Gorran Haven to Charlestown: South West Coast Path Day 31 Guide

After a blowy but dry night, a big gust of wind jolted me awake just as the sun peeked over the horizon. One bleary-eyed look at the weather forecast was enough to get me moving, and I was walking out of the campsite just after 7 a.m. With rain due to start in a couple of hours and last all day, getting a few miles in beforehand suddenly felt like a very good idea.

I started out under overcast skies, back down to rejoin the path and walk the mile and a half into Gorran Haven. This easy stroll above Vault Beach and around the Pen-a-maen headland was really quite lovely, and despite being so close to the village, there was nobody around yet except a couple of dog walkers.

The only place open for breakfast when I arrived was Cakebreads Bakery, a combination convenience store, bakery, and greasy spoon cafe. It didn’t look like much from the outside, or the inside either really, but those looks were deceiving.

My bacon, egg, and hash brown baguette was both delicious and massive, I could stock up on snacks for the next few days, and there was even oat milk for my coffee in the form of little single serve containers that I’ve never seen anywhere before or since. Thumbs up from me for the entire experience.

A light rain started to fall just as I was setting out again; so much for that two-hour prediction in the forecast. It would only get worse throughout the day, but for now, it was refreshing rather than soaking as I started the first climb of the day, up appropriately-named Cliff Road and out of the village.

The path might have been steep, but it thankfully wasn’t rocky: it looked like the grassy fields and soft trails I’d been so glad to see lately were going to continue for at least a little while longer. Over a bridge and stile I went, following the trail back to the cliff edge and then descending sharply to round a headland at Chapel Point.

After so much hot, sunny weather at the start of the walk a month ago, autumn was now very much in the air. Mushrooms were popping up alongside the trail, there was a lot more wind and rain, and temperatures were falling as fast as the leaves: today’s high was all of 16 degrees C.

As soon as I got around the headland, Portmellon and Mevagissey both came into view: they’re under a mile apart. The tide was in and waves were breaking over the harbour wall as I walked through Portmellon, which only took a couple of minutes: this is not a metropolis by any stretch.

From there, the path just followed the road up and over the hill, giving a great view of Mevagissey before descending down to the attractive stone harbour. It’s the prettier and larger of the two villages, with colourful buildings along the water and up the cliff behind, and felt like the kind of place I should stop for a while.

Just as I thought that, the heavens (re)opened, which was all the encouragement I needed to find the nearest cafe. Right on the harbour, She Sells Mevagissey might have an odd name, but that wasn’t putting people off: the place was packed as I dripped my way over to the last remaining seat at the window.

The coffee was pretty good, so I ordered a brownie as well. Just in the interests of research, you understand. Not because it was still pouring outside and I really didn’t want to go back out in it just yet. Definitely not that.

No matter how small my bites were, though, I couldn’t drag things out long enough for the rain to stop. Eventually accepting the inevitable, I grimly pulled my jacket back on and headed for the door.

The path lead up some steps from alongside the cafe, steeply back up onto the cliffs and away from what little shelter I’d been getting from the buildings. Now exposed to the full blast of wind and rain, I was sorely tempted to walk back down to one of the village pubs and stay there until the weather improved. Even if that was a week from now. Especially if that was a week from now.

Instead, I trudged onward, dropping briefly down to Polstreath Beach before climbing even more steeply up the other side. Shockingly, there were very few other people out enjoying the Mevagissey coastline today; the only other idiots out there were also walking the Coast Path, a fact I confirmed as I passed a couple during a brief break in the downpour.

They were walking the Coast Path a week at a time, and told me they were very impressed I was tackling the whole thing. I had to admit that at that point, impressive is not the word I would have chosen. Masochistic, perhaps?

Even so, as damp as I was, I could see the appeal of this section. Under blue skies I suspect it would have been spectacular: even looking down from the cliffs through the persistent rain, the long golden beach at Pentewan Sands seemed like the perfect place for a summer holiday.

After a long downhill slide walk through the grassy fields to Portgiskey Beach and a quick up-and-over through a bit of woodland, I arrived behind that golden sand beach I’d spotted half an hour earlier. Quite a long way behind it, as it happened: there’s a large holiday park in the way, and the path skirts it along the road inland instead of going along the beach.

Usually I wouldn’t be a fan of that approach, but for once, the hard surface was very welcome after the slip-and-slide I’d just experienced. After passing the Ship Inn and somehow not automatically going inside, I puffed my way up the steep lane on the edge of town, past a small church, and back onto the cliffs once more.

This was a particularly rugged section of coastline, especially today: the waves were crashing ferociously into the cliffs, and I found myself staying as far from the cliff edge as possible as I walked along the narrow path. Falling into that maelstrom didn’t bear thinking about.

The next section past Hallane Beach was particularly tough: not only was the path getting pretty muddy by this point, but the climbs and descents were coming thick and fast. It took all my focus to keep putting feet and poles in the right place step after step, which probably helps explain why I took a wrong turn and headed straight out onto Black Head.

