Climbs 1,054 m and descends 1,046 m, topping out at 223 m and dropping to 5 m. Measured along the mapped route.
What you walk on, by distance (from OpenStreetMap way types).
Four axes rated 1–5 — the single rating above is only the headline.
Over High Cliff — the highest sheer cliff in Cornwall — past the Strangles and Boscastle's harbour, through Rocky Valley to the legendary clifftop ruins of Tintagel.
Places on this leg with a full history, and free audio guides you can read or hear.
Crackington Haven to Tintagel is 11.4 miles (18.3 km). Allow about 6 h 18 min of walking, before stops.
Stage 12 climbs about 1,054 m and descends about 1,046 m, with a high point of about 223 m. On the South West Coast Path the ascent, not the distance, is what decides how long a day takes — the route repeatedly drops to sea level and climbs straight back out.
It is graded moderate. Rated out of five: physical demand 3/5 (Moderate), terrain 3/5 (Moderate), navigation 2/5 (Modest), remoteness 2/5 (Modest). On the SAC hiking scale it is T2 — some steep, rough or uneven ground.
By distance the surface is footpath 98%, track 1%, road & lane 1%. Percentages come from the mapped way types along the route.
March to October is the usual window for this leg. Outside it, daylight is short, some estuary ferries stop running and cliff-top wind and rain make an exposed route much harder work.
Water on this stage is moderate. We map 5 refill points on the leg — mostly pubs, cafés and taps in the villages the path passes through. Shade is minimal: this is open cliff-top walking, so carry more than you think in summer.
Highlights on this leg are High Cliff (223 m), Boscastle harbour, Rocky Valley, Tintagel Castle. It also passes 1 place we cover in depth: Tintagel Castle. There is 1 free audio guide between them.
Several steep descents.