Hidden Coves, Fishing Villages, and hiking the cornish coast
Hiking in Cornwall
Overview
Set on the western edge of Great Britain, Cornwall is a legendary cultural haven surrounded by the sea and imbued with tales of mermaids, pixies, and ghostly galleons. We'll hike the most spectacular sections of the Cornish Coastal Path on this adventure, with overnights in three of Cornwall's atmospheric coastal villages: the fishing port of Padstow, the market town of Penzance, and Fowey, with its smugglers' pubs. We'll ramble along towering cliffs and sandy beaches, explore fascinating sites including Tintagel, mythical home of King Arthur and his knights, and soak up local lore. Our adventure also takes full advantage of the flourishing dining scene, including a meal at Rick Stein's acclaimed The Seafood Restaurant—expect delightful fresh seafood with a Cornish twist.
Arrive: Bodmin, England
Depart: Bodmin, England
Highlights
- Hike the most spectacular coasts of Cornwall, including the renowned headlands of Land's End
- Explore fishing villages, including Port Isaac, where BBC's popular Doc Martin was filmed
- Dine at the restaurant of celebrated chef Rick Stein
- Learn about Cornwall's Celtic heritage and legends of King Arthur
- Three- or four-night stay at each hotel—less packing and unpacking!
Itinerary
In lovely Padstow, we hike from the medieval harbor town of Boscastle to the cliffside ruins of Tintagel Castle, linked with King Arthur, and from the sands of Constantine Bay past the lighthouse at Trevose Head. We visit the whitewashed “higgledy-piggledy” cottages of Port Isaac, a fishing village since the 14th century, and dine at The Seafood Restaurant of chef Rick Stein. His restaurant specializes in the very freshest local fish and shellfish, often landed right on the restaurant's doorstep.
From the horseshoe-shaped bay of Porthcothan, we walk on high sea cliffs to the impressive volcanic sea stacks called the Bedruthan Steps, then visit the delightful town of St. Ives, a haunt of artists for hundreds of years. One of our walks is on a spectacular coastal path to famed Land's End, where much of BBC's Poldark series was filmed, and we'll hike to the tiny fishing cove of Porthgwarra for a picnic on the beach.
We explore the 19th century Lost Gardens of Heligan, with its collections from the Victorian plant hunters, and hike between the fishing village of Polperro and Polruan, an ancient boatbuilding community on a hill surrounded by the sea. Another walk circles Menabilly, Daphne du Maurier's estate, reimagined as Manderley in her haunting novel Rebecca. Our last hike is along The Saints Way, a long-distance footpath marked with Celtic crosses, a legacy of the early Christian pilgrims. Depart on Day 11 via Bodmin.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated Level 3+, Moderate to Strenuous, according to our trip grading system. You will need to be comfortable hiking 10 miles a day and being on your feet for up to 6 hours a day. With the exception of one day, you will need to be able to keep up with the moderate but steady pace of the group as there are no alternative hiking options available. Trail conditions, weather, and the group's level of fitness can affect hiking times and pacing.
Average Hiking Day
Review Trip Level Details
Average Hiking Day
- 6-7 miles
- 4-5 hours
- 700 feet gain/loss
- Day 3: 10.5 miles, 6.5 hours, and 700 feet gain/loss
The trails range from easy clifftop paths that are flat and grassy to narrow, uneven, and rocky tracks with short, steep sections that often include steps. On one hike, there is a brief section where you will need to use your hands to scramble over rocks and boulders. Some of the coastal paths can be slippery, sandy, and uneven, especially if it rains. We do not see significant elevation gain and loss on most hikes (usually a maximum of 700 feet gain/loss).
Due to the Gulf Stream and its westerly location, Cornwall typically has a very moderate climate. However, conditions can quickly shift from idyllic to windy and stormy. Since there is not much shelter on coastal paths, warm raingear is necessary to carry with you on every hike.
We spend multiple nights at a few different properties, including a chic country-style inn and seaside hotels with English charm and comfortable rooms. Since they are often in historic buildings, the rooms are not always of uniform or international size. Our leaders do their best to assign rooms in a fair way so that all participants experience an equal advantage throughout the trip as a whole. Please note that most accommodations in Cornwall do not have elevators. Single rooms can be requested but are not always available, due to the limited space in the hotels. If you prefer a single room, please make your request as early as possible.
Lunches are most often taken picnic-style during one of our hikes, with a couple of meals taken at local pubs and restaurants. Dinners are at local restaurants with a few evenings of fine dining. The menus are varied, and there is an emphasis on locally caught fish. We visit a couple of restaurants that are owned by the internationally respected chef Rick Stein.
Our van will transport the group's luggage, so you only need to carry a daypack for items you need for the day (rain gear, sweater, camera, water bottle, etc.). Trip members are always free to skip a day's hike and travel to the next destination in the support vehicle (or spend the day in town).
