If you love the outdoors, active vacationing, and finding unspoiled places that aren’t overrun with tourists, look no further than the southwest tip of England. The county of Cornwall is a low-key gem with breathtaking views, amazing people, and a great vibe. The Southwest Coastal Path covers the entire coastline but can be broken up into sections and hiked from town to town. Each section has its own flavor and topography. We hiked the portion from Mevagissey to Looe, which included a lot of quaint fishing villages along the way. We used a company called Encounter Walking Holidays to transport our luggage and arrange lodging. From start to finish, it was one of the most unique hiking experiences I’ve ever been on.
Getting to Cornwall isn’t easy, but that’s part of the journey. You will likely fly into London and then either take a train or fly to Newquay. We flew coming in and took the train back to Paddington Station in London since we were staying there after the hike.
The first two days were spent in Mevagissey before we headed out on the path. We rented a car and drove south through the winding countryside roads to St Mawes and stopped to tour the St Mawes Castle, a fort constructed by Henry VIII near Falmouth, between 1540 and 1542. After that we found Idle Rocks Hotel which had a perfect patio looking out into the harbor.
The hike we did was part of the Falmouth to Plymouth tour which in total is a 7-day hike, but since we were also going to London, Brugge, and Amsterdam we shortened it to five days and three hiking. We started in Mevagissey and hiked 8 miles the first day stopping in Charlestown for the night. Day two was a 10 mile section from Charleston to Fowey. Followed by a 12 miler from Fowey to Looe to finish. In all we hiked 35 miles through one of the most scenic settings I’ve ever been, got every type of weather condition, saw tons of wildlife, waterfalls, beaches, castles, cool little towns and villages, and met some extremely friendly people.
7-Day Hike from Falmouth to Plymouth
Google Map of Mevagissey to Looe
Here is a list of restaurants/pubs we stopped at along the way:
Mevagissey Bay Hotel – Mevagissey
The Fountain Inn – Mevagissey
The Idle Rocks Hotel – St Mawes
The Stable Restaurant – Fistral Beach
Sharksfin – Mevagissey
Pier House Hotel – Charlestown
The Hungry Sailor – Polkerris
Havener’s – Fowey
The Ship Inn – Fowey
The Blue Peter – Polperro
Trawlers on the Quay – Looe
Want more? Head on over to Carey’s post on Corks and Caftans.
Beautiful
Thank you Sarah!