MEI guide to walking in Cornwall

Cornwall is a unique English county in having a 258 mile (415 km) path which runs around the coast, providing some of the world's most impressive coastal scenery as well as a fascinating mining heritage. The path forms part of the 630 mile (1013 km) South West Coast Path, England's longest continuous footpath, which runs from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset.

Over the years Barbara and I have covered most of the Cornish coastal path, but only in recent years, with the advent of the MEI blog, have I been carrying a camera and making notes. So there are many gaps to be filled in our itinerary but the map and the links below will take you to some of the most rewarding sections of this fabulous trail. (M) indicates that the walk has historical mining interest.


Cornwall: edited with courtesy of Google maps 2015 (http://tinyurl.com/mqggoas)

North Cornwall from the Devon Border

The north Cornwall path is exposed to the Atlantic Ocean and features high rugged cliffs and some very challenging but spectacular walks:

Bude and Crackington Haven
Boscastle to Tintagel
Tintagel to Port Isaac
Port Isaac to Port Quin
Polzeath to Padstow
Padstow and the Camel estuary
Porthcothan to Bedruthan Steps
Mawgan Porth to Watergate Bay
Around Perranporth (M)
Perranporth to Jericho Valley (M)
Jericho Valley to St. Agnes (M)
St. Agnes to Chapel Porth (M)
Porthtowan to Chapel Porth (M)
Portreath and the North Cliffs (M)
Around Godrevy
Godrevy to Gwithian (M)
Hayle Estuary to St. Ives
St. Ives to Zennor
Zennor to Gurnard's Head (M)
Pendeen Watch to Levant Mine (M)
Pendeen to Botallack: Cornwall's submarine mines (M)
Botallack to Cape Cornwall (M)
Cape Cornwall to Land's End

South Cornwall to the Devon Border
On average these walks are less severe than those in north Cornwall, with the coast exposed to the relatively calmer seas of the English Channel:

Land's End to the south coast path
Porthchapel to Treen
Lamorna Cove to Mousehole
Penzance to Marazion
Prussia Cove to Praa Sands
Praa Sands to Porthleven (M)
Poldhu Cove to Mullion Cove
Kynance Cove to Lizard Point
Gillam Creek to Helford Village
Helford River: Frenchman's Creek to Falmouth
Swanpool Beach to Falmouth Town
Falmouth to the Roseland Peninsula
Carne Beach to Portloe
Portloe to Portholland
Mevagissey to Charlestown
Polperro to Looe

Inland Walks
The Great Flat Lode Trail (M)
Coast to Coast (M)
Gwennap Parish (M)
Gwennap to Carn Marth (M)
Luxulyan Valley, St. Austell (M)

More on Cornwall
More on Cornish Mining