Across the tidal Gannel and around Kelsey Head and the Holywell dunes to the vast beach of Perranporth.
Highlights
- The Gannel crossing
- Holywell Bay
- Perran Sands
Know before you go
- Gannel is a tidal crossing/ferry
Climbs 638 m and descends 662 m, topping out at 70 m and dropping to 2 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 tidal Gannel and around Kelsey Head and the Holywell dunes to the vast beach of Perranporth.
This stage depends on 1 crossing. Check times before you set out — most are seasonal or tide-bound, and the inland detour is long.
Newquay to Perranporth is 15.1 miles (24.4 km). Allow about 7 h 36 min of walking, before stops.
Stage 17 climbs about 638 m and descends about 662 m, with a high point of about 70 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 4/5 (High), 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 87%, bridleway 4%, track 1%, road & lane 8%. 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 scarce. We map 6 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 — Gannel crossing (Newquay–Crantock). Fern Pit / Penpol crossing of the Gannel — seasonal ferry or tidal stepping-stones; impassable near high water, when a long inland detour is needed.
Highlights on this leg are The Gannel crossing, Holywell Bay, Perran Sands.
Gannel is a tidal crossing/ferry.