Past Caerhays Castle and its beach, over the great headland of Dodman Point, to the port of Mevagissey.
Highlights
- Caerhays Castle & beach
- Dodman Point
- Mevagissey
Know before you go
- Quiet — limited services
Climbs 917 m and descends 929 m, topping out at 112 m and dropping to 3 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 Caerhays Castle and its beach, over the great headland of Dodman Point, to the port of Mevagissey.
Portloe to Mevagissey is 12.2 miles (19.6 km). Allow about 7 h of walking, before stops.
Stage 31 climbs about 917 m and descends about 929 m, with a high point of about 112 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 81%, track 1%, road & lane 18%. 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 2 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 Caerhays Castle & beach, Dodman Point, Mevagissey.
Quiet — limited services.