The path splits at a large memorial stone: there’s no sign, but you’re supposed to follow the left hand branch. I carried on straight (you can see it on my map up top), and other than wondering why the trail had suddenly got a lot rougher, didn’t realise my mistake until it literally disappeared off the edge of the cliff. Whoops. Pleased I wasn’t walking that one in the dark.

Back on the right track, conditions got even worse, both overhead and underfoot. This was the most challenging part of the day, endless ups and downs, and very much type 2 fun: glad to have done it afterward, not glad to be doing it at the time.

The steep, muddy steps were a slog to climb up and slippery on the way back down, and navigation was tricky, with lots of side paths to tempt the unwary. Again.

Back up on the high ground, the rain finally stopped, and the wide expanse of St Austell Bay lay spread out in front of me under a thick bank of cloud. Pretty little beaches and coves were dotted the whole way around; many of them looked inaccessible underneath tall, jagged cliffs, but not all.

Somewhere out there was Charlestown, my destination for the day. Given the weather, I’d have been glad to get there regardless, but today was particularly special. Lauren was enroute from London, spending six hours on trains and in taxis with a broken foot to come and celebrate my birthday with me. God she’s a trooper.

Despite the slippery path, I was moving faster than I had all day: partly I was just ready to stop, and partly I could see more rain on the horizon and was trying to beat it into town. Down to Porthpean Beach, up the other side, and all of a sudden, out of the blue, the trail changed completely.

Up until a few years ago, this part of the Coast Path had fallen into the ocean, leaving walkers with a grim two-mile detour along the road instead. That’s since been replaced by a delightful packed gravel path that I couldn’t have been happier to see.

I’m not sure if I set a new land speed record along that cliff and into Charlestown, but it certainly felt like it. Before I knew it I’d passed a stone battery complete with cannons on the headland, arrived at the mouth of the harbour, and fallen into the nearest pub.

Dirtier, smellier, and a lot wetter than the rest of the clientele, I hid myself away in a corner with a pint and a bowl of fries and reflected on the last few hours.

Today had been a test of both morale and equipment. My mood had mostly stayed upbeat despite the terrible weather, but I’d definitely hit the waterproofing limits of my jacket, trousers, and shoes. Apparently several hours of walking into sideways rain was too much for all of them by the end. Who would have guessed?

Lauren pulled up in a taxi shortly after, and as I lifted her suspiciously-heavy backpack out of the boot, I asked her what was in it. “You’ll find out”, she replied mysteriously, and sure enough, once we’d checked into our accommodation an hour or so later, find out I did.

Rest Day in Charlestown

Given that today was my birthday and I’d already been feeling pretty fatigued after a month of walking, I took the “rest” in rest day pretty literally. With Lauren on crutches, we were never going to be going far: in the end, we covered less than a mile the entire day. It felt amazing.

Making the most of having a proper bed and no reason to get out of it, we got up late and wandered down to Tenten. I didn’t expect to find a specialist coffee shop like this in somewhere as small as Charlestown, but I was very pleased it existed.

From there we crossed the street to grab a decent breakfast at the Rashleigh, then retired back to the room for a day of watching our favourite shows, eating birthday cake, and watching the rain fall. This little slice of normality was exactly the reset my body needed: it had been tough going lately.

After a quick drink at Pier House Hotel that evening, Lauren had booked dinner at Springtide, and what a great choice that turned out to be. It’s rare that a restaurant manages to combine high-quality food and service with a cozy, unpretentious vibe, but this place nailed it.

Our seafood was excellent, the mussels and lemon sole standing out in particular, and a glass of champagne magically appearing at the table because it was my birthday was the icing on the cake. Given the quality, it wasn’t even particularly expensive: if you’re in Charlestown, I’d highly recommend eating here. Book in advance!

One last walk/hop around the harbour and that was my birthday done and dusted. It had been exactly what I needed, and I was super-grateful to Lauren for arranging it all and travelling for hours across the country on crutches to be here. She’s a keeper!

Planning

Started at: Treveague Campsite (0.5 miles/0.8km off-trail)

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

What a charming little studio this was! It’s the smallest of Antonia’s four “pearls”, which are restored villas beside the harbour in Charlestown, but more than big enough for the two of us for a couple of days.

It felt very luxurious, and not just because I’d been sleeping in a tent for most of the previous month: high-end linens, lovely bathroom with quality toiletries, a great kitchen with a fridge big enough for, say, a large birthday cake, and super warm and cozy when the rain set in.

The owners are big on privacy for their guests: they popped in once to make sure everything was going well, but otherwise we didn’t see them.

We loved our time there; the only downside was that we didn’t have longer!

Transport and Parking

From Gorran Haven, the 23 bus runs via Megavissey and Pentewan to St Austell. From there you can take the 24 or 25 buses directly to near Charlestown harbour, or a short taxi ride. Alternatively you can also just stay on the 23 bus as far as the Asda in St Austell and walk from there: it’s about 20 minutes along the road to Charlestown.

