Explore the very finest parts of Cornwall during this guided walking holiday in England.
There are thousands of miles of enchanting footpaths which follow spectacular cliff-tops along the famous South West Coast path, leading down to remote and beautiful beaches; along atmospheric tidal creeks; over grassy meadows and farmland; through ancient woodlands – and across several areas of high and remote granite moorland.
Your local knowledgeable guide will take you on incredible hikes into beautiful Cornwall, where he’ll share with you many of the loveliest and most secret places, wildlife and history.
Accommodation in Cornwall
You will stay in the picturesque St Agnes – or in the guide’s farmhouse home.
The holiday provider works together with a wide range of accommodations in and around St Agnes village on the north coast, ranging from basic to more luxurious B&B’s to Hotels and English Pubs. The holiday provider will discuss the options with you, and give you a bespoke price based on your accommodation choice. The price of this example walking holiday is based on standard B&B accommodation; an example is shown in the pictures below.
Breakfast consists of a full English breakfast or a Continental breakfast. A freshly prepared healthy and tasty picnic lunch is included for each day of walking.
Evening meals can be enjoyed in local pubs or restaurants. There are several excellent ones in the village of St Agnes, plus a good tapas bar, a Chinese restaurant and a traditional village fish and chip shop. There’s also a very good bakery which makes delicious home made “Cornish pasties”. Full Board walking holidays (dinner, bed and breakfast) can also be arranged when staying in hotel or pub accommodation. Please ask the holiday provider, through the contact form on the bottom of this page, for more information on these options.
Walking in Cornwall
Typical mileage per day during this Cornwall walking holiday is between 7-9 miles (10-14 km’s), but that does not convey a sense of the energy consumed, because with the “ups and downs” of the sometimes rugged coastal paths, it might feel as though you’ve actually done rather more on some of the days. But the end result is that you will have spent about 6 hours “out there”, amongst the wonderful nature of Cornwall. If you regularly walk and can manage about 8 miles over 6 hours – and you don’t mind the odd steeper section and the occasional style to negotiate (stone or wooden steps between fields), then you would more than likely be perfectly able to participate in this walking holiday.
Walks are led by an enthusiastic local guide who knows Cornwall like the back of his hand. He has extensive experience leading groups in the outdoors, and has a passion for sharing his knowledge and love of Cornwall’s nature with you.
Cornwall walking holiday itinerary
This Cornwall walking holiday does not have a set itinerary – the programme is decided for each day based on the weather. In case of a rainy day, with this kind of flexibility, it is always possible to find a more sheltered area that is pleasant to walk in, whatever the weather brings. Below are a few example walks giving you an idea of the variety of walking possible in Cornwall:
Walk 1 – Treen – West Penwith. From the little hamlet of Treen, on the north coast of Cornwall a little south of St Ives, you’ll take the footpath down across the fields to Gurnards Head. With a marvellous vista of the Penwith Moors behind you, a sweeping view of quintessential Cornish coast opens up before you. The great rocky volcanic headland of Gurnards Head (with its Iron Age Cliff Castle) juts defiantly out into The Atlantic Ocean – and it’s a great place to scramble out onto and up – ending far out on the tip, with great views up and down the coast and inland to the high granite hills beyond. Abundant wildlife, industrial archaeology and prehistory combine to form a great continuum, for the Cornish have lived and worked here since some 6000 years ago… Good refreshments afterwards at the Gurnards Head pub.
Walk 2 – Porthgwarra – West Penwith. A little south of Lands End, is the small unspoilt hamlet of Porthgwarra, from where we can walk around Gwennap Head, with it’s great granite cliffs and famous “Western Maritime Heath” (in mid to late summer), blooming with myriad heather and gorse – a real picture. Atlantic Grey seals live around here and can often be seen lying on the rocks at low tide, off “Carn Guthensbras”. Dolphins and Basking Sharks are also seen here. This location is also one of the first “landfalls” for rare birds in passage – an ornithologist’s paradise. From here, stunning walks can be taken west towards Lands End, or east towards the “Minack Theatre” (open-air) – hewn from the granite cliffs. This is the true Lands End – and it is where the waters of the Atlantic mingle with the English Channel.
Walk 3 – The Lizard Point, Southern Tip of Cornwall and England. From Lizard village, a host of wonderful walks are possible using the very comprehensive network of footpaths in this area. To the west, lies Kynance Cove – the extremely picturesque National Trust’s showpiece cove in southern Cornwall. A great place for swimming in the clear turquoise waters. World famous heathlands, rich in “Cornish Heath” (Erica Vegans, very rare nationally, but common here) are dazzling in late summer and early autumn. South lies Lizard Point (lighthouse) and Bass Point (Lloyds Signal Station), both stunning spots to either walk around or just watch the wildlife and shipping pass by. East lies Church Cove and Cadgwith Cove, both enchanted places of thatched cottages, with charming walks around. In the Lizard village itself are what makes The Lizard so famous – little ‘stone turners’ craft shops, where gifted locals fashion the local colourful Serpentine Stone into beautiful objects. This is the only place in Britain where this wonderfully many hued stone is found.
Walk 4 – Helford Village. Reached via a maze of Cornish lanes, this little village exemplifies what everyone imagines a Cornish waterside village should look like! Pretty thatched cottages, rose covered and with sub-tropical vegetation all around – this is a gem of a place. From the car park, we just use our feet to take us back in time – and stroll down to the village and perhaps on around to Frenchman’s Creek, where Daphne DuMaurier found the inspiration for her famous novel of the same name. A little foot ferry will take us across the Helford River to Helford Passage. Near here are situated the great sub tropical gardens of Glendurgan and Trebah. Or staying on the Helford village side of the river, we will walk along the river bank through beautiful woodland to Dennis Head, at the seaward end of the estuary. From there, we can walk back up Gillan Creek to Mannaccan and onwards, over the fields and through the woods back to Helford. We may visit the Shirpwright Arms, or take a cream tea in the pretty gardens nearby. A perfect day out.
Walk 5 – Chapel Porth. Be surprised at this dramatic location, as you arrive down an old “tin and copper mine scarred” valley leading down to the gorgeous sandy cove at Chapel Porth. First, get refreshed at Rob’s café in the car park and try a ‘hedgehog clotted cream ice cream’ – you will never look back! Then, you’ll walk along the sands, exploring the great sea caves (if the tide is out), or up along the cliffs to Towanroath engine house. Marvel at the ingenuity of Cornish Miners and the hard lives they lead in such exposed positions. Imagine a winter’s day with a gale blowing and rough seas and driving rain… For this is where the great Industrial Revolution got going in the early 18th century… these workings go out far under the Atlantic! St Agnes was famous for the quality of its tin and few areas can boast of such great awe-inspiring endeavours. Walk along the cliffs past St Agnes Head and on to Trevaunance Cove and you’ll see much evidence of what once made Cornwall famous throughout the world.
Dates and Availability
This Cornwall walking holiday usually runs from Saturday to Saturday, but arrival on a Sunday is possible if essential. Group size is usually between 6 and 8 people, and the holiday is available from May until September.
Dates of the walking tour in 202:
- May 25-1 June
- June 22-29
- July 20-27
- Aug 3-10
- Aug 31-7 Sept
Please contact the holiday provider, through the contact form for more information and availability for this holiday.
For more holiday options in South-West England – Isles of Scilly and Dartmoor, please contact the holiday provider