Part of section 27 in the SWCPA handbook
10.4km along the coast and 3.3km inland and 8.4km by bus
When we stayed in Cornwall in June we missed out on this section partly because we though that the whole section from Pendeen Watch to St Ives was too long. So, we decided to stay again at Trevalgan Campsite. In the early summer this was not busy, but in September it was even quieter, but still a very friendly and well-run site.
We walked along the lane to the main road to catch the “Lands End Breezer” bus, which runs throughout the year, though less frequently during the autumn and winter. The bus was full, so we were unable to get to the open top deck for the hour’s journey. We had to stop frequently to encourage the drivers of oncoming cars to reverse out of the way of the bus. It is surprising how drivers of large expensive cars often seem unable to reverse them.
It is an easy downhill walk from the edge of Pendeen village back to the lighthouse. We passed the small campsite where we had stayed in June and it was empty, perhaps because it was exposed to the North West wind.
Passing the lighthouse and some rather unfriendly signs about private land, we found the path over the next headland and then down to Portheras Beach. There were some steps down to the beach, but the last few has collapsed and we had to scramble over rocks to reach the sandy beach, with a little stream.
In the autumn sunshine the sea, though a little rough, was crystal clear and the colours were as good as anywhere in the Mediterranean. So we had a quick swim in the cool waves and coffee on the beach.
The climb from the beach soon warmed us up again. The next part of the walk is a classic coastal path, with views down to rocks and steep cliffs on the left and the occasional steep decent and assent to a stream.
The distinctive Gurnard Head can be seen for most of the time and towards the end looks as if it is just over the next hill, but when you get there, there is another dip. It is quite a steep, but easy walk from the Coastal Path up to the Gurnard Head Hotel. Here we had a friendly reception and a drink in the garden before catching the bus from just outside the front of the hotel back to the campsite, and this time we got the view from the top open deck.
