Cornwall 100 Mile Challenge

This challenging day covers the best of the northeast Cornwall coastline. You'll tackle steep climbs and descents to hidden coves, pass Bronze Age cliff carvings, King Arthur’s Castle, and Merlin’s Cave at Tintagel. Enjoy a pub lunch overlooking Trebarwith Strand before an exhilarating afternoon crossing seven valleys and cliff-top mining remains on your way to Port Isaac.

Enjoy stunning panoramas passing the abandoned village of Port Quinn and Pentire Head, with its breathtaking views of the Camel Estuary and the offshore Mouls rocks—some of the best on the entire 630-mile South West Coast Path. Continue around the dramatic Rumps headland with its Iron Age cliff fort, then past Polzeath’s famous surfers’ beach and John Betjeman’s St Endoc Church. Finish with a ferry crossing over the Camel Estuary’s Doom Bar to reach the lively fishing harbour of Padstow, known as Cornwall’s restaurant capital.

Follow the route of ancient Saints from Padstow, alongside Little Petherick Creek as it leaves the Camel Estuary. Climb to St Breock Down, home to Cornwall’s oldest standing stone, the Menhir. In the afternoon, cross a secluded valley near Withiel and continue through pasture and lanes to the village of Lanivet, with convenient pubs for overnight stops.

Complete the first Cornwall coast-to-coast crossing via the mangrove-like Redmoor Nature Reserve. Enjoy stunning views from Helman’s Tor, then follow old drove routes to Lanlivery and the well-placed Crown Inn. Descend into the magical Fowey river valley, passing two holy wells before reaching Golant at the estuary. The final stretch to Fowey passes idyllic wooded creeks featured in Wind in the Willows, arriving at the dramatic natural harbour with excellent facilities and atmosphere.

Leaving panoramic Fowey is always hard, but the tiny foot ferry to Polruan makes departure easier. Then follow a challenging, remote, wild coastline eastward with untouched beaches, hidden smuggling coves, and soaring cliffs—no houses in sight for over 8 miles. This is considered the best day on the South West Coast Path between Mevagissey and Plymouth, featuring the dramatic Pencarrow Head and the golden sands of Lantic Bay, which are protected from tourists except by foot access. Enjoy lunch exploring the maze of medieval lanes and cottages at the charming fishing harbour of Polperro, then an easier afternoon stroll through lush green coastline into bustling Looe Town, passing sheltered Talland Bay—perfect for a final afternoon cream tea before tomorrow’s inland walk.

Today is the longest day, with steady walking and climbing throughout. You begin by returning across Cornwall via the lush and peaceful West Looe Valley, where you might spot otters, deer, and bubbling rivers along forest tracks. This route reconnects with a youthful, gushing Fowey River as you journey toward the remote Bodmin Moor. Once on the open moorland, careful navigation guides you along an ancient drover’s route over Brown Gelly Tor’s summit and around the dark, eerie Dozmary Pool — famous as the legendary resting place of King Arthur’s sword, Excalibur. After a few more miles across the moor, the isolated and atmospheric Jamaica Inn appears, a perfect spot for your overnight stay in Cornwall’s wildest moorland.

Your final day on the Smugglers Way takes you over Cornwall’s highest points and peaks, climbing five tors with some of the most spectacular panoramas in the West Country. The tough walking across the moor is rewarded by dramatic stone stack sculptures carved by the elements along exposed ridges. Descending from the tors, the route passes an abandoned WWII airport runway flanked by crumbling control towers and bunkers. Then you drop down to the coast, following remote bubbling tributaries of the surging Valency River. Following in Thomas Hardy’s footsteps, the last section leads you down his “leaf covered aisle” to the fascinating hamlet of Boscastle, with its unique fjord-like harbour, witchcraft museum, and wild Atlantic coastline. With your 100-mile journey complete, enjoy a well-earned refreshment in the Cobweb Inn as you reach the harbour, satisfied by a route that reveals unmatched variety in Cornish walking.