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Walking holidays in Magical Cornwall

Breathtaking Celtic Coastal scenery, tiny Fishing villages, Smugglers haunts, Pirate Coves, Subtropical Gardens

Cornwall is a designated ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’. It’s mild climate permits palm trees to flourish, and Cornwall is the home of some of England's finest gardens ,and on your walking holiday there is the opportunity to spend time exploring the Lost gardens of Heligan and Trebah

For romantics, Cornwall historically has a long tradition of smugglers, shipwrecks, and pirates. and we will see hidden coves where smuggled goods were rowed ashore and buried , and walk along secret inlets once the hiding pirates and their galleons .

Because of its unique beauty the Cornish landscape has has been the home and inspiration for many literary figures including Virginia Woolf, DH Lawrence, Dylan Thomas, John Le Carré, and of course, the novels of Daphne du Maurier and Rosalind Pilcher.

We stay in high standard character hotels in two contrasting locations. Our first is a small, charming village that has been described as “ the living reality of a Cornish fishing village unchanged by the passing of time”. Our hotel, a unique 17th century inn at the water's edge, was the haunt of local smugglers for many years; one of the hotel's very own landlords, , was hanged for smuggling; the second part is spent in the beautiful little seaside resort of St. Ives, with its historic narrow streets and separating its famous Artists quarters and fishing quarters, leading to two glorious beaches and the colourful harbour.

Each day we walk to a different location, stopping for lunch in character pubs trying local food and (not too much) local ales, or sometimes for lunch along the trail enjoying local Cornish Pasties.

6 nights / 5 days Grade : Moderate Itinerary Day 1 If arriving by train, collection from main Railway station, and transfer to our hotel

Day 2
We take our first steps along the English Channel side of Cornwall following the South West Coast Path. through striking scenery overlooking Mevagissey and Verynan bay. We walk on to Caerhays Castle designed by John Nash and continue along the dramatic coastline to the unspoilt little fishing village of Portloe. The remainder of the day you explore the magnificient Lost Gardens of Heligan at your own pace

Day 3
From the charming Cornish harbour village of Porthscatho we set out on one of the finest day's walks in Cornwall. We enjoy Aegean-like coastal scenery and colours walking around one of Cornwall's most beautiful peninsulas. A small open boat ferries us over to St. Mawes a remote picturesque little yachting harbour, for lunch. After exploring St Mawes and it's cloverleaf castle built 1542 for Henry VIII in, we cross back , through trails along hidden creeks and woodland glades, returning early evening to our hotel

Day 4
We begin our walk following Frenchman's Creek made famous by Daphne du Maurier and along hidden tree shrouded muddy creeks once the lair of pirates and imagining the skull and crossboned galleons lurking out to prey on the high seas. By contrast we stroll along the beautiful spring and summer flower banks of the Helford River stopping for a fresh seafood lunch at a riverside pub. If time permits we follow the coastal path to the impressive Trebah gardens before driving on to your hotel in beautiful harbour town of St Ives

Day 5
We change to the Atlantic side of Cornwall where land, sea and sky all seem to merge on these rugged paths. Our walk takes us first inland through large scattered boulders of this ancient Cornish landscape, and the remains of Celtic settlements and standing stones of early Ancient Britons who made Cornwall their kingdom for such a long period. Reaching the dramatic coastline again, to the sight and sound of crashing waves of the Atlantic below, we walk the rugged invigorating cliff path to the unusual ancient little village of Zennor. There is the option to-day of meandering through the charming little alley ways of St Ives to explore it's artistic culture many galleries lining it's tiny streets for which it is famous, visit the New Tate Gallery, the Barbara Hepworth museum, home of the work of one of Britain's greatest 20 Century sculptors. Or simply relax on one of St. Ives' two superb sandy beaches with their magical qualities of light

Day 6
On our last day we drive to the most westerly point of England where we walk along magical coastal scenery contouring around Land's End, Britain's most westerly point, where the sea has scooped out deep copper coloured sea caverns , sculptured amazing sea arches and blanketed hidden golden coves with broad, white sandy beaches. We take a short drive to Marazion from where we walk or take the open boat across to the rocky outcrop crowned by the mystical abbey, St. Michael's Mount. This old abbey, now a manor house, was linked to Mont St. Michel in Brittany and has an ageless appeal. The week ends with farewell drinks and dinner at an acclaimed beach side restaurant specialising in superb Cornish local fish menu

Day 7
Departure from railway station, after a morning walking around St Ives, if not already explored, and visiting the Tate www.tate.org.uk/stives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

Price of holiday; 6 nights / 5 days

£1595.00 per person (sharing twin/double room)
£1685.00 per person (single occupancy of a double room)

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