Walk - St Ives to Pendeen

13.7 miles (22.0 km)

St Ives Pendeen

Challenging - Severe. This is one of the toughest sections of the entire Path, due to the rocky and sometimes boggy ground, and so progress is slower than you may anticipate - but the views make up for it.

A fairly gentle walk out of St Ives to Clodgy Point soon becomes a strenuous journey of roller coaster climbs as the Coast Path plunges down towering cliffs into beautiful coves and back up again. This is a particularly difficult section and there is a real feeling of remoteness here, unlike any other part of the Coast Path.

The landscape is beautifully wild and rugged and the area around the parish of Zennor is designated both an Environmentally Sensitive Area and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The path can be narrow and rough in places and all amenities require inland detours, so it is advisable to allow plenty of time and stock up on provisions at the beginning of the day.

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There are a range of wonderful places to lay your head near the Coast Path for a well-earned sleep. From large and luxurious hotels, to small and personable B&B's, as well as self-catering options and campsites. The businesses that support the Path, where you've chosen to visit, are listed here.

Boswednack Manor B&B

01736 794183

Quiet B&B west of Zennor. May -.Sept. Lovely views from all rooms. Self-catering cottage weekly lets all year. Leave a message on our landline and email.

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The Gurnard's Head

01736 796928

With the South West Coast Path just a 5-minute walk from the back door, the 7-bedroom Gurnard’s Head hotel offers "the simple things in life done well".

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Trevalgan Touring Park

01736 791892

Located just 2 miles from St Ives town centre, in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with a wonderful peaceful atmosphere. Ideally situated to explore the delights of the West Cornwall peninsula.

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Cohort St Ives

01736 791664

Educational Residential Trip Centre. Open to the public over Easter School Holidays and Summer School Holidays. Family rooms. Dorm rooms. Private rooms. Great facilities.

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You'll be spoilt for choice for where to eat and drink along the Path. With lots of local seasonal food on offer, fresh from the farm, field and waters. Try our local ales, ciders, wines and spirits, increasing in variety by the year, as you sit in a cosy pub, fine dining restaurant or chilled café on the beach. The businesses that support the Path, where you've chosen to visit, are listed here.

Lifeboat Inn

01736 794123

Warm rooms & apartments with free Wi-Fi in a down-to-earth pub featuring harbour views.

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Flapjackery St Ives

01736 447450

Stop off and treat yourself or stock up for your trip along the Path with these delicious, award winning, gluten free flapjacks in a variety of flavours. 10% off when you show your SWCP Passport.

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Count House Cafe

01736788864

The Count House Cafe at Geevor Tin Mine and Botallack Count House

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What is on your list of things to do when you visit the Path? From walking companies, to help you tailor your visit, with itineraries and experts to enhance your visit, to baggage transfer companies and visitor attractions there are lots to people and places to help you decide what you'd like to do. The businesses that support the Path, where you've chosen to visit, are listed here.

Royal Buses

07903 700120

Local Bus Operator offering Day Trips throughout Cornwall including from 29th October 2024 a South West Coast Path walk every Sunday.

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Western Discoveries Walking Holidays

01736 362763

Unbeatable walking holidays in Cornwall provided by the local experts

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Highlights

Seal spotting from Mussel Point and watching the Atlantic crashing against the offshore Carrack Rocks.

Crossing the stream and looking at the rugged cliffs and giant fingers of granite above Wicca Pool.

Fantastic views from Zennor Head to Pendour Cove below. You may be able to see dolphins from here. The field systems in this area date from the Bronze Age and are still farmed sensitively so as to enhance wildlife and protect historic features.

Pendour Cove, with views beyond to Gurnard’s Head. This cove is also known as Mermaid’s Cove and legend has it that if you sit above the cove at twilight on a summer’s evening you may hear the singing of a man who fell in love with a mermaid and followed her out to sea.

Standing on the windswept rocky headland of Gurnard’s Head. There are remains of an ancient settlement and cliff castle here.

Bosigran Castle: the site of an Iron Age cliff fort. This rocky area is very popular with climbers.

Portheras Cove: there are often seals spotted around this secluded, sandy cove. Although incredibly beautiful and fairly unpopulated, please note that it is inadvisable to swim from this beach, or to walk on it barefoot, due to the possibility that there may still be metal fragments left from the dynamited wreck the Alacrity which ran aground in 1963.

Pendeen Lighthouse opened in 1900 to aid ships along what is said to be one of the most dangerous stretches of coast in Britain. Part of the lighthouse can be rented as holiday accommodation through Trinity House and Rural Retreats.

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