Bedruthan Steps

Bedruthan Steps is a sequence of freestanding sea stacks punching up from the Atlantic surf on Cornwall's north coast, roughly midway between Newquay and Padstow. The name comes from a local legend that a giant named Bedruthan used the rocks as stepping stones — geologically they are headland remnants carved into isolation by centuries of wave erosion. The beach below is accessible only at low tide via a steep staircase maintained by the National Trust, and swimming is strongly discouraged due to powerful surf. The clifftop coastal path above rewards those who stay on top: an unobstructed panorama over the stacks and open Atlantic that is particularly striking at sunset, when the layered slate and sandstone glow a deep reddish-orange.