3 Night Cornwall Family Walking Adventure
Cornwall is renowned for its stunning coast and beautiful beaches. Our spectacular, family friendly walks reveal some of the county’s most rugged, dramatic and picturesque scenery. Remember to keep a lookout for seals as you adventure down by the seashore. Take time to collect shells and see what can be discovered rock pooling. From sandy beaches and hidden coves to cliff top trails and expansive views, the region has so much offer.
What you’ll love
- Swimming in our heated outdoor pool
- Meeting other families
- Optional guided walks with an experienced HF Holidays Leader
- Exploring the beaches and coves on Cornwall’s coastline
- All meals and activities taken care of
What’s included
- Family rooms available subject to availability
- Comfortable en-suite accommodation in our country house
- Cream tea on arrival day
- Cooked or continental breakfast every morning
- Daily packed lunches
- Three-course evening meals tailored towards families, plus tea & coffee
- Guided walking with experienced HF Holidays Leaders
- Choice of up to four guided walks (on walking days)
- All transport to and from walks where necessary
- Easy-to-follow routes, maps, and information in our Discovery Point if you want to explore independently
Trip Notes
Easy to download as a PDF, our trip notes provide detailed information for every holiday. Please click below to find the trip notes for your departure date.
On our Guided Walking holidays, we believe that choice is key. Our walks descriptions will help you choose according to your interests and fitness. The walks are grouped together with care by local experts to give the best experience. While every effort will be made to adhere to the described itinerary, we may occasionally vary the sequence shown here or substitute an alternative route to suit local conditions or for other operational reasons, potentially at short notice. Some of our breaks have more than one itinerary. To check which itinerary is running on your holiday date please refer to the Dates, Prices & Trip Notes tab.
All our carefully-curated itineraries are designed by our experts. While we make every effort to adhere to the described itinerary, we may take alternative routes or adapt the running order for weather and/or operational reasons.
You're welcome to check in from 4pm onwards. Enjoy a complimentary cream tea on arrival.
Option 1 - St Ives, Carbis Bay and Porthminster Beach
Distance: 3.5 miles (6km)
Ascent: 700ft (210m)
In summary: A gentle walk along the lanes to Carbis Bay before heading back along the coast path to St Ives and finishing on Porthminster Beach.
What your kids will love: The fabulous golden beach at Carbis Bay. It’s the perfect spot for a paddle and building magnificent sandcastles.
Option 2 - Knills Monument, Carrack Gladden and on to Carbis Bay
Distance: 5 miles (8km)
Ascent: 950ft (295m)
In summary: Following a very similar route, our second option is slightly longer. We’ll include a climb up to Knill’s Monument, an impressive 50ft high granite obelisk. After taking in the superb views, we make our way out to the promontory of Carrack Gladden and then follow the South West Coast Path to Carbis Bay and back into St Ives.
What your kids will love: Cooling off with a splash in the turquoise waters of Carbis Bay after climbing to the top of Knills Monument.
Option 3 - Knills Monument, Lelant and on to Carbis Bay
Distance: 7.5 miles (12km)
Ascent: 1,200ft (370m)
In summary: We’ll follow the same route as option two to Carrack Gladden, but then extend our walk further as we head out towards Hayle Estuary and Lelant Church. We’ll follow a longer section of the coastal path back to St Ives, passing through the dunes beside Porthkidney Sands, and Carbis Bay.
What your kids will love: Looking out over the blue-green waters of St Ives Bay, exploring the rolling dunes and racing along expansive sandy beaches. Nature makes the best playgrounds!
Option 4 - Trencrom Hill & Lelant
Distance: 10 miles (16km)
Ascent: 1,400ft (425m)
In summary: Head up to Knill’s Monument, then over fields to Lelant via Trencrom Hill. This ancient Iron Age Hill Fort provides the perfect vantage point to soak up the 360-degree panorama views. Did you know, it’s one of the few places from which you can see both the north and the south coast at the same time? We descend and walk onto Lelant church, then follow the coast path beside the Hayle Estuary and through dunes overlooking Porthkidney Sands and Carbis Bay before arriving back at St Ives.
What your kids will love: Imagining what it was like to be a Celtic tribesman on the lookout for invading enemies at the top of Trencom Hill.
Option 1 - Sennen Cove, Land's End & Greeb Farm
Distance: 2.5 miles (4km)
Ascent: 425 feet (130m)
In summary: We’ll pass the old coastguard cottages on our short walk down to Sennen Cove. Have fun on the beach, before strolling along the cliff tops to Land’s End. From here, it’s possible to walk a little further along the coast if you’d like to visit Greeb Farm. Alternatively, if you’re ready for an early return to St Ives, why not catch the Land’s End Coaster - one of the UK’s most spectacular open top bus rides!
