Wildflower Haven at Mullion

The heathland of the Lizard Peninsula near Mullion lacks the rugged beauty of Cornwall's granite moors; its flatness seems a dull contrast to the dramatic sea cliffs that define its edges; the only punctuation marks are the huge satellite dishes of the nearby Goonhilly tracking station and the lazily revolving blades of modern wind turbines. Yet, beneath the skin, this seemingly featureless landscape is botanically unique and exciting, not least because the Lizard's calcareous soil is rich in magnesium and supports plants that are more often seen in chalk or limestone regions. The warming influence of the sea and the area's generally mild and frost-free climate encourages growth.

The Lizard's most famous plant is the Cornish heath, rare in Britain generally, but abundant on the Lizard. In full bloom it contributes to a glorious mosaic of colour, its pink and white flowers matched by the brilliant yellow of Western gorse and the deeper pinks of cross-leaved heath and bell heather. From the very start of the walk you are at the heart of the heathland. More common plants include spring squill, thrift and foxglove. Deeper into the heath are a variety of orchids including the rare green winged orchid, with its purple-lipped flowers.

Near the turning point of the walk you pass close to the old wartime Predannack airfield from where modern gliders soar into the air. Soon, the route joins the coast at Gew Graze, a feature that is also known as 'Soapy Cove' because of the presence of steatite, or soapstone. This is a fairly rare type of rock which was once used in the 18th-century production of china and porcelain. The final part of the route, along the cliffs to Mullion Cove, brings more flower spotting opportunities. On the path out of Gew Graze look for the yellow bracts and purple florets of carline thistle; the straw-coloured bracts curl over the flowerheads to protect them in wet weather.

Another remarkable plant is thyme broomrape, a dark reddish-brown, almost dead-looking plant that obtains its chlorophyll as a parasite growing on thyme. Such plants are often difficult to spot, whereas the smooth grassy slopes of the cliff tops near Mullion are a riot of powder blue spring squill, white sea campion and the yellow heads of lesser celandine and kidney vetch.

Where to eat and drink

There is a café at Mullion Harbour, the Porthmellin Café, serving full cooked breakfast, morning coffee, cream teas, crab sandwiches, ice creams and soft drinks. Open Easter to September.

While you're there

Spend some time at Mullion Harbour. The harbour dates from the 1890s and is built like a little fortress for the good reason that the cove's position on the eastern shore of Mount's Bay leaves it open to the most ferocious storms from the west and south west. This western coast of the Lizard Peninsula was always known as a 'wrecking shore', especially in the days of sail when vessels rounding the opposite 'horn' of the bay, Land's End, could easily become 'embayed' if they did not set course properly to clear the Lizard. Once embayed in onshore storms, a sailing vessel was easily driven ashore. Mullion Harbour gave shelter to pilchard, crab and lobster fishing boats.