Classic Cornish Short Break

The journey begins with an 8-mile strenuous walk from Mevagissey to Charlestown, traversing golden beaches and towering cliffs around St Austell Bay, passing the ruins at Portgiskey and the village of Pentewan with its marooned inland harbor. The route then enters dramatic cliff walking towards Black Head Promontory, offering stunning views and a potential lunch stop at Halane with its waterfall beach. Hikers will then pass through the Cornwall Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve at Ropehaven cliffs and Silvermine Point before reaching the historical harbor of Charlestown for an overnight stay, with the option to visit the nearby Eden Project. The subsequent 10-mile section from Charlestown to Fowey offers a mix of easy and moderate grades, highlighting the China Clay works, Par Sands, and the striking Gribbin Head with its Daymark Tower, including opportunities to visit Polkerris and experience the landscape that inspired Daphne Du Maurier, eventually leading to Fowey with its castle and harbor. The final 12-mile leg from Fowey to Looe is more strenuous, starting with a ferry to Polruan and featuring dramatic cliff paths, the unspoiled Lantic Bay, and the picturesque Lansallos Cove, with a break in Polperro before continuing to the relaxed Talland Bay and finally into Looe, with views of St Georges Island and the distant Eddystone Lighthouse.

This 10-mile section of the coastal path from Charlestown to Fowey offers a mix of easy and moderate walking, leading past the extensive China Clay works and the spacious Par Sands before reaching the wild Gribbin Head with its distinctive red and white Daymark Tower, built to aid mariners. Along the way, there's an opportunity to visit the charming pilchard fishing cove of Polkerris with its quay and the Rasheligh Inn. The route then enters the inspiring Daphne Du Maurier coastline, revealing locations that influenced her novels, such as the hidden beach at Polridmouth with views of Manderlay. The final stretch before Fowey features historic smuggling coves and culminates at King Henry VIII's clifftop St Catherine's Castle, providing stunning panoramic views of Fowey's natural harbor, a highly regarded place to stay with its various amenities.

This 12-mile section from Fowey to Looe begins with a ferry to Polruan, followed by a steep ascent past St Saviours Chapel onto a remote coastline with challenging cliff paths. Hikers will be rewarded with stunning views over the golden sands of Lantic Bay, an unspoilt beach accessible via a climb. The path continues along a classic Cornish coastline to Lansallos Cove before descending past a Daymark tower and Raphael Cliff to the picturesque harbor of Polperro, a good spot for a break. The final leg to Looe becomes more moderate, passing the scenic Talland Bay with its cafe and kayaking opportunities, and then through waterfalls and pastureland, including the remains of Lamanna Chapel, before arriving in Looe along the seawall with views of St Georges Island and potentially the distant Eddystone Lighthouse.