Unterkunft
Walking holidays in Cornwall on the South West Coast Path: St Ives to Penzance
A challenging walk tour on the South West Coast Path around the rugged western end of Cornwall with the daily distances kept short as this is a hilly walk.
Starting in St Ives which is a captivating little town with steep, winding streets lined with fishermen’s and miner’s cottages, narrow cobbled alleyways, hidden corners and a picturesque harbour. Artists have been drawn to St Ives since Turner visited in 1511. By the beginning of the 20th Century it had a vibrant artist’s colony. St Ives Tate Gallery is the showcase for this famous School of Art. The Cafe at Porthminster Beach is a great place to eat before setting off on your walking holiday.
From the harbour the path winds around St Ives Head past a little chapel dedicated to St Nicholas, Patron Saint of Seafarers. Headland follows cove as the path weaves it’s way above the sea to the picturesque little village of Zennor. The path continues around some beautiful little coves to Gunnard’s Head, topped by an Iron Age fort containing the remains of round houses, to the Geevor Tin Mine Heritage Centre which has an interesting museum and offers tours of the mine.
From Pendeen Watch the path follows the cliff top past a series of evocative ruins of the lead and tin mines and passes through the grounds of Levant Mine with its beautifully restored beam engine and engine house. Soon after the path passes the Crowns Mine at Botallack perched on the rocks above the sea. After Cape Cornwall, which provides magnificent views, the path continues past the village of St Just, to the golden sands of Whitesand Bay and the attractive little fishing port of Sennen Cove.
From Sennen there’s an exhilarating walking past the hamlets of Porthgwarra and St Leven ends at the spectacularly located open-air Minack Theatre perched on the edge of the cliffs overlooking Porthcurno Bay. From the theatre steep steps lead down to the beach and the village. Porthcurno Bay is one of the most beautiful coves in Cornwall – golden sands backed by rugged cliffs face a wonderful bay where the sea varies in colour from deep purple to jade green and mediterranean blue.
The walk continues past Lamorna village and its Cove on to Newlyn, which was the centre of a community of artists in the late 19th Century, to the old port of Penzance.
This walk is graded hard and is 64m in total with 6 days of walking.
| Day 1 | Travel to St Ives | |
| Day 2 | St Ives to Zennor | 11 km |
| Day 3 | Zennor to Pendeen | 11 km |
| Day 4 | Pendeen Watch to Sennen Cove | 14.5 km |
| Day 5 | Sennen Cove to Porthcurno | 9.5 km |
| Day 6 | Porthcurno to Penzance | 18.5 km |
| Day 7 | Depart Penzance |
Tags: Cornwall