Cornish Coastal Challenge – Walk Britain’s most southerly point I 4 days I 3 days walking I 3 nights accommodation MARCH I APRIL I MAY I JUNE I NOVEMBER

After travelling from St Ives, much of today’s walk through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers fantastic views of Mounts Bay and the magical island and castle of St Michael’s Mount.

We will start our walk by a tour of the castles gardens taking approximately 45 minutes before retracing our steps along the causeway to begin our coastal challenge. Unravel the history of the St Aubyn family, who have lived here since the 17th century. Discover treasures from the Mount’s past, from religious roots to times of siege and conflict. The village grew up around the isle of Ictis, St Michaels Mount being the legendary Isle named by the Romans. It was the safest landing point for many miles before the construction of nearby Penzance harbour, and is probably why it became the destination point of St Michael and his followers when they landed on the north coast and walked across the peninsula en route for Europe.

Fairly easy, level walking allows time to enjoy the views, until the Path begins to narrow and rollercoaster over the cliffs up to and beyond Praa Sands to Portleven.

We see evidence of a mining history, especially around Perranuthnoe, with the granite turning to slate resulting in dramatic vertical sea cliffs. The stretch on the approach to the pretty fishing village of Porthleven is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. From 1865 as a fishing station, Porthleven would take its position – second to none in the country. It was opened in 1825 with a feast of roast beef and plum pudding for the whole village.

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This stretch of the South West Coast Path is, without a doubt, unique and exceptionally beautiful. The path is fairly level and easy beyond Porthleven, but then becomes narrow in places with some steep ascents and descents.

There is a special sense of wildness and isolation on the Peninsula, notably along Mullion and Predannack Cliffs which are part of the Lizard National Nature Reserve. Here rare heathers and wildflowers grow, adding to the colour and drama of the spectacular views. It is no surprise that the white sand and turquoise sea of Kynance Cove has been recognised as being part of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the seas are particularly dramatic at high tide, and even more so on a windy day.

The Lizard Peninsula is also known for its banks of pink and yellow flowered Hottentot Fig and its serpentine granite, which is a dark green rock veined with red and white, and, of course, the symbol of Cornwall: the chough.

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A walk through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty awaits as you set off from the most southerly point of Great Britain after having spent a night on the town. There are a few relatively short steep ascents and descents as you leave Lizard Point, followed by some more strenuous climbs, until you pass the stunning fishing village of Cadgwith and begin the approach to Coverack, which is a lot easier. You will see some extraordinary geology along this stretch as the Path crosses serpentine, granite and schist. Serpentine is a dark green rock veined with red and white which is easily carved and can be polished to a really beautiful sheen. We pass Poltesco and a serpentine factory was established at Carleon Cove in the 1850’s. Its fish were once the order of the day. Pilchards by the thousand, which were caught as they shoaled close to shore in the late summer. Some of the stiles along this stretch have been built of serpentine: beautiful but slippery when wet. We then move on to Kennack Sands, once famous for shipwrecks, it is a National Nature Reserve with beautiful cliffs of layered rock, with veins of talc, and lovely displays of wildflowers. The history of Kennack Sands goes back a long way. Kennack is itself a mediaeval Cornish placename. The hill behind the Towans was recorded in 1510 as Carn Cunek, and the beach is recorded in 1538 as Porthkunyk. Pill boxes and an anti-tank wall were built on the back of the beach in case of invasion during the Second World War. A steep climb up to join the seabirds around Beagles Point marks the beginning of a stretch with particularly far-reaching views of the Coast Path ahead. Coverack is a picturesque fishing village with an active small port and has excellent café’s on the sea front.

Mid-afternoon departures. We will transport you back to St Ives, Falmouth or Truro depending on the group and how you arrived in St Ives.

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