What your kids will love: Visiting the lifeboat station at Sennen Cove and making friends with the animals at Greeb Farm. Say hello to sheep, goats, rabbits, pigs, miniature ponies and even ferrets.
Option 2 - Sennen Cove and Land's End Peninsula
Distance: 5.5 miles (9km)
Ascent: 830ft (255m)
In summary: From an inland start at Polgigga, we walk across tracks and field paths to Mill Bay and the old fishing village of Sennen Cove. After spending plenty of time on the beach, we'll follow the coast path past Pedn-Men-Du lookout and Maen Castle, walking over the granite clifftops until we reach the very tip of Britain – Land’s End.
What your kids will love: Sand, sea, and surf! Whitesands beach at Sennen Cove is a family favourite. Can you catch a wave?
Option 3 - South Coast Cliffs from Penberth Cove to Land's End
Distance: 7 miles (11.5km)
Ascent: 1350ft (410m)
In summary: We begin our walk at the village of Treen and quickly join the cliff side. We follow this spectacular section of coastline all the way to Land’s End and enjoy the stunning section on display. There’ll be plenty of fun, excitement, and adventure along the way, as we pass by Porthcurno, Porthgwarra and Gwennap Head.
What your kids will love: Looking out for seabirds, dolphins, and seals at the RSPBs Wildlife Discovery Centre. Complete with high powered telescopes and manned by enthusiast volunteers it’s sure to inspire any budding naturalists.
Option 4 - St Loy along the cliffs to Land's End
Distance: 8.5 miles (13.5km)
Ascent: 1,715ft (525m)
In summary: Our longest option starts further along to coast at St Loy, and then follows the same show stopping route as option three. This is coastal walking at it’s very best!
What your kids will love: The elation of reaching Land’s End, having walked over 8 miles of Cornwall’s finest coastline – more than deserving of an ice cream or two!
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before making your way home.
Chy Morvah
The Penwith peninsula takes centre stage at this beautiful property in St Ives – the seaside hub that has inspired generations of artists for its working harbour, historic fishing communities, white-sand beaches, and surrounding Cornish landscape. The setting couldn’t be more idyllic; just a skip away from the town’s cobbled streets and within walking distance of four great beaches: Porthmeor, Porthminster, Harbour, and Porthgwidden. It’s also a short drive to St Michael’s Mount – the tidal island crowned by a medieval church and castle. The National Trust has owned most of the island since 1954 and while they ensure its preservation and conservation, it’s been the cherished home of the St Aubyn family since the 17th century.
Rooms
Designed with your comfort in mind, Chy Morvah has 39 well-appointed guest rooms available in three categories: Classic, Premium, and Superior.
Classic Rooms are comfortable en-suite guest rooms, ideal for a peaceful night's sleep. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, and shower gel), and a TV.
Premium Rooms are more spacious en-suite guest rooms*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers, and comfortable mattresses.
Superior Rooms are even more spacious en-suite guest rooms offering upgraded views of the surroundings*. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, tea and coffee-making facilities, toiletries (hand wash, shampoo, body lotion, shower gel), and a 32-inch TV. Extras include bathrobes, slippers, and comfortable mattresses.
We love: The guest rooms that make the most of the sea views are easily the best.
The Choose Your Room service is available at our UK country houses, allowing you the option of choosing and confirming a specific room for an extra charge of £30 per room. This is subject to availability. Upgrade supplements apply.
Check in & check out
You are welcome to check in from 4:00pm at the earliest. On arrival, you’ll enjoy a complimentary cream tea and get to meet your fellow guests, our HF Holidays Leaders, and the rest of the friendly team.
On the day of departure, we kindly ask all guests to check out by 10:00am. You’ll be asked to settle your bill prior to leaving. You may, of course, make a charitable donation to our HF Holidays Pathways Fund if you wish. Please note that we only accept card payments.
Room supplements
| Superior | Premium single | Premium double/twin | Choose your room |
| £25 pppn | £20 pppn | £20 pppn | £30 per room |
*Views and layout reflect each properties unique character and location
About your stay
A warm welcome
We want you to feel comfortable from the moment you arrive. You’ll find a welcome pack in your room with guest registration forms, menus, order forms for dinners and picnic lunches, the Wi-Fi password, and the front door code. Our houses are locked at night, so we recommend noting the Duty Manager’s number on arrival in case of an emergency (or getting locked out).
