Cornwall rewards a slow drive. The A30 gets you there quickly, but the good bits — folded coves, granite harbour walls, tea rooms that smell of warm scones — hide at the end of narrow lanes. Five days is enough to loop from the north coast to the far west and back along the south, with a proper walk most days and at least one cream tea that earns its place. This route assumes you're driving and staying in two bases rather than packing the car every morning.
Day 1: Padstow, the Camel Estuary and an easy first walk
Start in Padstow. Park in the main town car park on the hill above the harbour; it fills by mid-morning in summer, and the walk down is steep enough that you'll be glad not to be dragging a suitcase. From the harbour, the South West Coast Path runs west past Hawker's Cove to Trevone — roughly four miles each way, gentle underfoot, with a sandy beach and a café at the far end. If you want something shorter, Hawker's Cove and back takes about an hour.
The Black Tor ferry crosses to Rock, worth it if you fancy a flat stroll on the opposite bank. In the afternoon, drive to Harlyn Bay, which has a large car park, a lifeguarded beach in summer and space for a proper leg-stretch after the journey.
If Padstow's tea rooms are queuing out of the door — and in August they will be — drive ten minutes to St Merryn or Trevose and find a quieter table.
Day 2: The north coast road to St Ives
Take the A39 and then the B3276 south-west. First stop, Bedruthan Steps: the National Trust car park sits right on the cliff, and the views over the sea stacks are the reason to come. The staircase down to the sand has been closed for safety in recent years, so don't build your day around reaching the beach — check the latest before you go.
Carry on through Watergate Bay and Holywell Bay. Godrevy is the next proper stop: park at the National Trust car park and walk out to the headland, where the lighthouse sits above a beach that runs for miles. Grey seals haul out on the rocks below in winter.
For St Ives itself, don't drive into the centre. Park at St Erth and take the St Ives Bay Line; the train runs along the dunes and the estuary and drops you beside Porthminster Beach. It is one of the best-value parts of the whole trip, and it saves an argument about parking.
Day 3: Land's End, Porthcurno and the Minack
Head west on the A3071 through St Just. Land's End is a commercial affair with a charge for the main car park; the coast path is the better experience. Walk from Land's End to Sennen Cove — about a mile and a half of clifftop, with a lifeboat station and a beach at the end — and you'll see why people bother.
Then Porthcurno. The Minack Theatre is carved into the granite above the beach. If you can get tickets for an evening performance, take them; daytime visits are possible too, but check opening times, as they shift with the performance schedule. Porthcurno beach is beautiful, and the walk east towards Logan Rock is short and steep.
On the way back, stop at Mousehole for a wander round the harbour and Newlyn for fish. Both are small; both are worth an hour.
Day 4: The Lizard Peninsula
Drive south through Helston and keep going until the road runs out. Kynance Cove is the postcard: National Trust car park, then a fifteen-minute walk down. Arrive before ten in summer or you'll be parking on the verge with everyone else. The tide matters here — at high water the beach shrinks to almost nothing.
From Kynance, carry on to Lizard Point, the most southerly point of the British mainland, with a lighthouse, a café and a coast path running in both directions. Then pick a village for the afternoon:
- Cadgwith — a working cove with thatched cottages, a pub and boats pulled up on the beach.
- Coverack — a proper harbour wall to sit on, plus a decent walk north along the cliffs.
- Mullion Cove — a small enclosed harbour below the cliffs, reached by a steep lane with parking at the top.
In Cornwall the cream goes on last: jam first, then a generous spoon of clotted cream. Order it the other way round and somebody will mention it.
Day 5: Fowey, St Mawes and the road home
Work east along the south coast. Two options, depending on how much time you have.
The King Harry Ferry crosses the Fal between Philleigh and Feock and cuts out a long detour if you're heading for St Mawes. It takes cars, it runs frequently, and the crossing is short. From St Mawes, the castle and the walk out to St Anthony Head are both easy going.
Fowey is the better choice if you're heading home via the A38. Park in the main car park at the top of the town and walk down — the streets are narrow and one-way. From the quay, take the Bodinnick ferry across and walk the Hall Walk, a loop of a couple of hours with views back over the harbour. Finish with tea and a last look at the boats.
Parking, tides and driving the lanes
- Park early. In July and August, coastal car parks fill between 9am and 10am. If a walk starts at a popular cove, be there before nine.
- Use the branch lines. St Erth for St Ives and the Truro to Falmouth line both beat hunting for a space.
- National Trust membership covers parking at Bedruthan, Godrevy, Kynance and plenty of others, and often pays for itself over a week.
- Learn the lanes. Many Cornish roads are single track with passing places. Pull in, wave, and avoid reversing up a hill if you can. The 20mph limits through villages are there for a reason.
- Check the tides before any beach walk, particularly at Kynance, Porthcurno and anywhere you plan to walk into a cove. Tide tables are free online and posted at most harbour offices.
- Fill up in towns. Petrol stations get sparse west of Penzance and out on the Lizard.
Before you go
Two bases work better than five: two or three nights around Padstow or St Ives, then two or three on the south coast near Helston, Falmouth or Fowey. Book both well ahead for any half-term, and expect to pay more in St Ives than anywhere else on the route.
Late May, June and September are the sweet spots — the coast path is quieter, parking is easier and the light is just as good. Wherever you swim, choose a lifeguarded beach and read the flags; the Atlantic doesn't care how strong a swimmer you think you are. If you're planning anything on the water — kayaking, coasteering, a boat trip — use a qualified operator and check the weather on the day.
Keep a towel in the boot and leave room in the plan for the cove you didn't expect to stop at. That's usually the one you'll remember.
Photo: ugglemamma / Pixabay
