“Please be kind, watch us quietly and let us sleep,” hikers are cautioned as they creep up a craggy Cornish coastline to gawp at the largest colony of grey seals in the county.
The polite notice conjures images of large groups of tourists crammed shoulder-to-shoulder to get a glimpse of the marine mammals during the peak summer months when visitors descend on Cornwall en-masse. But during our visit, there are only six people ahead of our party as we head up the trail in Godrevy National Trust.
After the group ahead of us depart, we are left in solitude to watch the seals lounge on the beach at Mutton Cove, flanked by high cliffs and only accessible at low tide.
From our viewing point, we count more than two dozen seals in the bay below, the majority of whom are trying to catch 40 winks as the incoming tide laps at their tails. At peak times, there can be up to 200.
Our private viewing of the seals highlights why autumn is one of the best times of year to visit Cornwall. While the weather can be temperamental, sensible tourists come armed with an umbrella and a bottle of sun cream even at the height of summer.
We begin our three-mile walk from our holiday home at Three Mile Beach – a collection of upmarket holiday homes – in lashing rain, barely able to see a few metres ahead as we stumbled along a soggy coastal path. But by the time we reach the headland at Godrevy, the sky is azure blue and the sun beams down on the back of our necks.
Tearing ourselves away from the seals, we round the coastal path for a magnificent view of the Godrevy Lighthouse. This brilliant white 165-year-old building is said to have inspired Virginia Woolf’s novel To The Lighthouse and it prompts us to share stories of Cornwall’s chequered history of smugglers.
Read more: Why autumn is the best time to visit Cornwall
During our visit, we stay at one of the newest editions to Three Mile Beach, misleadingly described as a beach shack. While the phrase evokes images of a tumbledown beach bar, our experience is quite the opposite, offering every element of luxury in a two-bedroom holiday cottage that’s perfect for couples, singletons or small families. Four-legged friends are also welcome.
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