Guided Trail on the South Cornwall Coast Path

65 miles. 8-13 miles and up to 2,075 feet of ascent in a day

Day 1: Arrival day

Day 2: Cape Cornwall to Porthcurno - Starting at Cape Cornwall, we walk past Carn Ballowall towards Porth Nanven and then along easy paths to Whitesand Bay and Sennen Cove.  We traverse granite cliffs to Land’s End and continue over some of the most spectacular stretches of Britain’s coastline. Granite cliffs take us on past Mill Bay, over Gwennap Head and down to Porthgwarra, a delightful cove with unusual tunnels through the cliffs, and finally to the Minack Theatre, a unique open-air theatre created in the cliffs with the Atlantic as a backdrop.  We descend to Porthcurno and finish the first day’s walk in an area that has seen many advances in telegraphy by the former Cable and Wireless Company. Distance: 11¼ miles with 2,075 feet of ascent

Day 3: Porthcurno to Mousehole - Leaving Porthcurno we ascend to Treryn Dinas, home of the Logan Rock, before we drop down to Penberth Cove (National Trust), completely unspoilt by commercialism. Further ascents and descents bring us to sheltered St Loy and its boulder-strewn beach. We have a short section through lush vegetation before returning to rougher sections as we approach Lamorna Cove and continue to Mousehole. There will be time to explore this delightful harbour, as the built-up section from here through Penzance will be omitted from the walk. Distance:  8¼ miles with 1,650 feet of ascent

Day 4: Marazion to Porthleven - Starting at Marazion we walk along low sandstone cliffs towards Perranuthnoe, then pass Cudden Point and Prussia Cove to reach the long sandy beach of Praa Sands. Ascending Rinsey Head, with its restored mine building, in contrast to the dramatic yet ruined engine houses on Trewavas Head, we continue between fields and crumbling cliff edges to the fishing harbour of Porthleven to meet our coach. Distance: 9½ miles with 1,575 feet of ascent

Day 5: Porthleven to Lizard Green - Returning to Porthleven harbour we follow the remains of a coast road to Loe Bar, the sand bank between Loe Pool, Cornwall’s largest freshwater lake, and the sea. We continue along the coast path to the fishing cove of Gunwalloe and then to Church Cove and the church of St Winwaloe, crouching down on the beach behind protective rock. The path continues to Poldhu Cove and the cliffs where the first radio signals were sent across the Atlantic by Marconi in 1901. A magnificent stretch of cliff scenery brings us to Mullion Cove and then to the scenic Kynance Cove. In view of the most southerly point in England we head inland to Lizard Green and our return coach. Distance: 13½ miles with 1,750 feet of ascent

Day 6: Lizard Green to Coverack - From Lizard Green, we walk down towards Lizard Head and Polpeor Cove (the most southerly point in England) and past the Lizard Lighthouse. We continue towards a second Church Cove and past a collapsed cave known as the Devil’s Frying Pan, to Cadgwith. The path continues past the disused serpentine works at Poltesco across Kennack Sands, on to Black Head and down to Coverack village. Distance: 11½ miles with 1,325 feet of ascent

Day 7: Coverack to Helford - We start the day at Coverack beside a shingle beach and on to the raised beach of Lowland Point. Soon quarries, active and derelict, force the path away from the coast towards St Keverne. We rejoin the coast at Porthallow and continue to Nare Point where we get a view of the wooded Helford River estuary. We continue to the houses on the Gillan Creek, and reach the hamlet of St Anthony. The coastal path then goes towards Dennis Head before descending through the woods of the Bosahan Estate to Helford Village. Distance: 10½ miles with 1,400 feet of ascent

Day 8: Departure day