Portscatho to Gorran Haven: South West Coast Path Day 30 Guide

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In contrast to yesterday morning’s deluge, I had hardly any wind or rain overnight and woke up to a perfect blue sky. All except for one small black cloud, which quietly drifted overhead as I was making coffee and dumped its contents for just long enough to ensure I put away a wet tent yet again.

Even so, I strode out of the campsite under sunny skies, and didn’t get another drop of rain all day. Absolutely taking that as a win.

Less of a win was the discovery as I passed through Portscatho a few minutes later that nowhere was yet open for breakfast on this Monday morning. What I didn’t yet realise is that nothing would be open for the next 10 miles either, but that was a problem for future Dave to deal with.

Other than the lack of food, Portscatho looked lovely in the morning sunshine, with a few small boats bobbing in the ocean or pulled up on the slipway. Merging seamlessly into Porthcurnick on the other side of the bay, the path went around the back of the beach and up a road onto low cliffs with great views back over where I’d just been walking.

I couldn’t help but notice a couple of people swimming below me; even on a day like today, I’m not sure there’s a wetsuit thick enough to get me out there with them. I’ve had a pathological hatred of cold water ever since primary school, where the swimming pool had literal chunks of ice in it. The North Atlantic isn’t much warmer.

Leaving them to it, I passed the small Coastwatch lookout and started out on a delightful two-mile stretch along the cliffs. The path rose and fell a bit, but it was nothing by the usual standards of the Coast Path, and I was having a wonderful time.

Sandy Porthbean beach looked like a great spot to spend the day, but I had only seaweed and driftwood for company I as walked along it: apparently it was still a bit too early for beachgoers to show up.

The path then climbed off the beach and up onto a grassy hillside: given how hard and rocky some of the earlier parts of the Coast Path had been, I was loving this new approach to trail creation.

Continuing along the wide sweep of Gerrans Bay, I eventually arrived at a narrow lane which signalled the start of Pendower Beach. Apparently at some point this lane continued on a little further, but no longer: large signs warned of road closure due to coastal erosion.

Arriving just after 10 a.m., I thought I’d timed things perfectly to get breakfast at the spectacularly-named Shallikabooky Beach Hut, which I’d had recommended to me by a guy I’d met a few days back in Lizard. Sadly the gates were locked and there were no signs of life inside; I hung around for a few minutes just in case, but it wasn’t to be.

Walking around the back of a fancy hotel overlooking pretty Carne Beach, the narrow path climbed back up onto bracken-covered hills. The impressive Narn headland was clearly visible up ahead, the cliffs getting more rugged and rocky the closer I got to it, and the path getting steeper along with it.

After a quick look at the ruins of an old fisherman’s cottage, I climbed up to round the headland, and was immediately smacked in the face by the views. It didn’t seem to matter what direction I was facing, I felt the need to take a photo: this was easily the most impressive part of today’s walk.

Despite my rumbling stomach, I was in no hurry as I strolled around the headland. On a day like today, with views like this and only pheasants for company, I couldn’t bring myself to rush.

Like many parts of the Coast Path, this area is very prone to erosion: so many of the beaches were covered in large rocks that had clearly fallen from the cliffs above. They were impressive to look at, but also a good reminder not to wander too close to the edge. Some parts definitely felt like they’d also end up in the ocean before long.

The path descended gradually along the other side of Narn Head, climbing briefly at Blouth Point before passing through a field and dropping again to cross a small river. After one more steep climb back up to the cliffs, I could soon see Portloe in front of me, looking an absolute picture in the sunshine.

I wasn’t sure there’d be anywhere to eat here either, so when I saw a sign outside the Lugger Hotel advertising food, I was thrilled. Little did I know that I’d be much more thrilled by the time I left: this fancy hotel restaurant was the scene for the most wonderful act of kindness I’d experience on this entire walk.

The Lugger is a five star hotel, and even at lunchtime, the restaurant prices were enough to have me ordering water instead of Coke just to try and stay within budget. Eating my fish sandwich on the terrace, a friendly couple joined me outside for a coffee soon after, and struck up a conversation.

They’d walked the South West Coast Path themselves in sections over the years, and our discussion meandered naturally from long walks to life philosophies to, well, anything and everything, really. It was the type of chat I don’t get to have often enough, but always enjoy immensely when it happens.

Eventually they finished their drinks and wished me luck, before heading off for a day walk of their own. A few minutes later I grabbed my backpack and wandered inside to pay, only to be told “no charge, sir. The couple you were talking to covered your lunch as well.”

I couldn’t believe it, and my voice cracked as I double-checked what the waiter had said. These lovely strangers had paid for my meal without telling me, for no reason other than that they could. At a time in the world when there’s so much distrust and negativity, having my faith in humanity restored like this was remarkable. What wonderful, generous people they were.

My heart felt much lighter as I climbed up the steep lane out of Portloe, even if my backpack didn’t, and the great mood I’d been in all morning lifted even higher. That turned out to be a good thing, as while the views and weather were as good as they’d been all day, the next couple of miles to Portholland were quite tough.

Having avoided most of the usual sharp descents and steep climbs so far today, they came back with a vengeance on this section. The path hugged the side of the cliffs as it rose and fell above inaccessible rocky coves, on what felt like a surprisingly isolated part of the trail that took over an hour to walk.

