Cornwall - South West Coastal Path (St Ives to Penzance)

Hike in England along the South West Coastal Path

Welcome to England!
This delightful hike takes you around the south-west coast of Britain, a wild and beautiful coastline, with Land’s End and a multitude of small coves, vibrating with the sound of the waves, the eerie call of birds and barking seals. Here you’ll hike among cliff tops, cairns and unusual rocks mixed with lush greenery. With its dramatic and beautiful seascapes and stories of smugglers and wreckers, this area has been a favourite haunt of artists for many decades. Evenings and nights are spent in the small villages along the trail.

Highlights

  • Visit magical St Ives and the picture-postcard pretty village of Mousehole
  • Hike to Land's End, the most westerly point in England
  • All the picturesque coves and beaches

Quick facts

Travel duration: 8 days/ 7 nights
Travel period: 30/3 – 15/10
Grade:
Medium. Average 4-5 h/ 10-15 km/ 300-700 m per day. Day by day trip grading, see "program" on each trip.
3
Accommodations:
Trip type: Self guided walking holidays
Price example: From 1,240
Meals: Breakfast

Prices per person in EUR

This trip is available from 30/3 – 15/10, with any arrival date.

8 days/ 7 nights From 1,240 Book your trip

Period Double Room - shared bed Twin Room - separate beds SGL - Single Room
2026-03-30 2026-04-30 1,240 1,240 1,860
2026-05-01 2026-06-30 1,300 1,300 1,930
2026-07-01 2026-08-31 1,300 1,300 1,930
2026-09-01 2026-09-30 1,300 1,300 1,930
2026-10-01 2026-10-15 1,240 1,240 1,860
Book your trip

Prices quoted are per person and include:

  • Accommodation incl. breakfast
  • Luggage transport
  • Detailed roadbooks in English (information about the area, practical information and hiking descriptions day by day).
  • GPX files & mobile phone app for navigation
  • 24 h emergency phone in case of emergencies
  • Transport of your luggage every day

Not included:

  • Insurance
  • Flights to/from destination

Single room rates:

Single room rates apply when travelling in the company of others. If you are travelling on your own, in most cases there will be an extra charge due to more expensive luggage transport. Contact us for prices*

Optional extras

  • Book extra nights at any of the destinations you visit along your trek, contact us for pricing.
  • Airport transfers can be booked at extra cost.
  • Extra bag can be added at extra cost.

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival in St Ives

Welcome to St Ives!
A classic little English village with cobbled streets and cosy little alleys.
End the evening by enjoying the village’s delicious fish’n chips.

Day 2 Hike from St Ives to Zennor – 12 km

Start the day with a hearty breakfast, you’re in for a tough couple of days with some climbs, but luckily the days are quite short and the seascapes beautiful! You start the day by hiking around St Nicholas’s Chapel (patron saint of seafarers) and a hut that served as a lookout point from the cliffs. From here, the hike continues through a hilly area before arriving in Zennor, with its picturesque church, the small museum of Cornish life and the old pub “The Tinner’s Arms”.

12 km, +305m, -211m

Day 3 Hike from Zennor to Pendeen – 14 km

Today you return to the coastal path to make your way through several beautiful bays to Gurnard’s Head. Take the opportunity to visit the prehistoric fort site here before continuing the hike to Pendeen. There’s a really cool tin mine here that’s open from March to October for guided tours and at Pendeen Watch you can visit the lighthouse in the afternoon.

14km, +353m, -327m

Day 4 Hike from Pendeen to Sennen Cave – 14,5 km

The first part of today’s hike is relatively easy and follows the cliff tops around the old lead and tin mines. You’ll then pass the Levant Mine, which closed in 1919 after an accident there killed 31 miners. Next, you’ll hike past Crowns Mine, by the village of Botallack, before heading inland next to Cape Cornwall, once thought to be the most westerly point in England, until it was realised that it was actually Lands End. From here you hike past the small village of St Just, before finally reaching Sennan Cove, a pretty fishing and tourist harbour.

14.5 km, +235m, -350m

Day 5 Hike from Sennen Cave to Porthcurno – 10.5 km

Today’s hike is relatively short, to allow you to visit the sights of Land’s End, the most westerly point in England. This is a place with various ‘attractions’ including a theme park! The hike improves considerably as you pass the cosy little villages of Porthgwarra and St. Levan. Finally, you make your way down to the beach and the village of Porthcurno, which has a wonderful bay in a magnificent location.

10.5 km, +230m, -182m

Day 6 Hike from Porthcurno to Mousehole – 13.5 km

Today we follow the South West Path along the cliffs with a detour to Logan Rock, an 80 tonne rock, owned by the National Trust. This is followed by a more challenging hike towards Penberth Cove and Porthguaron. You will pass through Lamorna, with a famous illegal old pub ‘Lamorna Wink’. From here you continue around Penzer Point, with views of Mounts Bay and the island of St Michael’s Mount before finally reaching Mousehole. This is a small and pretty village, with a rich history and a small community of artists.

13.5km, +284m, -331m

Day 7 Hike from Mousehole to Penzance – 6 km

The hike from Mousehole to Newlyn is along a larger and busier road. However, you can choose to hike inland via the village of Paul, to see the monument dedicated to Dolly Pentreath, considered the last Cornish native speaker. From here you continue to Newlyn and on to Penzance. Here you will find several attractions including some Georgian dwellings, the sprawling Egyptian House, the Maritime-Museum and the National Lighthouse-Museum.

6 km, +42m, -46m

Day 8 Departure day

We at EverTrek hope you have had a great trip!
We hope to see you again.

Accommodations

During this trip you will stay in a mix of cosy Bed & Breakfasts, inns and smaller hotels. Accommodation including breakfast, some accommodations offers full English breakfast while some continental breakfast.
Please refer to your booking confirmation for names of accommodation.

8 days/ 7 nights

NightPlaceAccommodation
Night 1St IvesHotel/ B&B
Night 2ZennorHotel/ B&B
Night 3PendeenHotel/ B&B
Night 4Sennen CoveHotel/ B&B
Night 5PorthcurnoHotel/ B&B
Night 6MouseholeHotel/ B&B
Nights 7PenzanceHotel/ B&B

Route map

Getting to the destination

Plane

The nearest airport to fly to is London Airport (LHR).
You can also fly to Newquay Airport (NQY), although flights are limited.

Train

Train from London (Paddington) to St Ives, about 5 h 30 min.
Train from Newquay to St Ives, about 2 hours.

Bus

Bus from London (Victoria Coach Station) to St Ives, about 9 hours.
Bus from Newquay to St Ives, about 2 h 30 min.

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