Client Testimonials
"What an incredible way to see an interesting part of the world. I think this trip is a star of the Wilderness Travel line up."
Alison B.
Oakland, CA
"One of our best trips—wonderful guides, good group, and amazing country."
Dickie A.
Fernandina Beach, FL
"It was delightful, and we especially enjoyed the six cultural experiences as a nice addition to the walking."
Jack H.
Cockeysville, MD
"This trip was AWESOME! Beautiful hikes, gorgeous scenery, amazing seaside towns, great cuisine, fabulous lodging (esp. in Padstow), very well crafted itinerary, with an epic lead guide in Richard Bell, whose local knowledge and personal touches were all over everything. Everybody LOVED having 3 nights in each location. The pace was perfect."
Kate F.
Santa Monica, CA
"The trip and the rest of the group were fantastic. Our guides Richard and Karen make a wonderful team, providing humor, knowledge of history and folklore, fauna, and just happy company. This was my first Wilderness Travel trip and I would highly recommend this outfit to anyone. Thank you for all the help in getting me there with the flurry of emails asking many questions. My office contact Brandi was excellent in all areas, and in her follow thru."
Katharine R.
South Dartmouth, MA
"The itinerary was near perfection. The hikes, the scenery, and the food were all sublime. All three of the hotels were superb too."
Larry S.
Boise, ID
"This was just the right combination of hiking, cultural, and historic experiences and foodie delights. Staying three nights in every hotel makes the trip far more relaxed (no constant packing and unpacking) than most itineraries."
Malcolm S.
Corona, CA
"A great trip—interesting and varied hiking plus good food, real cultural activities, and good hotels. A plus that we stayed three nights in each hotel so packing and unpacking were minimized."
Mark S.
Boulder, CO
"The trip was outstanding. We had a LOT of hiking combined with cultural experiences to really give us a good appreciation of Cornwall today and its history. The parts of the South West Coast Path that we hiked were stunning. We LOVED the guided tours of Tintagel, the Levant tin mine, and the Lost Gardens of Heligan, along with our evening performance at the Minack Theater. We particularly liked staying in one hotel for three nights before moving on."
Nancy P.
Newton Upper Falls, MA
"Loved this trip! It was the perfect combination of excellent/friendly guides, hiking, scenery, regional food, and cultural sights."
Nancy T.
Huson, MT
"This was the trip of a lifetime for me. I loved walking along the cliffs—I can't even name a favorite day or event because I loved it all."
Pamela B.
Chicago, IL
"This was a well designed and organized trip with super-great trip leaders and beautiful scenic coastal trails."
Ron K.
St Simons Island, GA
"This was a wonderful trip! The countryside was magnificent, the walks well planned, and things ran smoothly. Richard's passion for good food made meals a special treat, and Karen's encyclopedic knowledge of plants and history added to each walk. This was my first Wilderness Travel walk. I loved it and will be back."
Ruth D.
New York, NY
"The overall experience was once in a lifetime and some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen!"
Sally W.
Atlanta, GA
"A phenomenal trip! And we liked being in the hotels for 3, 4, and 3 nights each. That was an added bonus! It was very smooth and a very nice blend of walks and cultural."
Terri L.
Westminster, CO
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult—see descriptions below for explanations of each number. A plus (+) sign means the trip is a bit more strenuous than other trips of that level. The detailed explanation of each trip—below the bar with the number rating—is perhaps more important, specifying activities, altitudes, hiking, and travel conditions. The Detailed Itinerary, available by download or mail, gives further information. Our Area Managers can also answer questions and guide you to the trip that best suits your interests.
Level 1 – Easiest
Non-camping journeys, optional walks, little elevation gain or loss.
Level 2 – Easy to Moderate
Hotel nights and/or safari-style camping, hikes of two to four hours on some days. Other physical activities are sometimes included, such as optional sea kayaking.
Level 3 – Moderate
Half- to full-day hikes (3-6 hours) over rolling countryside on most days, occasional steep trails. Many of our hotel-based walking tours are in this category, as are our snorkeling adventures.
- Tuscany & the Cinque Terre
- Argentina: Hikes and Estancias of Patagonia
- Palau Snorkeling & Sea Kayaking
- Some trips with minimal hiking but rugged travel conditions or long drives, such as Tribal Ghana, Togo & Benin, are Trip Level 3.
Level 4 – Moderate to Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-6 hours), mountainous terrain, significant elevation gains and losses (hiking up or down as much as 3,000 feet) on many days. Altitudes no greater than about 10,000 feet.
Level 5 – Strenuous
Full-day hikes (4-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Trips with hiking at average altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet are in this category.
Level 6 – Very Strenuous
Full-day hikes (5-8 hours), mountainous, steep terrain (hiking up or down as much as 3,500 feet) on many days. Most hikes take place at altitudes above 10,000 feet, with some days ascending as high as 18,000 feet.