Portscatho to Carne Beach - 3.9 miles

OS Explorer 105: grid reference SW876357 to SW906383

Walk Duration 2 Hours  

Park your car above Porthcurnick Beach on the northern edge of Portscatho. Facing the sea walk to your left to the end of the car park. Locate and follow the wooden signpost marked 'Porthcurnick Beach'. Walk down the grassy path passing through two wooden gates. Pass through a third gate and take the steps down onto Porthcurnick Beach. Head across the beach towards a concrete ramp and continue onto a road. After a very short while bear right through a gate and pass the NT sign of Pednvadan.

Climb gradually away from the beach pausing to look back to Portscatho. Make for the small building ahead, actually a disused coastguard lookout. Have a look around for a few minutes before returning to the path and passing a bench seat and another NT omega sign. Pass through a gate and down the slate stile towards a small beach. Cross another three stiles before dropping down onto Porthbean Beach - grid reference SW882367. After just a few metres on the beach look left for a path climbing away from the beach. The path forks shortly so take the right hand path (the path left leads only to an hotel). Climb a few more steps and pass between high hedges. Ignore another inland path left and climb a wooden stile. Now about 45 minutes into your walk, cut diagonally down across a field to cross a small wooden footbridge. Climb to a field keeping right, crossing a double wooden stile on your way. Drop down as the path runs above another small beach. Keep straight on, crossing another footbridge and stile. Please take note of the signs here. Pass to the right of the small round hillock - this is actually an ancient barrow known as 'Round House'. Proceed around the small point of Creek Stephen Point, this area marked on OS maps as Curgurrel. Pass a three-way signpost next. It indicates left to Curgurrel [This inland footpath was closed at the time of writing due to the 'Foot and Mouth' restrictions], onwards to Pendower Beach (1 mile) and back to Porthcurnick Beach (1 mile). You should now have been walking for about 1 hour. Leave the field by the wooden stile and pass through a small wooded area as you enter the NT property of Treluggan Cliff. Continue along the path as it enters an area rich in bracken and at the time of writing [June 01] a profusion of foxgloves and pink campions.

Climb steadily towards the big white building ahead, the Pendower House Hotel. The path now narrows and may be a little overgrown as you continue along the low cliffs for about 15 minutes. As you meet the hotel grounds, follow the path as signed up and behind the hotel to a road. Bear right looking out for the small white coastpath sign. Drop down the road, through a car park to arrive at the pink-washed Pendower Beach House Hotel some 90 minutes after setting out. Take 10 minutes out here to look around Pendower Beach [can you find the ruined lime-kiln?] before returning to the hotel gates to pick up the footpath once again. grid reference SW900381. Follow the signed route over the metal footbridge and up the low dune towards Spires Point, the Nare Hotel and Carne. Meet the road and walk up it for about 35 metres before bearing right as signed to 'Carne 1/3 mile'. Climb another stile and walk along the grassy path with Nare Head filling your view. Where the path is closed beside the tennis courts look left and take the path inland. Climb the wooden steps above the croquet lawn and another stile as you pass behind the Nare Hotel. Meet the road and follow it down to the beach. Look ahead to see Nare Head and pick out the footpaths you will be using next time. You have now also walked the majority of Gerrans Bay. Our route can be followed in Bob Acton's excellent guidebook From the Roseland to St. Austell Bay: 18 Round Walks from Portscatho to Par

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