Charlestown to Lansallos: South West Coast Path Day 32 Guide

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Some days on this walk, I’ve found it very easy to get out of bed and hit the trail. Today was not one of those days. I wasn’t at all ready for my birthday celebration to be over, or to say goodbye to Lauren. It felt like she’d only just arrived, and already she was leaving again. 🙁

We’d enjoyed our coffee at Tenten and breakfast at the Rashleigh Arms the day before, and with limited alternatives, decided to repeat the experience. It was just as good the second time around.

Having prebooked a taxi to the train station for Lauren the night before, we finished off the last slice of birthday cake back at our studio and enjoyed our last few minutes together. With a hug, I put her backpack in the boot, then glumly watched the car drive off out of town to start her six-hour trip back to London.

As if to confirm that my brief stretch of R&R was finished and normal service had resumed, a big grey cloud rolled in as I was putting on my backpack. By the time I’d reached the end of the harbour and started up the hill at the end, I was already getting rained on. Perfect.

Luckily it blew through just as fast as it had arrived, and I could throw my jacket back in my bag for the rest of the morning. The sun came out over what was now a lovely flat, grassy trail along the low cliffs: I’m not sure whether I was happier about the weather or the soft path, but I was pretty damn thrilled about both.

This stretch was genuinely lovely, almost entirely through fields and fairways for over three miles all the way to Par. The golden sand of Carlyon Beach was filling up with late-season holidaymakers, and little white balls were already starting to fly: it’s surprising how many golf courses you walk through on the South West Coast Path!

After an hour of delightful walking and having successfully avoided a concussion, I arrived above small but pretty Spit Beach. Here, the path took a hard left towards towards the railway tracks and then a hard right to pass around the back of Par Docks.

Shortly afterward the Coast Path joined busy Harbour Road and then Par Green, for a mile of urban walking that was a bit of a shock after the quiet coastal trail I’d just left . There are several cafes and pubs along this stretch, but for once I wasn’t in need of food, coffee, or shelter from the rain.

Instead, I turned back towards the ocean down a narrow footpath, shared the path through a scenic little nature reserve with several Very Good Boys and their owners, and popped out in the grassy dunes at the end of Par Sands Beach.

With the sun still shining and the wind more of a cooling breeze than a howling gale for once, I really enjoyed my half-mile stomp through the dunes to Polmear. Emerging onto the beach at the other end, the path cut briefly inland to a carpark, where two food vans were closed up and padlocked, and another steampunk-themed one was very much open.

That was all the incentive I needed to stop for coffee, cake, and a chat. The weather today had been so much better than forecast, and the owner told me that was pretty much normal for most of Cornwall; an issue for businesses like his, where visitors believe their weather app and don’t come to the beach on what ends up being a beautiful day.

The flat white, brownie, and conversation were all excellent: if you’re walking past the Cognitive Coffee van (trust me, you won’t miss it), I’d highly recommend stopping in.

The path led over a stream from out the back of the carpark, and then up onto the cliffs for the first real up and down section of the day. Unsurprisingly if you’ve read any of my other accounts of the last month, it wouldn’t be the last.

The smattering of other walkers and beachgoers died out almost immediately, and once again I had the trail almost all to myself. The higher cliffs just meant better views, both back towards Par and on towards the little fishing hamlet of Polkerris.

The path dropped steeply down the hill to the small stone harbour, passed a pub and a seafood restaurant that would have undoubtedly lured me in on on a different day, and then zigzagged just as steeply up again through the woods.

After another quick round of my favourite Coast Path game, “down the valley and back up t’other side”, the top of the red and white daymark at Gribbin Head popped into view ahead. It took a bit longer to get to its base, but it was worth the climb: the views out towards Polruan in the distance were particularly lovely.

The grassy path off the headland runs straight down to Polridmouth Cove, and it’s pretty steep. I’m sure that’s what the group of people I passed coming up the other way would have told me, if they’d had any breath left to speak.

The secluded beach at Polridmouth Cove had a grand total of one person and their dog on it as I crossed the footbridge behind it, and nobody on it at all a few seconds later as a large black cloud decided to unload its contents overhead. There was still blue sky all around, but right here it felt like I’d have been drier if I was standing in the ocean.

