Coastwalk , South West Coast Path

Port Gaverne → Polzeath

Distance: 10.1 miles
Ascent: 747 metres
Duration: 5 hours 36 minutes

« Tintagel | Padstow »

For the second half of our week away we've moved to the north coast of Cornwall. Despite our late booking we've found a room in a National Trust house overlooking Port Quin. The house (centre-left of the photo) is at the halfway point of today's walk so we walked to Polzeath first, then caught the bus to Port Gaverne before walking back to Port Quin.

The outward part of the walk was easy: a quick tramp along relatively gently undulating clifftops. After a diversion by the Rumps headland which gave our room its name, the highlight was reaching Pentire Point which provides a spectacular view across Padstow Bay and the mouth of the Camel. From here Polzeath (and the bus to Port Gaverne) was a short walk downhill and across the beach.

Port Gaverne is just north of Port Isaac. We chose to start the inbound leg here because parking (for the next walk to the north) looked as if it would be easier here than in Port Isaac. The route between the two villages is along the road. Port Isaac itself is another classic Cornish village: narrow streets, tea rooms and shops full of chintz.

On the map, the walk from Port Isaac to Port Quin looked easier than from Port Quin to Polzeath. On the ground it's a very different story. The section between Varley Head and Kellan Head is a killer: a constant rollercoaster with no easy exit.

That said, being able to step directly off the coast path into our accommodation was bliss. This is definitely a walk I'd recommend to folk staying at Doyden House.