Walk - Hayle to St Ives

Highlights

• The birds of Hayle Estuary including curlews and oystercatchers. Winter is the season to see the most birds, in fact as many as 18,000 birds have been recorded here in the cold season.
• Hayle’s mining and rail heritage. Little remains of the Carnsew foundry of Harvey & Co near the railway viaduct in the town centre, yet at one time it was a thriving business exporting Cornish beam engines and other mining equipment all over the world. You can find out more information from the town library and Tourist Information Centre in Commercial Road.
• The RSPB hide at Ryan’s Field, open to visitors and containing information and identification charts.
• St Uny’s Church, Lelant, with its ancient Cornish crosses. It is believed that the churchyard is built on the site of a Roman fort. This is the starting point of St Michael’s Way.
• The views of the dunes and out to Godrevy from above Porth Kidney Sands. This beach is often deserted due to lack of parking facilities.
• The large, sheltered sandy beaches of Carbis Bay, which are perfect for picnics.
• Exploring all that St Ives has to offer, including a wealth of art and crafts, fantastic cafes and restaurants and of course the beautiful beaches.

Shorter option

Carbis Bay (4.5 miles, 7 km).

Longer option

Zennor (7.2 miles, 11.2km) - but be aware that the section of path between St Ives and Zennor of path is quite rugged and you should allow at least 3 hours.

Public transport

The nearest train stations are Hayle & St Ives. For timetable information, zoom in on the interactive map and click on the train station and bus stop symbols, visit Traveline or phone 0871 200 22 33.

Parking

Hayle (Postcode for Sat Navs: TR27 4HQ), Lelant, Carbis Bay and St Ives.