Walking Trevellas Porth to Perranporth - 3.0 miles

OS Explorer Map 104: grid reference SW728518 to SW755546

Walk Duration: 75 minutes

Park your car at Trevellas Porth. A good guidebook for the area is the National Trail Guide: SW Coast Path - Padstow to Falmouth by John Macadam. The true coast path here is quite steep, although to ease your ascent slightly, steps have been cut into the cliff. There is an easier path, for those less able, leading from just in front of the Tin Streams area diagonally up the incline to the cliffs at Cross Coombe. Once the crest of the cliff has been reached the footpath begins to level out at Cross Coombe. Skirt the seaward side of Trevellas (Perranporth) Airfield and head along the well worn path northeast towards Cligga Head. The small island just to your left is called Green Island, the beach here known as Star Beach. The cliffs here are quite spectacular, some with gullies cutting almost into the path. Care is also needed as there are several capped mineshafts and criss-crossing tracks leading you away from the true footpath. Numerous acorn marker posts indicate the correct route. Shortly after passing a pillar the path widens into an area of mine waste; directly below you is Hanover Cove, the site of a shipwreck in the eighteenth century. About twenty minutes into your walk the red iron-stained cliffs at Cligga Head can be clearly seen. At their base lies contorted rock strata, near the top the cliff is pock-marked with old mine excavations. Continue north-eastwards climbing gently to the crest of Cligga Head almost 90m (270 feet) above the sea.

Now at the midway point of your walk, on top of Cligga Head, take a few moments out to look ahead. The welcome sight of Perran Sands unfold in a wide arc ahead of you (dependent on the state of the tide). The headlands of Shag Rock and Droskyn Point lie immediately ahead of you, with Ligger Point and Penhale Point in the distance at the far end of the beach. The large pyramid-shaped rock off Penhale Point is Carter's or Gull Rocks, this marks the western boundary of Holywell Bay. The path widens further and now enters an area dotted with old mine workings resembling a lunar landscape. Shortly some old mine buildings offer shelter or an opportunity for a quick picnic.

Signs of civilisation abound here, just to your right a minor road leads off down into Perrancoombe and Perranporth. Continue through the heather and gorse and up the slight climb above Shag Rock (80m). The path now beings to descend and gets gradually more grassy before it reaches Droskyn Point (63m). To your right the St. George's Hill area of Perranporth can be seen and shortly the footpath meets a tarmac road near the Droskyn Castle Holiday Centre and youth hostel.

Walk down Tywarnhale Road into the centre of Perranporth or keep seaward to explore the area around the Droskyn Sundial. This recent feature offers great views of Perranporth and across the beach to Ligger Point and Carter's Rocks off Holywell Bay. It has been well planned and is dotted with several seats for those requiring a rest or stopping to enjoy the views. A large car park at the bottom of the hill and a reasonable shopping centre provides you with a chance to restock provisions or break your journey here.

Previous walk: Trevaunance Cove to Trevellas Porth
Next walk: Perranporth to Ligger Point