Highlights
- Savor clifftop views and look for puffins and seals as you hike the Cornish coast
- Spend a day touring the spectacular ruins of 13th-century Tintagel Castle
- Dine out at some of the best seafood restaurants in the southwest
- See the rocky tors, steeped in legend, on a guided driving tour of Bodmin Moor
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Exeter, Transfer to Bude, Cornwall | Bude |
| Day 2 | South West Coast Path (Day 1): Bude to Crackington Haven | Crackington Haven |
| Day 3 | South West Coast Path (Day 2): Crackington Haven to Tintagel | Tintagel |
| Day 4 | Explore Tintagel Castle & Town | Tintagel |
| Day 5 | South West Coast Path (Day 3): Tintagel to Port Isaac | Port Isaac |
| Day 6 | South West Coast Path (Day 4): Port Isaac to Padstow | Padstow |
| Day 7 | Guided Tour of Bodmin Moor, Relax in Padstow | Padstow |
| Day 8 | Transfer to Exeter, Depart |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Exeter, Transfer to Bude, Cornwall
Welcome to the UK! You'll arrive in Exeter, a cathedral city in southwest England with excellent access and transport links to South Devon and Cornwall. It's the latter that you'll be traveling to, and you'll start your adventure by transferring to the charming Victorian coastal town of Bude. A cherished destination for surf enthusiasts, Bude's position along the Atlantic coastline is characterized by rugged cliffs, expansive undulating vistas, and pristine sandy beaches.
Settle in at your hotel and spend the rest of the day exploring the town before your walking holiday begins in earnest tomorrow. Start with an exhilarating stroll along the sandy Summerleaze Beach, where swimmers flock to the Bude Sea Pool: a beautiful and vast semi-natural tidal pool flanked by cliffs on one side and the beach on the other. While hardy locals will swim all year around, the Atlantic waters are bracing!
Whether you decide to take a dip in the sea or not, toast your trip in typical Cornish fashion with an evening at a local pub. Cornwall is home to some of the UK's best seafood, and whether you're after classic fish and chips or a more refined take on the catch of the day, you'll find it at one of Bude's local pubs and restaurants. Afterward, head back to your hotel ahead of tomorrow's early start.
Day 2: South West Coast Path (Day 1): Bude to Crackington Haven
Wake early this morning and fuel up on a typical English breakfast in readiness for today's hike. Your destination is Crackington Haven, and the 10-mile (16 km) walk along the South West Coast Path is filled with sweeping panoramas of the rocky coastline dotted with fishing villages. You'll be free to enjoy the scenery without worrying about your bags, as your luggage will arrive at your hotel ahead of you each day.
The first leg of your walk follows the grassy cliff path behind the beaches and along the historic Bude Canal to Widemouth Bay, a wild and windy spot (making it popular with surfers) with several excellent local pubs, where you can grab a bite to eat and try one of the local ales. Refreshed and ready to continue, make your way along the path across several sheer clifftops, pausing at Philip's Point Nature Reserve to see if you can spot the grey seals that frequent the bay below.
You'll walk across the cliffs and alongside the Dizzard Forest (the remnants from a prehistoric wood that once covered the entire country) for a stretch and pass a series of gentle waterfalls and hilltops before the path descends into the enclosed bay of Crackington Haven. Here, you can make a beeline for your accommodation and enjoy a warm Cornish welcome before another restful evening at a local pub.
Day 3: South West Coast Path (Day 2): Crackington Haven to Tintagel
Lace up your hiking boots for another windswept day of walking Cornwall's famous coastal path. You'll find some of the 11-mile (18 km) route to Tintagel moderate to challenging but worth it for the incredible clifftop views. Walk above the isolated beaches of the nearby Strangles and past rocky shelves and headlands, mindful of the spectacular sheer drops that give way to the Atlantic. It's a beautiful stretch for bird watchers, with colonies of puffins, razorbills, and guillemots dotting the cliffsides.
It's also an area steeped in the mysterious legend of King Arthur, whose reputed birthplace is Tintagel, your overnight destination. It's not hard to imagine Arthurian tales as you pass sights such as the Pentargon inlet, where an astonishing waterfall plummets 130 feet (39 m) into the sea below. Eventually, you'll arrive in the storied town, whose rocky promontory was the site of a Roman settlement and Celtic fortress. Once you reach your hotel, the rest of the day is yours to relax and take it easy in one of the village's excellent pubs.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 4: Explore Tintagel Castle & Town
Today is yours to explore Tintagel at your own pace, and there's one sight you can't miss—Tintagel Castle. Perched on cliffs overlooking the sea on the peninsula of Tintagel Island, the castle is accessed via a recently built footbridge from the mainland. The views from the bridge are astonishing, and you'll first experience the castle the way its medieval residents did before the old crossing disappeared between the 14th and 17th centuries.