Just like this morning, though, the wind soon pushed the cloud away, and the sun came back as quickly as it had left. The dog and its owner returned to the beach from the shelter of the nearby trees, and all was right with the world once more.

Just past the beach sat an impressive stone house, on manicured lawns beside a small lake and a footpath heading up a wooded hillside. About 300 yards up said footpath, I suddenly wondered why I was walking away from the water. It’s rarely the right option on the Coast Path, and today was no exception.

Turns out that back beside the lake, there’d been a small Coast Path sign pointing off to the right that I’d completely missed. Well done, Dave. Always good to add a bit of extra distance to the day for no reason. Especially when it’s uphill.

Back on the literal right track, the views just got better and better as I walked along the edge of the Fowey estuary. You can’t see Fowey itself until you’re basically in it, but Polruan was postcard-worthy on the opposite bank of the river, while dozens of masts swayed gently in the breeze between them.

Because I could see Polruan from so far away, it felt like Fowey should be much closer than it actually was: in the end it was a solid two miles from Polridmouth Cove until I was walking past Readymoney Cove and into town.

It’s an attractive place, if somewhat overrun with tourists on the day I was there. The ferry across to Polruan leaves from a little jetty below the Esplanade, but I carried on a bit further to the old part of town. It was already past lunchtime, and I was hungry!

The narrow streets soon clogged with people and cars, and progress ground to a halt when the rain started up again. My tolerance for that lasted as long as the first pub I saw, the Ship Inn (yes, another one), a lovely old building with a less-than-lovely person behind the bar that day.

Squeezing myself into a little table beside the bar, I waited for lunch to arrive. The vegan burger itself wasn’t worth the wait, but the conversations made up for it: everyone nearby seemed unusually interested in what I was doing, even if it seemed like a mild form of insanity to most of them.

The forecast for the rest of the afternoon suggested a lot more rain, so I didn’t linger. The small ferry runs backward and forward across the river all day, and was just pulling in as I arrived at the jetty. Five minutes later I was deposited on the other side, at the beginning of what turned out to be a consistent climb for the next mile and a half. Shocked, I was.

Polruan was just as pretty up close as it had been from afar, and the views back across towards Fowey were nothing short of spectacular as I walked around the edge of town and out along Lantic Bay.

This section was much more wooded than the other side of the river, which I was quite glad of now that the wind had picked up. After falling in step with a couple who’d been on the same ferry and convincing them that they too should walk the Coast Path, I had a decision to make: strike inland to stay at a nearby campsite, or keep going anther three miles to the next one.

If it had been raining at the time, the closer site would definitely have won. Instead, the precipitation waited until I’d gone on just far enough that it didn’t make sense to turn back. I mean, of course it did.

The trail dropped down towards the deserted beach at Lantic Bay, before a particularly brutal set of muddy wooden steps up onto Pencarrow Head. This was the steepest climb of the day, and while I was appreciating the dramatic ocean views that came with it, my legs could have done without.

Around the head, the path continued along bracken-covered hillsides: the coves up ahead suggested there’d be a lot more steep stuff to come, but for once the path stayed up on the clifftop above them rather than dropping in and out of each one. Thankyou to whoever made that decision.

My later start this morning was having the inevitable payoff now; it was nearly 5pm by the time the trail dropped down to cross the little footbridge at Lansallos Beach. This is where I left the Coast Path to follow a campsite sign pointing inland up the hill, on the final climb of the day.

The path meandered beside the little river and through pretty woodland enroute to Lansallos, where it wasn’t hard to find Highertown Farm Campsite: it was right beside the large stone church that I’d been able to see on the top of the hill for the last hour.

There were no staff around when I arrived, with just a box of envelopes to put cash in for my stay. I found a sheltered spot to pitch the tent (it wasn’t hard, hardly anybody else was staying there), had a shower, and set myself up in the barn to charge my devices, eat protein bars and Jelly Tots, and enjoy the rare luxury of lights and chairs for the rest of the evening.

Despite the intermittent rain, it had been a great day’s walking, and not too difficult other than the last couple of hours from Polruan. I’d loved it!

Planning

Started at: The Sail Loft, Antonia’s Pearls (on the trail)

Finished at: Highertown Farm Campsite (0.9 miles/1.5km off-trail, up a steep hill)

This National Trust-run campsite is in the pretty little hamlet of Lansallos, just under a mile inland from the trail at Lansallos Beach along an attractive, if steep, path through woodland.

