Kynance is one of the most popular spots on the whole Cornish coast, and on a fine day every cave and cranny and every scrap of landscape is utterly utilised in the pursuit of pleasure and adventure. In Alfred Tennyson’s memoirs, published by his son, the entry for Kynance said “..Large cranesbill near Kynance, down to cove. Glorious grass-green monsters of waves. Into caves of Asparagus Island. Sat watching wave rainbows”

There are so many items of interest at this delicious spot that it is hard to know where to begin. The view seawards is divided by Asparagus Island, connected with the mainland at low water by beach of the palest and finest sand imaginable. But watch those tides! It is all too easy to get stranded in many parts of the cove and surrounding beaches.

The sea is studded with 'shark teeth' rocks of varied dimensions but unvarying deadliness of character. Several have individual names, 'Mulvan', 'Tailor', 'Quadrant' or 'Man-o-War'. Collectively the rocks are called 'The Stags' ('stagged' = trapped).

And, of course, there are the caves, including the aptly named Devil's Mouth. The caves are serpentine rock, in shades of blue and green, creating strange, organic forms.

The cafe at Kynance is a remote refuge from the wind in winter and the beaming sun of summer. There can be few more dramatic locations to enjoy a cream tea or Cornish Pasty. Beyond, a few huddled buildings suggest busier, rustic times where folk worked the land and sea. Those buildings are empty now, so ideal for a ghost story. Flies litter the window frames, frozen in death on a spiders web. Dark, empty panes stare out, across the cove, making the imagination wonder who lived in these barren rooms, on the edge of the world.