Carrek Los Cove is a rugged coastal inlet on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, England — the southernmost point of the British mainland. The cove sits beneath dramatic cliffs and is dominated by a formation of large gray rocks known in Cornish as Carrek Los, meaning 'gray rock.' The Lizard Peninsula is known for its serpentinite geology, wild Atlantic coastline, and centuries of maritime history involving smugglers, wreckers, and seafarers. Gates investigated the cove in Season 12 of Expedition Unknown after a treasure-hunting team presented him with a purported letter attributed to the legendary pirate Henry Every, which appeared to contain directional clues pointing to a buried cache worth an estimated $100 million in today's value — referencing 'three gray stones in a cove, east of Liz' and 'a high promontory jutting into the sea,' details the team believed mapped directly onto Carrek Los and the cliffs above it.
Henry Every, one of the most wanted pirates of his era, allegedly active in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans; letter purportedly written by or about Every references a buried cache near the Lizard Peninsula
Every disappears from historical record after the Ganj-i-Sawai raid, his ultimate fate and any buried treasure remaining subjects of speculation
Gates investigates Carrek Los Cove with a metal-detecting team in Expedition Unknown S12E04, 'Riches of Spain's Pirate King'
The evidence at the center of this investigation is a purported letter attributed to or associated with Henry Every, the 17th-century pirate best known for raiding the Mughal treasure ship Ganj-i-Sawai in 1695 — one of the most lucrative acts of piracy in recorded history. On camera, treasure hunter Tyrone estimates that the inventory described in the letter — rubies, diamonds, gold, and silver — would be worth over $100 million in today's value. What makes Carrek Los compelling as a candidate location is the apparent convergence of clues: the Cornish place name translates to 'gray rock,' the Lizard Peninsula is abbreviated locally as 'Liz,' and there is indeed a high promontory above a beach cove in the immediate area. As Adam points out in the episode, the French section of the letter and the English section together seem to triangulate a specific spot.
Mainstream historians have generally treated Every as a figure who vanished into obscurity after 1696, with no confirmed accounts of his whereabouts or the disposition of his plunder. The authenticity of any letter purportedly written by or about Every would require serious documentary scrutiny — analysis of paper, ink, language, and provenance — none of which is addressed on camera in the episode. The Lizard Peninsula does have genuine historical connections to smuggling and piracy from the 17th and 18th centuries, making it a plausible general setting, but plausibility is not the same as confirmation.
The metal-detecting survey conducted by Gates and the assembled team is a reasonable first step for a surface or near-surface search of a beach cove, but it represents a limited investigation of a site that, if the letter were authentic, might require more targeted subsurface archaeology. The copper pauper's ring recovered during the survey is an interesting period artifact in its own right, but its presence does not advance the case for Every's treasure.
The episode is honest about its outcome: Gates and the team search, they find a modest artifact, and the cove gives up no pirate chests. Whether the letter is authentic, whether Every ever visited Cornwall, and whether any treasure remains buried beneath the sand at Carrek Los are questions the episode raises but cannot answer. That ambiguity is very much where the historical record leaves things.
Carrek Los is a Cornish-language place name meaning 'gray rock' — the same translation that reportedly appears in the letter Gates' team investigates, lending the location its key claim to relevance.
The Lizard Peninsula is the southernmost point of the British mainland, a distinction that has made it both a landmark for Atlantic seafarers and a historically notorious stretch of coast for shipwrecks.
Henry Every, the pirate at the center of this investigation, was the subject of one of the earliest international manhunts in history after the Ganj-i-Sawai raid in 1695 — yet he was never captured and his final fate remains unknown.
Metal detecting is a particularly popular hobby in the United Kingdom, where finds of historical significance must be reported under the Treasure Act 1996 — a detail that adds a legal dimension to any serious search for buried valuables on British soil.
The Lizard Peninsula is generally accessible to visitors, and much of its coastline falls within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with public footpaths running along the cliffs. Access to specific coves may require hiking down from the coastal path, and conditions can be rugged — sturdy footwear and awareness of tidal patterns are advisable. Visitors should check current local advisories before attempting to reach remote sections of the coast.
Helston is the nearest town, approximately 10 miles north of the Lizard Peninsula. Truro, the county city of Cornwall, is roughly 25 miles to the north.
Late spring through early autumn typically offers the most favorable weather for coastal walking on the Lizard Peninsula, with longer daylight hours and calmer seas. Winter visits are possible but can bring strong Atlantic winds and limited accessibility to exposed cove beaches.
Whydah Pirate Museum, Yarmouth
The Whydah Pirate Museum in Yarmouth centers on the golden age of piracy, the same era and world that produced Henry Every, making it a natural companion site for anyone following Gates' pirate treasure investigations.
Neahkahnie Mountain
Neahkahnie Mountain is another Gates-investigated site tied to legends of buried treasure along a dramatic coastline, paralleling the Carrek Los investigation's blend of cryptic clues and rugged geography.
RAF Dunino Airfield
RAF Dunino Airfield appears in another Expedition Unknown investigation set in the British Isles, connecting it to the same regional thread as Gates' Cornwall expedition.