Cornwall Coast: Lands End & St Ives - tour description
Most visitors to West Cornwall see little except Lands End itself which is regrettable as the whole of the granite coastline on either side of Land’s End, between Mousehole and St Ives, offers magnificent landscapes and seascapes, including perhaps the finest coastal scenery in England. In spring the cliff-top path is bordered with masses of wild flowers, notably the cushions of pink sea-thrift.

Almost every mile provides some new contrast or point of interest: the remains of former tin mines perched on the sea cliffs around Botallack; the open-air theatre overlooking the beach at Porthcurno; ancient dolmens (stone-age burial chambers), stone circles, standing stones, iron age hill forts and other prehistoric remains; and and of course the unceasing swell of Atlantic waves breaking on offshore reefs or crashing at the foot of the cliffs.

Tucked away near the western extremity of England at Cape Cornwall is the little town of St Just-in-Penwith, formerly a centre of the tin-mining industry, now a picturesque backwater with a real old- fashioned Cornish pub, dark wood panelling and all.

The narrow, winding streets and picturesque fishing harbour of St Ives have long attracted painters and sculptors such as Augustus John and Barbara Hepworth; and the town now has its own permanent branch of London’s world famous Tate Gallery.
The famous open-air theatre on the cliffs at Porthcurno has performances from Monday to Friday evenings from late May until September.

A second night at Zennor allows time for a rest, or to walk to the fascinating iron age village of Chysauster. The celebrated monastic island of St Michael’s Mount, reached by a tidal causeway from Marazion, is accessible in a day from either Mousehole or St Ives; accommodation can also be booked in Marazion.

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What previous customers have told us about our Lands End Tour
We had a wonderful time. We loved Cornwall, the coastal path and the walking. We were not really ready to end when we reached St.Ives... The map and directions made us feel quite comfortable about being on our own...we saw kestrels and a couple of seals... the flowers were glorious... [The accommodations]...were great. Each was different from the other and all the proprietors were interesting and very hospitable. While the rooms were often small, each location had its own charm...The Discerning Traveller met our needs perfectly.
Ms D.Maccario & Ms E.Fein.

'...map and route descriptions were very exactly worked out! (the best that we have ever known).' Mr and Mrs Honifogl. 'We like the ancient things: stone-circles, menhirs, quoits...'
Mrs Roermund and Mrs Driemen.

'All accommodations were very nice; each had a speciality: the lovely house in [Mousehole], the comfort [at Porthcurno]...the calmness in the guest house at St Ives. We liked to be everywhere.'
Mr and Mrs Bergmann.

'Don't change a thing!'
Ms A. Jongedijk and black labrador Ari.

'We had a great walk, the weather co-operated, your directions, notes suggestions etc. were great.' Mr R West.

Cornwall Coast: Land's End & St Ives - tour details 2008
A Discerning Traveller self-led hiking holiday
Duration. 5 nights or 7 nights. Tour code: W5 or W7. Dates. April to mid-October. In winter the accommodation is still available, but weather conditions on the coastal path can be stormy!
Grade. 5 night tour: moderate to demanding; 7 night tour: moderate. The 5 night tour is intended for those who wish to concentrate on completing the coastal path walk between Mousehole and St Ives, and is MORE strenuous and demanding than the 7-night tour, which allows more time to explore the numerous fine prehistoric sites away from the coast, or to take the coastal walk at a more leisurely pace. The coastal walk (5-day tour) involves distances of up to 18km/11 miles/7 hours per day over rough terrain on narrow paths with many short steep ascents and descents. However days can readily be shortened by using buses or taxis so don't worry if you have less than a week to spare!
Train stations. Start of tour Penzance; end of tour St Ives or Penzance.
Train service. Direct from London Paddington to Penzance (5.5 hrs; to return from St Ives change trains at St Erth or Penzance).
Overnight stops. 5-night tour: Night 1 Mousehole; 2 Porthcurno; 3 St Just; 4 Zennor; 5 St Ives; 7-night tour: Night 1 Mousehole; 2 Porthcurno; 3 and 4 St Just; 5 and 6 Zennor; 7 St Ives.
Accommodation. Specially selected guest houses or 'B&Bs'; one or two nights may be in a small hotel. En suite or private facilities can be guaranteed throughout the tour on payment of a supplement.
Meals included. Breakfast each morning; other meals can be obtained locally without pre-booking.
Dogs. It is possible to bring a well-behaved dog on this tour. Please enquire.
Extra nights. These can be included at any point on the tour at the time of booking the holiday. On the 7-night tour we already include second nights at St Just and Zennor. This allows time at St Just for extra walks, to explore the fascinating little town and (for those interested in industrial archaeology) to visit the remains of tin-mining industry on the coastal cliffs at Geevor, and time at Zennor to walk to the fascinating iron-age village of Chysauster (in the care of English Heritage). Many customers like to spend an extra night or two at St Ives, which offers a choice of galleries, cafes and beaches. Porthcurno has a fine beach, as well as the Minack clifftop theatre. Less fit walkers find a rest day at Porthcurno beneficial in order to regain their strength for the demanding walk round Lands End to St Just! A night can also be booked at Marazion in order to visit St Michael's Mount, which is also easily accessible in a day either from Mousehole or from St Ives. Please enquire re price of extra nights: we charge cost price plus a small commission.
Factsheet. Our factsheets are more detailed information sheets, one for each tour, which should be obtained from The Discerning Traveller before booking. The Factsheet code for our Cornwall tour is FSW. See Enquiry form.
Reading. Daphne du Maurier's Cornwall is available in paperback while her famous short story The Birds is set on the north coast at a location somewhat resembling Zennor. Journey to the Stones by Ian Cooke is an inspiring text on the archaeological monuments of the Lands End peninsula, several of which we visit. A delightful book for young children is The Mousehole Cat by Antonia Barber; our tour starts by Mousehole's claw-like harbour wall.

Cornwall Coast: Lands End & St Ives - tour prices 2008

• W5 (5 nights tour): £400. Single room supplement: £70. Single traveller supplement: £85.
• W7 (7 nights tour): £480. Single room supplement: £90. Single traveller supplement: £105.
• Extra nights on W5 and W7: £40 per person per night.
• W5E (5 nights tour, ES or private facilities throughout): £440. Single room supplement: £90. Single traveller supplement: £105.
• W7E (7 nights tour, ES or private facilities throughout): £520. Single room supplement: £110. Single traveller supplement: £135.
• Extra nights on W5E and W7E: £45 per person per night. At Zennor or St Ives £50.
• Prices quoted are per person on basis of two people in double or twin-bedded rooms. Included in the price are bed and breakfast each night, with baggage transfers, maps and route directions. ‘ES’ (en suite) facilities means that there is a private bathroom with shower or tub and toilet within the main door of your room. ‘Private facilities’ means that the private bathroom may be outside the main door of your room. When the booking is made for a party of 3 or 5 customers, a single room supplement is payable. When the booking is made for a single traveller, a single traveller supplement is payable. Normally there is a maximum of one single room per booking.
• Note 1. Maximum of 1 single room per booking.


• Note 2: Extra night prices may be higher for single rooms.


• Note 3: This tour is available for single travellers paying the single supplement rate.
  

We offer other coastal walking tours in North Cornwall (Tintagel Coast), on the Jurassic Coast of Devon and Dorset (a Unesco World Heritage Site) and in Pembrokeshire.

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