The problem is the (in)frequency of the 23 bus: it departs Gorran Haven three times a day, in the morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon. It runs Monday through Saturday, but not Sundays or bank holidays.

There’s also a community bus that runs a service from Gorran Haven at 9:30 a.m. four times a week (Monday through Thursday), calling in at Megavissey and Pentewan enroute to St Austell.

The 24 and 25 are much more regular; you can expect one or the other to show up twice an hour for much of the day. They both run Monday through Saturday, but not Sundays or bank holidays.

If you’re starting or finishing your time on the Coast Path here, St Austell has a train station with regular services to Penzance, Plymouth, Exeter, and London Paddington. Trains also stop in Par, a few miles further along the 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.

In Gorran Haven, the cheaper of the two carparks if you’re staying all day is above Vault Beach just south of the village. It’s National Trust, or pay with cash in the honesty box if you’re not a member.

Mevagissey has a few different options; none of them are especially cheap, but for a longer stay, Harbour Parking on the south side of the village is the way to go. In Pentewan there’s a small, reasonably-priced long-stay carpark at West End on the edge of town, or a pay-and-display field beside the B road that’s closed in winter.

There’s a small free layby with room for a few vehicles where the Coast Path briefly goes along the road shortly after Black Head, and a small carpark at Porthpean beach that based on the reviews, seems to make most of its revenue from fining its customers.

Finally, 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.

Waymarking and Navigation

As mentioned above, I almost managed to walk off a cliff today after taking a wrong turn at Black Head. There’s no signage there (or wasn’t on the day I walked past, at least), so make sure you go around the memorial stone to the left rather than continuing on straight towards the headland!

Other than that, I mostly found the waymarking reasonably good. Signage was good enough to make sure I didn’t end up on one of the intersecting trails around Trenarren, and other than accidentally walking along the road instead of the harbourside at Mevagissey, I don’t remember going wrong anywhere else.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the turnoff on Pentewan Hill, though: you turn back almost completely on yourself up a steep lane, and although there’s a way marker, it’d be easy to miss.

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

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 a mixed bag today, although generally better than usual. It was reasonably good with O2 during the first part of the day, helped by there being a few decent-sized villages and the path spending a fair amount of time up on the cliffs.

There was noticeably less signal in Pentewan Sands and on the rugged section around Black Head and Trenarren, before it improved again at the end of the day as I got closer to Charlestown. It wasn’t particularly great in Charlestown itself, but that’s pretty normal for small, sea-level villages full of stone buildings on the Cornish coast!

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 (O2), I’d just switch to another. As long as there were any mobile phone towers in range, I’d have service.

Facilities

In stark contrast to the day before, I had no problem finding places to eat and drink today. I probably checked out more of them than strictly necessary, just to get out of the rain!

My coffee and enormous baugette at Cakebreads Bakery in Gorran Haven was the perfect way to start the day. There was nothing else open at 8 a.m. anyway, but there are a couple of cafes right on the trail nearby that open later in the morning.

There’s a coffee shack beside the harbour in Portmellon that was very much closed as I walked past: can’t say I blame them, given the driving rain at the time. It’s beside the Rising Sun Inn, which opens at midday most days. Check the opening hours and food service times first, though, if you plan to eat there.

Just over the hill in Mevagissey, you’ve got a wide range of options. I liked the little She Sells Mevagissey cafe for coffee and cake, but there are four traditional pubs, plus bars, restaurants, and several other cafes to choose from. Conveniently, they’re all clustered close to the harbour.

In Pentewan, there are a couple of restaurants of some description inside the holiday park, but I’d personally be more inclined to head for either of the pubs on the edge of the village: they’re very close to each other, and the Coast Path runs straight past them.

There’s a small cafe on the beach at Porthpean as you pass, but if it’s not open or you just want something more substantial, it’s only a mile from there to Charlestown and the many pubs and restaurants on offer there. Springtide was fantastic for dinner, but both of the pubs did decent food as well, and Tenten is the place to go for coffee.

Accommodation

This area of the Coast Path isn’t great for campsites: just like the couple of days, they’re thin on the ground on this section. Between Gorran Haven and Charlestown, you’ve really only got the big holiday park on the trail at Pentewan Sands, or the smaller, more relaxed Meadows Campsite a mile inland from there on the B3273.

You could also continue on a little further past Charlestown to Carlyon Bay, where Carlyon Bay Camping Park is close to the path (albeit on the other side of the railway tracks).

If you’re not camping, you’ve got far more choice about where you stay. This apartment is an excellent option in Portmellon, and unsurprisingly given its larger size, there are a few good, well-priced places in Megavissey as well. I’d start with the Wheel House or Harbour Tavern, both of which are right beside the harbour.

If you can’t quite make it all the way to Charlestown, stop a mile beforehand at this apartment in Porthpean. Otherwise, continue on a little further to take advantage of the better selection of accommodation and restaurants: as well as the Sail Loft that we stayed in and loved, the Rashleigh Arms has well-priced rooms and good food, and the same with Pier House.