Arriving late in the afternoon in September, there were no staff around and only a handful of other people staying at what was a reasonably large site. Payment was either by booking online or putting cash in an envelope; rangers apparently also have a card reader when they’re in attendance.

With no other walkers staying that night, I had my pick of where to pitch: I set up halfway along a narrow, hedge-lined field, and couldn’t have asked for a more sheltered spot. There were a few picnic tables set up nearby, which is always nicer than sitting on the wet ground to drink my coffee in the morning!

The showers were hot and immaculately clean, but the best feature by far was the converted barn with USB and wall charging outlets, lights, tables and chairs. It was great to be able to relax somewhere that wasn’t my tent for a change.

The only problem? The lights were motion activated and turned off pretty quickly, which wasn’t ideal when I was sitting down reading. Anyone looking on would have seen plenty of manic arm waving every time they went out!

If you’re there in summer, Rosslyn Cafe over the road offers pizza a few nights per week, but you need to prebook it. If you haven’t prebooked or you’re there on the wrong day like I was, you’re on your own for dinner.

Prices vary depending on the time of year and day of the week, with a discount for walkers and anyone else who arrives without a car. It cost £17 on the day I was there.

Transport and Parking

Public transport on this section is perhaps better than expected, although still not super-frequent. The best option from Charlestown is to take the number 24 or 25 bus to Fowey, then walk down the ferry pier for the five-minute ride across to Polruan.

There, the number 481 or 482 bus picks you up on the road directly above the jetty and runs inland through to Lansallos. It finishes in Looe, which is also on the Coast Path and has plenty of accommodation if you’re looking for somewhere to stay that isn’t a campsite.

The 25 operates about once an hour throughout the day, Monday through Saturday except bank holidays. The 481/482 is less frequent, with a service approximately every 2-2.5 hours, Monday through Friday.

The 24 and 25 both run through Par on their way to Fowey, so you could also get on or off there. The 24 also goes near the path in Polmear, a little way up from the carpark and coffee van I mentioned earlier.

If you’re starting or finishing your time on the Coast Path today, St Austell has a train station with regular services to Penzance, Plymouth, Exeter, and London Paddington. To get to it from Charlestown, take the 24 or 25 bus, a short taxi ride, or a roughly half-hour walk.

If you need a taxi to the train station like Lauren did, we prebooked with C&C Taxis after seeing one of their cars parked up beside the harbour. They arrived on time the next morning, so I’m happy to recommend them. Call them on 1726 63538.

Trains also stop in Par, where the station is less than a ten minute walk from the Coast Path.

If you’re thinking about leaving a car somewhere, either as part of a car shuffle or to combine with public transport, you’ve got several choices.

Charlestown has a carpark beside the harbour: it’s expensive if you’re staying all day, but it exists. If you don’t mind walking a bit further, you’ll probably find free on-road parking further up Charlestown Road towards St Austell, or along Church Road near the bus stop.

There’s cheap all-day parking beside Carlyon Beach just down the road, and a few different carparks in Par. The best option is the one at Polmear I mentioned above (helpfully labelled as S W Coast Path Parking on Google Maps), although the nearby pay and display bays in front of the holiday park also let you stay all day at a reasonable price.

A smallish carpark with all-day parking sits just up the road from Polkerris harbour, and there’s a great little honesty box option for 50p in a field at Menabilly Farm. The path that I accidentally walked up beside the lake near Polridmouth Cove leads to a small National Trust carpark at Coombe Farm: after that, you’ll be parking at one of the several choices in Fowey or Polruan.

Most of the carparks in Fowey are quite expensive to park at all day, but there’s a free option about a 10 minute walk up the road from the town quay. Get there early in summer if you want to be sure of a spot.

In Polruan, Vevery Carpark is a little cheaper than the one closer to town on Polruan Hill. There’s also a National Trust carpark further along above Lantic Bay, and another one in Lansallos village.

River Crossing

You’ve got one river crossing today, between Fowey and Polruan across the mouth of the River Fowey. Note that there are two ferries that run across the river; you want the one that goes to Polruan, not the one that goes to Bodinnick.

This ferry runs year-round, with a reduced service between the start of October and the end of April. During the warmer months, it operates a continuous service until 11 p.m., starting at 7 a.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. on Saturdays, and 9 a.m. on Sundays.

