Across the Helford by ferry through subtropical creekside woods past Mawnan to Falmouth.
Highlights
- Helford passenger ferry
- Trebah & Glendurgan gardens
- Falmouth
Know before you go
- Helford ferry is seasonal
Climbs 514 m and descends 517 m, topping out at 58 m and dropping to 0 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.
Across the Helford by ferry through subtropical creekside woods past Mawnan to Falmouth.
This stage depends on 1 crossing. Check times before you set out — most are seasonal or tide-bound, and the inland detour is long.
Places on this leg with a full history, and free audio guides you can read or hear.
Helford to Falmouth is 10.2 miles (16.4 km). Allow about 5 h 42 min of walking, before stops.
Stage 29 climbs about 514 m and descends about 517 m, with a high point of about 58 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 2/5 (Modest), terrain 3/5 (Moderate), navigation 2/5 (Modest), remoteness 2/5 (Modest). On the SAC hiking scale it is T1 — mostly well-made path, falling is largely unlikely.
By distance the surface is footpath 76%, bridleway 1%, track 1%, road & lane 22%. 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 7 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.
Yes — Helford River ferry. Seasonal on-demand ferry (Helford ↔ Helford Passage); no crossing in winter, when the detour via Gweek is long.
Highlights on this leg are Helford passenger ferry, Trebah & Glendurgan gardens, Falmouth. It also passes 1 place we cover in depth: Trebah & Glendurgan Gardens. There is 1 free audio guide between them.
Helford ferry is seasonal.