Highlights

• Looking out to Trescore Islands and maybe seeing bottlenose dolphins.
• Walking out to enjoy the fantastic views from Park Head: a prominent windswept greenstone headland which is the site of an Iron Age cliff castle. You may see oystercatchers from here.
• The Bedruthan Steps, owned by the National Trust, are pillars of rock which rise from the sands of Bedruthan Beach. This was a popular holiday location during the Victorian period. One of the stacks is named The Samaritan after the cargo ship of the same name which was wrecked here in 1846, providing the locals with barrels of food and silks.
• Griffin’s Point Iron Age cliff castle.
• The 3 miles of sand at Watergate Bay, backed by huge cliffs alive with bird life.
• The hillfort on Trevelgue Head with Iron Age earthworks still visible despite heavy erosion.
• Barrowfields: this stretch was clearly important to our ancient ancestors as many barrows or tumuli have been identified here.
• Enjoying refreshments at the end of your day and maybe watching the famous surfers of Fistral Beach.

Places of interest

• Mawgan Porth Church: dating from the 13th century, it has many interesting features such as a beautifully carved 15th century rood screen, eight bells in the belfry, including one original medieval bell, and the stern of a rowing boat in the churchyard in memory of ten men who froze to death and drifted ashore in 1846.

Shorter option

Mawgan Porth (4.4 miles, 7.2 km).

Longer option

As Newquay is so busy in contrast to the earlier cliff walking you may be tempted to walk further and find somewhere quieter to stay around Pentire or Holywell.

Nearby refreshments

Bre-Pen Farm Shop at Mawgan Porth is a Taste of the West member and specialises in selling local and own meat and vegetables, free-range eggs, home made cakes and jams. There is also a tearoom for cream teas and light snacks.

Newquay has numerous restaurants, shops, pubs and cafes to choose from. Establishments that serve local produce include Taste of the West members, The Headland Hotel on Fistral Beach which serves locally sourced fresh produce in their Sand brasserie or restaurant, and Morris Pasties in town has an award winning Cornish pasty selection.

Public transport

The easiest way to reach Newquay is by train, and buses runs hourly between Porthcothan and Newquay. For timetable information, zoom in on the interactive map and click on the train station and bus stop symbols, visit Traveline or phone 0871 200 22 33.

Parking

Porthcothan (Postcode for Sat Navs: PL28 8LW), above Bedruthan Steps, Carnewas Point, Mawgan Porth, Watergate Beach and Newquay.