild Activities to experience a rockpool ramble. The van pick up means they can leave their cars in the car park and not worry about navigating the busy Newquay streets. They arrive at Esplanade Green overlooking the world famous South Fistral Beach.

Want to stay in Fistral? Have a look at our luxury holiday cottages in Fistral.

Image credit: Neil Wilkinson

Here they meet their guides, two passionate locals who are as excited as the group to share and explore the rocky shore.

There are some amazing pools on South Fistral that contain a wondrous number of species – each with their own story to tell. Even the seaweed has some secrets to share, if you look close enough. A multitude of shells cling to them for security such as the iridescent blue ray limpet as does the beautiful Stalk Jellyfish.

Stalk Jellyfish by Ivan Underwood

Blue Rayed Limpet by Zeni Hayton

The group wander their way down towards the surf to look at the deeper pools and rocks covered in thousands of mussels and barnacles, always keeping an eye out for wildlife passing by in the bay. Crabs are discovered, fish swim by and shrimps come and play on their toes. Starfish of all types are found – they are incredible creatures that eat algae while clambering over rocks. Did you know they can lose a limb for an easy getaway if they are ever in danger?

Spiny Starfish and Cushion Star by Gwynnie Griffiths

As the tide exposes more rock, anemones begin to close to protect themselves while they wait for the protection of the water.

Anemone by Josh Symes

The group are enthusiastically hunting for more animals as Liz returns with their pasty and drink. A perfect spot to enjoy some sustenance before the slow meander back to the steps.

Amazingly, as they clamber their way off their beach, more wildlife is spotted – a Stone Chat just hanging out on the brambles!

Stone Chat by Josh Howells

There is so much to explore on Newquay’s shores. Liz and the group spend the drive back talking about everything they saw. The guides log all the wildlife information ready to send to the record centre which the group helped to collect (they are now citizen scientists!) and the guides get ready for their next group – this time… a Wildlife Walk around the headlands of Newquay to spot some of the bigger, more elusive wildlife.

Grey Seal by Adrian Langdon

Newquay Wild Activities is a brand-new Social Enterprise set up by Liz and Laura in 2022 – it stemmed from a decade in the marine conservation sector in Cornwall, a fabulous network of friends and colleagues and a yearning to show tourists and locals that Newquay has so much to offer.

Discover what lies beneath our rockpools and the wildlife that shares our shores. Book onto a Rockpool Ramble or a Wildlife Walk with mini-bus pickup included. Learn how to collect valuable scientific data that can help to inform conservation research and national policy. Explore the north Cornwall coastline with experts on hand to guide you.

For more information visit Newquay Wild Activities for the summer dates and activities. Including the spectacular night-time rambles – see what happens in the cover of darkness!

Dive into the exciting world of alternative surf activities in Cornwall and discover new ways to enjoy the waves

Anemone at nightAnemone by night, Josh Symes