Downas Cove, Treleaver to Coverack - 3.2 miles

OS Explorer 103: grid reference SW764168 to SW782185

Walk Duration 2 Hours

Due to ease of parking and security this walk was done in reverse. Park your car at any of the car parks in Coverack, out of season it may be possible to park in front of the Paris Hotel. Walk around Dolor Point to pick up the coastpath signs just in front of the hotel. Climb the stone steps meeting the road once more before turning off left down through a leafy lane as signed. Bear left after passing a concrete bench

The headland directly ahead of you is Chynalls Point (pronounced Sh'nalls)- an ancient cliff fort - grid reference SW785174. If time allows why not take a brief excursion out onto the Point as it offers views up the South Cornwall coast as far as Nare Head and even Dodman Point. Rejoin the coastpath and climb away from the Point. Walk past an hotel following the track up the tarmac road until signed left again in front of a thatched cottage. Pass to the left of a large bungalow and continue on a narrow path. Cross the small stream by stepping stones - you should now be about half an hour into your walk. Cross a stile and continue on the relatively level path. After a few more minutes you should pass the NT marker showing the northern boundary of Chynalls Cliff. The pretty Porthbeer Cove lies below you. Cross a stile onto a footbridge some 10 minutes later. Shortly you pass twin NT markers as you leave Chynalls Cliff and begin to cross Black Head grid reference SW778164. The small building on the clifftop is a Coastwatch Lookout, you should now be just over an hour into your walk.

Continue westward along the dramatic and sometimes windswept cliffs at Treleaver passing inland of Pedn Boar before your route turns north-westerly. Cross a stile and pass the exit omega for the NT property of Black Head. The small wooden cross on your left.is a memorial to a helicopter crewman killed in a crash. Just after a meeting of paths cross a large footbridge and the NT marker for Beagles Point and continue on the level path looking below left to see quite a large sandy beach if it is low water. Drop down almost vertically at times now into the steep valley at Downas Cove. Use the grassy steps as you zig-zag your way down to the footbridge at the cove. Take care on the steps as several can be muddy even in dry weather. Explore the small beach here if you wish noting that the rocks and boulders are almost exclusively Serpentine. Decide at the valley floor if you wish to return to Coverack or press on towards Kennack Sands up the almost as steep western flank of the valley.

Previous walk: Kennack Sands to Downas Cove, Treleaver
Next walk: Coverack to Dean Quarry (St. Keverne)