In winter and on summer evenings, the boat leaves from Town Quay in the centre of Fowey, close to the Ship Inn where I had lunch. During the day in summer, it runs from Whitehouse Quay below the Esplanade: that’s where I took it from. It’s about a seven minute walk between the two quays, and both are signposted from the street.

The boat isn’t particularly large, but since it runs continually, you won’t have to wait more than 10-15 minutes for the next one if the first is full. A single fare costs £3.20, cash or contactless.

Waymarking and Navigation

Other than completely missing that signpost beside Polridmouth Cove and almost ending up in a carpark, today wasn’t too bad in terms of navigation. There was nowhere that needed a sign and didn’t have one; it’s just that sometimes those signs weren’t easy to spot!

The path along the cliffs was generally very straightforward, and other than having to keep an eye out for a footpath cutting between two houses back towards the coast, even finding my way through Par was less of a challenge than with other towns of similar size along the route.

Even leaving the trail to head inland to my campsite for the night was signposted, on an easy-to-follow path through the woods.

I used AllTrails as my main navigation app for the entire South West Coast Path, and it worked well throughout. The first short section from Charlestown to Par is here, while the rest of the day is covered on this map.

The app is free to use, although I pay a couple of pounds a month for a subscription so I can download maps to my phone in advance.

Phone Service

Phone service was generally pretty good today with O2, albeit with the usual challenges in more remote areas and down in the valleys and coves. Charlestown was pretty poor for phone signal, but things improved as soon as I left, and mostly stayed usable throughout the day. There was good service at the campsite in Lansallos as well.

As a backup, I’d also paid a few pounds for a data eSIM from Instabridge that let me swap between all three UK networks, EE, O2, and Vodafone/Three. It worked really well as a fallback option all along the Coast Path: if I didn’t have service with my usual provider, I’d just switch to another. As long as there were any mobile phone towers in range, I’d have service.

Facilities

Other than in Lansallos at the end of the day, I had no problems finding places to eat, drink, and use the toilet today.

Breakfast at the Rashleigh Arms in Charlestown was perfectly fine, and the fact they started serving at at 7:30 a.m. was extremely welcome. If you’re as precious about your coffee as I am, Tenten over the road is the place to go for that: it opens at 8 a.m.

If you don’t get food there, there are also a couple of good cafes just back from the beach at Carlyon Bay: to find them, just walk down Beach Road a few dozen yards from where the Coast Path crosses it beside the carpark.

Par has all the facilities you could hope for, and even if you don’t leave the trail you’ll still pass both a cafe and a pub as you walk along Par Green. There’s also Co-op slightly past where you turn off that road back towards the coast.

I really liked my coffee and brownie at the Cognitive Coffee van beside the carpark at the end of the beach in Polmear, and both the Rashleigh Inn and Sam’s on the Beach looked like great options beside the harbour in Polkerris as I passed.

When it comes to dining in Fowey, take your pick: I didn’t love the burger or the service at the Ship Inn, but there are many alternatives nearby. Most of the places to eat are clustered along Fore Street near the river.

On the other side of the river in Polruan, you’ve got two pubs and three cafes almost in a line as you climb up from the ferry jetty, and a small village store as well. Make sure you’re well fed and/or stocked up by the time you leave Polruan; there’s nothing else until you get to Lansallos, and even then, the one cafe there only offers dinner on certain days and you need to prebook.

Accommodation

You’ve got more campsites on this section of the path than in recent days, although that’s not saying much!

Between Carlyon Bay and Par you’ve got two choices: Carlyon Bay Camping Park and East Crinnis Holiday Park. They’re both close to the trail but on the other side of the railway line, so access points are somewhat limited.

A bit under a mile inland from Polkerris is Penhale Camping and Caravan Park: it’s further off-trail than the other options today, but it’s there if you need it. Just off the path on the edge of Polruan is Polruan Holidays, and then that’s it until you get to Highertown Farm in Lansallos village where I stayed.

If you’re not camping, your best option close to the trail in Par is likely one of these cute studios. There are plenty of choices in Fowey: Haveners, The Old Quay House Hotel, and The Safe Harbour Hotel are all good. Finally, The Lugger Inn is the way to go in Polruan, directly above the ferry pier.