Evening entertainment
While evening entertainment varies from house to house, the HF Holidays Big Pub Quiz held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays Leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided walking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.
Walks talks
Our HF Holidays Leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on arrival days. This is followed by a group Walks Talk for information on the following day’s walking delights (held before dinner every evening). Self-guided walking guests are, of course, welcome.
The walking day
Prior to setting off on walks, your HF Holidays Leader will run you through a short safety briefing. There’s also an up-to-date weather forecast on display at the house to ensure you have appropriate clothing and footwear. If you choose to do your own walks or are on a self-guided walking holiday, we ask that you please complete an Independent Walker Card each day. These can be found near the Discovery Point in the house.
Food & drink
Led by experienced chefs, we serve a wide range of dishes made with fresh and seasonal ingredients. We always aim to source the best produce available and use home-grown herbs and vegetables from our own gardens whenever possible. Additionally, we have a licensed bar with beers, soft drinks, and a superb selection of spirits. Full-board comes as standard and includes a cream tea on arrival and a hearty breakfast on departure day.
HF Holidays understands the importance of managing allergens effectively to ensure food is safe for guests with food allergies. Whilst we are always able to confidently inform guests which allergens are present in our ingredients and dishes, we are unable to guarantee absolute freedom from the 14 main allergens in our kitchens. Vegetarian and vegan menu choices are available. If you have allergies, food intolerances, or any special dietary requirements, please inform our reservation team at the time of booking.
Accessibility
For accessibility and assistance information, please contact our expert team on 020 3974 8865 or view the accessibility information online for Chy Morvah
Getting to Chy Morvah
Find out more about this location including travel details and room types.
More InformationAddress
Chy Morvah
Bishops Road
St. Ives
Cornwall TR26 2DB
What3words reference: flipper.pulled.shepherdess
Tel: +44 (0)1736 796314
By train
The nearest station is St. Ives.
St. Erth might be more convenient as it’s on the main line.
Check National Rail for train times and route planning.
By taxi
St. Ives station is only half a mile away, but it’s a steep uphill walk.
St. Erth is four miles away and the journey takes just over 10 minutes.
For pricing, please contact Ace Cars directly.
Ace Cars
You can pre-book a taxi from our recommended company, Ace Cars*. We recommend booking your taxi at least seven days in advance by contacting:
Tel: +44 (0)1736 797799
Email: acecars2@aol.com
A return journey can be arranged on your behalf by the HF Holidays House Manager at Chy Morvah.
*Ace Cars is not owned or managed by HF Holidays.
By car
Head to Cornwall via the A30 then take the A3074 signposted to St. Ives. At the next two small roundabouts, go straight across the first and take a right at the second towards Lelant. Pass through Lelant and Carbis Bay on the same road.
As you approach St. Ives keep left at the fork, which heads slightly uphill, following signs to visitor parking and the leisure centre. Follow the road and turn left up the steep hill. Almost immediately the road turns left again, but instead of following the road, turn off and head directly up the hill on Porthminster Terrace.
Chy Morvah is at the top of the hill. To reach the car park you’ll need to drive left past the front of Chy Morvah and turn immediately right behind the back of the building. The car park is on the right 15 yards along Bishop's Road.
By air
The nearest airport is London Heathrow Airport.
First take the train to London Paddington station from where you’ll find direct trains to St. Erth, and a short train journey to St. Ives.
A morning arrival into Heathrow would be best as you’ll need around 6.5 hours to complete the journey.
The airports at Bristol and Newquay are also nearby, but there aren’t as many flight options.
Check National Rail for routes and train times.
The UK has a famously unpredictable climate so it's best to be prepared for weather that’s sunny one minute and raining the next. To make it easier, here’s a list of items you should consider packing.
Essentials
- Suitable footwear such as waterproof walking boots that provide ankle support and good grip
- Waterproof and windproof jacket
- Comfortable clothing (jeans & waterproof capes are not suitable)
- Mid-layer(s) to keep you warm. Fleeces make a good choice
- Waterproof overtrousers
- Gloves and a warm hat
- Rucksack with waterproof liner
- Flask for hot drinks
- Water bottle (at least 1 litre capacity)
- Sunscreen
- UV sunglasses
Recommended
- Several base layers (long-sleeve or short-sleeve)
- Cushioned walking socks to avoid blisters
- First aid kit, including plasters and insect repellent
- Sit mat
- Waterproof pouch for valuables
- Rubbish bag (remember to always leave no trace)
- Wallet/purse
- Camera
- First-aid kit
Chy Morvah Calendar
- Guided Walking
- Self-Guided Walking
- Special Interests
- Unavailable to Book