Distance: 3.83 miles (one way)
Time: 1 hour 22 minutes
Earlier in the year my partner and I set ourselves a challenge to walk the whole Cornish Coast Path in 2021. This started off tricky with lockdown 3.0, but once restrictions were eased we were able to go further afield.
I'll be sharing our walks in a series of blog posts; hopefully they will be useful for people enjoying a holiday in Cornwall or locals who'd like to explore more of Cornwall!
We started off our Cornish Coast Path Challenge in Porthleven and walked South East towards Gunwalloe Church Cove.
Porthleven is one of my favourite seaside towns. It has so much character, from high-end restaurants to old fashioned pubs, exquisite gift shops to quaint market stalls. On a stormy day the ferocious waves swallow the beach; on a calm day the fishing boats bob gently in the idyllic harbour. If you're on the South Coast, it's really worth a visit.
We walked along the coast path towards Loe Bar. Although it's generally not safe to swim here, it's a stunning beach to walk along. With the crashing waves on one side and the tranquil 'loe' (Cornish for pool of water) on the other, it's the best of both worlds.
The walk along the coast path was moderate, it wasn't too hilly but also wasn't completely flat. It had been quite rainy so was quite difficult in the mud at places. The views were incredible though. This was the view back towards Loe Bar; it looked a bit like there might've been a fire in Porthleven with the black smoke rising into the cloudy sky.
On the way back we walked along the cliff path instead of Gunwalloe and Loe beach. We came across this old disused winch... In the 1800s this winch was used as part of a pilchard fishery. A number of old buildings stand on the cliff top, including an old winch house and pilchard cellars. Apparently these winches were used to hoist up the boats in order to store the pilchards in the cellars. A fascinating piece of history overlooking the beautiful Atlantic Ocean.
Top Tip: If you're a National Trust member you can park for free at Porthleven or Gunwalloe Church Cove!
Here's where we found our facts:
https://www.oliverscornwall.co.uk/coastsouth.html
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