Past Loe Pool and Mullion Cove to the Lizard, the most southerly point of mainland Britain.
Highlights
- Loe Bar & Pool
- Mullion Cove
- Lizard Point (southernmost mainland)
Know before you go
- Few facilities en route
Climbs 800 m and descends 774 m, topping out at 76 m and dropping to 1 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.
Past Loe Pool and Mullion Cove to the Lizard, the most southerly point of mainland Britain.
Places on this leg with a full history, and free audio guides you can read or hear.
Porthleven to The Lizard is 14.1 miles (22.8 km). Allow about 7 h 48 min of walking, before stops.
Stage 26 climbs about 800 m and descends about 774 m, with a high point of about 76 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%, track 2%, road & lane 11%. 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 Loe Bar & Pool, Mullion Cove, Lizard Point (southernmost mainland). It also passes 1 place we cover in depth: Lizard Point. There is 1 free audio guide between them.
Few facilities en route.