Arrive at the 13th-century castle ruins and you'll discover why myths and legends abound at Tintagel. It's been rumored since the 12th century to be the birthplace of King Arthur, and stories of the fortress as a stronghold for medieval Cornish kings are said to have inspired Richard, Earl of Cornwall, to build his clifftop home here. See the walled garden where Earl Richard installed stepping stones to retell the tragic love story of Tristan and Iseult, and cast your eyes down to the sea, where seals can often be spotted playing in the waters below.
Day 5: South West Coast Path (Day 3): Tintagel to Port Isaac
You'll pick up the coastal path from Tintagel this morning and hike along a section of the coast once vital to the Cornish fishing and slate trades. See glimpses of this history as you pass donkey tracks around Backway's Cove and the rocky pinnacles of Hole Beach. Enjoy the easy walk out of Tintagel and follow the coastal path signs to Port Isaac.
The village is a 9-mile (15 km) walk, and you'll need to dig particularly deep on the final stretch from Trebarwith Sand. You'll navigate several steep valley descents and clifftop climbs before reaching the sleepy harbor of Port Gaverne, a 10-minute walk from the welcome sight of Port Isaac.
Day 6: South West Coast Path (Day 4): Port Isaac to Padstow
While you might have a hard job tearing yourself away from beautiful Port Isaac this morning, know that today's hike contains some of the most dramatic views so far, with the bonus of an overnight stay in Padstow, a chic, bustling fishing village that's home to some of Cornwall's finest restaurants. Your last stretch is 12 miles (19 km), and after leaving your accommodation and following the coastal path out of town, you'll pass the remote inlet of Pine Haven and the Iron Age fort of The Rumps, a rocky promontory in an area dotted with sandy coves and surrounded by gorse and woodland.
You'll want to keep your camera close at hand as the path winds its way around several steep headlands and gentle valleys, culminating in views from Pentire Point across the Camel Estuary. Soon, you'll reach Polzeath, another idyllic Cornish village and one-time favorite haunt of the poet laureate Sir John Betjeman. Stop here for lunch on the go (a filling Cornish pasty is a must if you haven't tried one already), and as you head out of town, the path becomes significantly easier as you walk down to the sandy beaches of Daymer Bay, where you'll catch a ferry to Padstow.
Upon arrival in the harbor, you'll be transferred to your hotel and reunited with your luggage. While your epic walk along the South West Coast Path has come to an end, there's still much to explore, and Padstow has no shortage of attractions. Head back to the harbor for a cool drink and watch the fishermen at work, or seek out local artwork at the galleries that dot the medieval streets that wind back from the port. Afterward, go for a predinner stroll along St George's Cove and return to Padstow for dinner, where you'll be spoiled for choice with excellent eateries.
Day 7: Guided Tour of Bodmin Moor, Relax in Padstow
Wake to the sound of gulls as Padstow gently comes to life, with the fishing boats making their way out of the harbor to bring back another day's catch. There's no rush this morning, so enjoy a leisurely breakfast before meeting your guide and driver for a full day exploring Bodmin Moor. Fans of author Daphne du Maurier will recognize the location as the backdrop to her eerie novel "Jamaica Inn." It's these moors that you'll spend the day exploring with your guide.
Depending on your interests and how much walking you'd like to do, your guide will tailor your trip to your preferences. The moors are rich in folklore, and some famous highlights you can visit include Dozmary Pool, the lake where, according to legend, King Arthur received the sword Excalibur. Legends aside, your day of sightseeing will include several granite tors that rise up from the rolling moorland, as well as evocative stone circles and ancient monuments.
Part ways with your guide in the afternoon and cap your day with a traditional Cornish cream tea. A light afternoon meal, a cream tea consists of freshly baked scones, strawberry jam, and clotted cream. Whether the jam or the cream is spread first is fiercely debated throughout the UK, but since you're in Cornwall, know that the tradition here is to spread the jam first (whereas in Devon, it's the other way around!). In the evening, try seafood restaurateur Rick Stein's famous fish restaurant for a fitting finale for your trip.
Day 8: Transfer to Exeter, Depart
Your tour of Cornwall has come to an end, and after one final stroll along the beach, you'll transfer to Exeter, where you'll continue to your next destination. Safe travels!
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