Cornish Coast, England

INDEPENDENT WALKING HOLIDAYS

Cornwall's Dramatic Northern Coast

5 or 6 nights - From £590 (5 nights) - 4 or 5 days walking between guest houses

This independent walking holiday follows a dramatic and beautiful section of the South West Coastal Trail between Bude and Pastow in Cornwall, with a possible extension. The walking is varied and challenging with towering cliffs, prominent headlands and secluded bays and inlets harbouring well preserved small fishing ports and villages such as Port Isaac, Tintagel and Boscastle.

South Cornwall Coast: Historic Ports & Fishing Villages

8 nights - From £920 - 7 days walking between guest houses

This self-guided walking holiday along the final stretch of the Cornish Coastal Path, has high cliff top views, picturesque fishing villages, beautiful estuaries and sandy beaches aplenty to enjoy on route between the historic maritime centres of Falmouth and Plymouth. Although there's plenty to see along the route, this is one of the more quieter sections of the South West Coast Path as well as being one of the more gentle.

Cornwall, England

North Cornwall's Atlantic coast is a dramatic and beautiful section of the south west peninsula of England. The rugged and sheer cliffs, as well as the picturesque fishing villages makes this one of the most enjoyable sections of the South West coastal path. Our self guided walking holiday 'Cornwall's Dramatic Northern Coast' follows a particularly interesting and challenging section between Bude and Padstow, with a possible extension.

The walking on this independent holiday is varied, each day enjoying new experiences from beautiful sandy bays to secluded inlets harbouring quaint villages and from exposed rocky headlands to sand dunes and the wide Camel Estuary. Our UK independent walking holiday starts at the bustling seaside resort of Bude before embarking on a journey through wild coastal scenery. Highlights of your walking holiday include some towering sheer cliffs including High Cliff, which at 223m is the highest coastal cliff in Cornwall; a number of well-preserved small fishing ports and villages, such as Port Isaac and Boscastle, located in secluded bays of sinuous inlets, away from the fury of the Atlantic ocean. Their white-washed cottages with slate roofs, line attractive, twisty lanes climbing the narrow coves, making for an idyllic scene. Either side of the attractive and busy medieval Cornish fishing port of Padstow on the Camel Estuary is a series of dramatic headlands which provide great views along the coast. Some of these sites such as the Rumps are the sites of Iron Age forts and other historic monuments.

If you choose the holiday option with five walking days you can decide whether to catch a bus to the bustling surf capital of Newquay or return to Padstow for your final night's accommodation. This walking holiday in Cornwall can be enjoyed out of season thanks to the mild Cornish climate, when the tourists have disappeared and you can enjoy the beautiful villages and sites by yourselves.

Our South Cornwall Coast self-guided walking holiday provides an interesting and varied experience which includes witnessing the beautiful estuaries as you cross them by ferries (4 in total.) The cliff top path passes gorse-covered granite headlands and through wooded valleys and along rocky coves. In between you will discover tiny fishing villages, bustling harbours and sleepy hamlets, such as St Mawes with its castle, the unspoilt Portloe, the georgian port of Charlestown, sometimes the location of a tall ship or two, and the busy old port of Mevagissey with its narrow streets, once the haunt of many a Cornish smuggler. You can understand why this part of the coast has featured in films and TV as well as inspiring writers such as Daphne Du Maurier. From Mevagissey it is possible to take an inland diversion to visit the Lost Gardens of Heligan, one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK. Fowey, where you will take one of your ferry crossings, is a beautiful harbour town with many medieval and georgian buildings. What follows is a steep climb up to Pencarrow Head and one of the toughest sections of the walk, but you are rewarded with delightful views, on a clear day you can see as far as Lizard Point. The profusion of gift shops does not spoil the old Cornish fishing village of Polperro whose narrow streets are free of cars making Polperro an ideal place to explore on foot. Further on you will reach the town of Looe which prides itself on its fresh fish; it is still a working fishing port. Here as well as many places along this stretch of the coast there is a delightful sandy beach.

On Day 7 you will reach Portwrinkle, a wonderful spot on this section of the route, especially for birdwatchers. There are plenty of other places on the coast path that are excellent for birdwatching including St Anthony Head on Day 1 of your holiday. The walk along the top of Whitsands Bay beach then offers stunning views. Your holiday ends in a country park and a ferry journey across the Tamar to Plymouth. Additional nights can be booked in Falmouth and Plymouth to allow time to explore these important maritime centres.

Follow High Point Holidays's board Cornish Coast on Pinterest. 

Take a look at more details of our self guided walking holidays in Cornwall, England: North Cornwall's Dramatic Coast - South Cornwall Coast: Historic Ports & Fishing Villages

Take a look at the full list of locations of our walking holidays in England and our list of Coastal trail walking holidays in Europe