South West Coast Path: Cornwall
Half the trail is in Cornwall — twenty-five of the fifty-two stages. The north coast is Atlantic-facing and unsheltered, running past surf beaches and the mining coast of Penwith to Land's End; the south coast is softer and cut by drowned river valleys, which is why so many of the path's ferries are here. It ends where the Cremyll ferry crosses the Tamar into Plymouth.
- 25Stages
- 300 miDistance
- 483 kmMetric
- 11,205 mTotal ascent
- 162 hWalking time
- ~24Days at 12–13 mi
Every stage in Cornwall
Stages 11–35 of 52, Bude to Plymouth. Ascent is the number that decides these days, not distance — the path drops to sea level and climbs back out many times over. Every row links to the full stage guide with an elevation profile, surface breakdown, water points and what to see.
| Stage | Route | Miles | km | Ascent | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Bude to Crackington Haven | 10.3 | 16.6 | 579 m | Moderate |
| 12 | Crackington Haven to Tintagel | 11.6 | 18.6 | 673 m | Moderate |
| 13 | Tintagel to Port Isaac | 9.5 | 15.2 | 622 m | Hard |
| 14 | Port Isaac to Padstow | 12.5 | 20.1 | 457 m | Moderate |
| 15 | Padstow to Porthcothan | 13.5 | 21.7 | 340 m | Moderate |
| 16 | Porthcothan to Newquay | 11.2 | 18.0 | 391 m | Moderate |
| 17 | Newquay to Perranporth | 14.1 | 22.7 | 373 m | Moderate |
| 18 | Perranporth to Portreath | 12.1 | 19.4 | 570 m | Moderate |
| 19 | Portreath to Hayle | 12.2 | 19.7 | 274 m | Moderate |
| 20 | Hayle to St Ives | 7.0 | 11.2 | 209 m | Easy |
| 21 | St Ives to Pendeen | 12.8 | 20.6 | 589 m | Hard |
| 22 | Pendeen to Sennen Cove | 9.3 | 14.9 | 373 m | Moderate |
| 23 | Sennen Cove to Lamorna | 11.9 | 19.2 | 492 m | Moderate |
| 24 | Lamorna to Marazion | 10.0 | 16.1 | 202 m | Moderate |
| 25 | Marazion to Porthleven | 10.1 | 16.3 | 417 m | Moderate |
| 26 | Porthleven to The Lizard | 14.6 | 23.4 | 463 m | Moderate |
| 27 | The Lizard to Coverack | 11.0 | 17.7 | 400 m | Moderate |
| 28 | Coverack to Helford | 14.0 | 22.5 | 440 m | Moderate |
| 29 | Helford to Falmouth | 10.5 | 16.8 | 250 m | Moderate |
| 30 | Falmouth to Portloe | 17.1 | 27.5 | 453 m | Hard |
| 31 | Portloe to Mevagissey | 12.9 | 20.8 | 579 m | Moderate |
| 32 | Mevagissey to Par | 11.1 | 17.9 | 456 m | Moderate |
| 33 | Par to Polperro | 14.2 | 22.9 | 632 m | Moderate |
| 34 | Polperro to Portwrinkle | 13.5 | 21.7 | 569 m | Moderate |
| 35 | Portwrinkle to Plymouth | 13.4 | 21.5 | 402 m | Moderate |
Ferries & crossings in this section
8 of the stages here depend on a boat or a low tide. Full detail, seasons and detours are on the ferries and tidal crossings page.
| Stage | Crossing | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Padstow–Rock ferry | Year-round |
| 17 | Gannel crossing (Newquay–Crantock) | Check locally |
| 28 | Gillan Creek crossing | Check locally |
| 29 | Helford River ferry | Seasonal |
| 30 | Falmouth–St Mawes ferry | Year-round |
| 30 | St Mawes–Place ferry | Seasonal |
| 33 | Fowey–Polruan ferry | Year-round |
| 35 | Cremyll ferry | Year-round |
Places on the Cornwall coast
21 places along this section have a full history on this site, and 21 free audio guides between them.
Common questions
How long is the South West Coast Path in Cornwall?
The Cornwall section runs 300 miles (483 km) over 25 of the path's 52 stages, from Bude to Plymouth. At a typical 12–13 miles a day that is about 24 days' walking.
How much climbing is there on the Cornwall coast path?
About 11,205 m of ascent across the section — an average of 448 m per stage. The hardest single leg for climbing is Crackington Haven to Tintagel, at 673 m.
Which stages of the Cornwall section are hardest?
3 of the 25 stages here are graded hard: Tintagel to Port Isaac, St Ives to Pendeen, Falmouth to Portloe.
Are there ferries on the Cornwall coast path?
Yes — 8 crossings in this section: Padstow–Rock ferry, Gannel crossing (Newquay–Crantock), Gillan Creek crossing, Helford River ferry, Falmouth–St Mawes ferry, St Mawes–Place ferry, Fowey–Polruan ferry, Cremyll ferry. 4 run year-round; the rest are seasonal or tide-dependent, and the inland detour when they are not running is long.
When is the best time to walk the Cornwall coast path?
March to October is the usual window across these stages. Outside it, daylight is short, seasonal ferries stop and this exposed coast takes the weather full on.
What is there to see on the Cornwall section?
We cover 21 places along it in depth, with 21 free audio guides between them: Tintagel Castle, Tintagel Old Post Office, Padstow & Prideaux Place, Port Isaac, Bedruthan Steps, Wheal Coates & St Agnes Mining Coast, Godrevy Lighthouse, St Ives, Geevor Tin Mine & Pendeen Watch, Botallack & Levant Mines….
Walking this section? The free South West Coast Walk app carries all 52 stages offline — GPS navigation, elevation profiles, mapped water points and the audio guides — and the accommodation guide covers where to sleep along the way.