All of section 26 in the SWCPA handbook
12.4km along the coast and 3.9km inland and 16.6km by train and bus
There is a bus which runs just from the Trevalgan campsite into the centre of St Ives, so we planed to catch it and then continue along the Coastal Path. However when we went to catch it we discovered that the timetable had changed to Winter times that morning and so we had just missed it! So we decided to walk – there is a very pleasant and fairly easy walk. Although it was now autumn, St Ives seemed crowed.
When we reached Porthminster Beach there was a Sandcastle building competition just starting. Run by RIBA (The Royal Institute of British Architects), there were separate categories for families and Architects. Unfortunately judging was later in the day and we were unable to see the final results.
On the map this section looks rather urban, but in fact to start it is a nice mixture of beaches and paths along low cliffs. It crossed the railway a few times before reaching the rather up-market resort of Carbis Bay, where the beachfront is dominated by a development but the beach itself is beautiful. So a quick swim, this time the sea was calm and again quite clear, and just a few other people swimming.
The Coastal path follows a steep road up to the station and then down again to the East end of the beach, and so it would be easier just to walk across the beach. The path ascents again and then is fairly enclosed with trees until we found a way down to Porth Kidney Sands, as the tide was out there is a huge expanse of sand so we walked on the beach before stopping for a picnic lunch.
Then on to Lelant where the path leaves the sand and passes the parish church and then the pretty, almost miniature Lelant Saltings station, where the St Earth to St Ives train stops only occasionally. Then there is a long stretch of road across the bridge across the Hayle estuary and into Hayle, where there are short sections along the edge of the estuary before reaching the centre of Hayle and the mainline train station.
We had an ice-cream whilst waiting for a train for the few minute journey to St Earth and then the classic train journey to St Ives and thence the bus back to Trevalgan.
