In our second blog on the South West Coastal Path in Cornwall, we travel westwards from Par to The Lizard for a total of 72 miles.
If you choose CLC Trenython Manor as your Cornwall holiday resort base, you can pamper weary limbs with a revitalising massage or time in the Jacuzzi before exploring the rest of this beautiful English county.
Par to Mevagissey
From the village of Par take the coastal path in a westerly direction but don’t give into the temptations of the dunes at Par Sands or the pubs and cafés that abound for too long, there’s a roller-coaster of a walk ahead of you.
On the way to Charlestown, you’ll pass the National Coastwatch Station on Landrion Point. A volunteer post, the white tower was previously a coastguard lookout. The exact age of the tower is not known but it was in existence in 1928 but not visible in a 1905 picture of the area. The derelict tower was discovered by the Regional Manager of NCI in 2001 and with local assistance was restored and became operational in 2003. Visitors are welcome.
Charlestown is a great place to take a break, with its historic harbour and quay providing an unspoiled example of a late Georgian working port. It’s been a location for TV series and films including Poldark, The Eagle has Landed and Hornblower. The square rigger ships that are harboured there offer great Instagram moments.
Out of Charlestown, the path twists around the cliffs before entering the woodland at Ropehaven Cliffs. A Cornwall Wildlife Trust Reserve, it’s a great place for bird-spotting. Fossils found in rocks here indicate that 400million years ago, Ropehaven lay beneath tropical seas.
Head past Hallane Mill Beach, perfect for a picnic, to the Black Head promontory, the site of an Iron Age cliff castle and a memorial stone to Cornish historian and poet, A L Rowse.
The walk comes to an end as you enter the fishing village of Mevagissey with its working harbour and narrow streets. Reward yourself with fresh fish and chips and a refreshing drink before exploring the town’s craft workshops and galleries.
If you’re staying at CLC Trenython Manor, or want to return close to your starting point, you could catch the ferry back to Fowey. The ferry runs from mid-April to the end of September and if you’re lucky, you’ll be escorted by dolphins!
Details of the following legs, from Mevagissey to The Lizard can be found on the South West Coast Path website.
Mevagissey to Portloe
Portloe to Falmouth
Falmouth to Helford
Helford to Coverack
Coverack to The Lizard
For more information on Cornwall, take a look at CLC World’s Guide to Cornwall. For walking holidays along Cornwall’s coastal path, why not choose CLC Trenython Manor as your base?