The Cornwall Coast Walking Tour

Itinerary at a glance

A short ride from the Penzance train station, we settle into St. Ives (2 nights), a beautiful Cornish village. From Porth Gwarra, we’ll take the quintessential coast walk, surrounded by banks of golden gorse, azure water, orange cliffs and wide skies. There’s time for shopping and, in season, a performance at the Minack amphitheater carved into the rock.

Depending on the tides, we ferry or walk to the former Benedictine monastery on St. Michael’s Mount. After a pub lunch, we visit a friend who operates the local seal sanctuary, then pay an afternoon visit to the Victorian cathedral in Truro. Fowey (pronounced Foy and our home for 2 nights) is in the heart of Daphne du Maurier country. It's also the site of a vineyard where friends invite us for a tasting.

On to Padstow Harbour (2 nights), we meet up with a National Trust guide who escorts us into the dramatic landscape above Bedruthan Steps. We’ll also ferry to the village of Rock for lunch with a potter. And no Cornish visit is complete without an exploration of Tintagel Castle. Whether you believe the Arthurian legends or not, there’s no denying the haunting beauty of this place. On our last morning, we wander the gardens of Lanhydrock House before catching a train from Bodmin back to London.