Descending into Portholland and looking for any excuse for a break, I stopped at Pebbles Cafe and Crafts for a coffee. It’s an unusual place, selling food, drink, and handmade crafts (clue’s in the name, I guess), and even though the coffee was from a pod machine and not particularly good, I enjoyed being able to sit in the sun overlooking the beach as I drank it.

Back up the other side (are you sensing a theme yet?), the path meandered through a vast sloping grass field and past a long row of wild blackberry on its way into Porthluney Cove. The bushes hadn’t quite been picked clean by other walkers yet, so I did my best to finish the job.

Passing a cafe right on the beach that I’d have absolutely stopped it if it hadn’t only been 20 minutes since my last coffee, I paused briefly to admire nearby Caerhays Castle. There were plenty of people near the beach but they disappeared as soon as I got back up on the cliffs.

After another two-mile stretch of attractive, isolated, and decidedly undulating trail past Greeb Point and Hemmick Beach, I found myself with a decision to make.

Just like earlier in the day at Nare Head, a large promontory had dominated the horizon for what felt like hours as I’d made my way around the bay. This time it was Dodman Point, and my desire to just cut across it to the campsite was pretty high. My legs were tired, I hadn’t eaten enough today, and it would save at least an hour of walking. Surely it’d be ok to skip it, right?

Wrong. I knew that completionist me would eternally regret that decision, and so with only two or three forlorn backward glances, I set out around the headland.

My legs had strong opinions about that choice, but every other part of me thought it was worth the effort. The views were glorious, the trail was soft and grassy, and after the initial steep climb near the start, the path stayed pretty level the whole way around.

After passing a pony engaged in important track maintenance work, I made it to the dramatic stone cross on the tip of the headland and turned for the final short stretch towards Gorran Haven. Before reaching it, an unmarked footpath led up from the trail towards Treveague Campsite, my intended home for the night.

After a couple of brief but infuriating wrong turns, I found the site, wandered into the reception area, and enquired about my three most pressing issues: somewhere to pitch a tent, somewhere to shower, and somewhere to eat. Luckily for me, they could help with all three.

After devouring a surprisingly good pizza in the campsite restaurant that night, I had a wine with a wiry old fellow walker who’d I’d run into a few times over recent days. We both agreed it had been a beautiful but lengthy section; while it had been a day of perfect weather and spectacular views, we were both exhausted by the end.

If I made it past sunset before falling asleep that night, it wasn’t by much.

Planning

Started at: Treloan Coastal Holidays (0.3 miles/0.5km off-trail)

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

This was a much larger and more corporate campsite than I expected it to be, but in the end I quite enjoyed staying there. The staff in the bar and restaurant were lovely, and other than having to pay for showers (which isn’t all that unusual), I didn’t feel nickel and dimed during my stay.

There was only one other walker staying there that night, and we were both relegated to a sloping field at the far end of the campsite. Still, the flattest part also happened to be the most sheltered part beside a row of trees, so other than a long walk to the showers and toilets, I can’t complain.

Speaking of the shower and toilet block, it was clean and functional if not particularly large. I imagine it gets quite busy in high season, but it was fine when I was there. The showers use tokens that cost 50p each for four minutes.

I was very impressed by the onsite cafe and bar, and not only because there was nowhere else open nearby for dinner that night. My pizza was excellent, the wine was well-priced and drinkable, and the atmosphere was relaxed but not dead.

The quickest way to get there from the Coast Path is to wait until you start walking below the small lane called Lamledra Hill, then find a path up the bank to the lane. Walk back along the lane, following it around to the right, then take a right turn down the signposted footpath to the campsite.

I paid £14 for my pitch, plus 50p for the shower token.

Transport and Parking

Public transport isn’t particularly useful on this section: you’re looking at three buses and 2-3 hours to get between Portscatho and Gorran Haven. Even getting between Portscatho and Portloe or Portloe and Gorran Haven is quite difficult, not helped by long gaps between services.

If you still want to try, the best option is to take the number 50 bus from Portscatho to Tregony, the number 51 to St Austell, and then the number 23 to Gorran Haven. You can pick up the 23 from outside St Mewan School on the outskirts of St Austell, but given you’re likely to have a long wait, I’d be more inclined to go into town and amuse myself there instead.

The 50 service runs every day, the other two don’t operate on Sundays or bank holidays.

To get from Portscatho to Portloe, take the number 50 to Tregony and then the number 51 in the opposite direction back to Portloe. If you’ve walked from Portscatho to Portloe and decided you’ve had enough time on your feet today, take the 51 to St Austell and then the 23 to Gorran Haven as above.

There’s also a community bus that runs a loop service from Gorran Haven four times a week: it’s more useful for the next section towards Mevagissey, but because it goes via St Austell, you might be able to use it today instead of the number 23 if the timings work for you.

If you’re planning to do a car shuffle instead of dealing with public transport on this section, I don’t blame you. There’s a free parking lot in Gerrans on Treloan Lane, and a reasonably-priced one beside the trail as you’re leaving Portscatho.

There’s a small free parking area where the road (Rocky Lane) ends beside Pendower Beach, and two National Trust carparks nearby: one at Pendower Beach, the other at Carne Beach. While there’s no carpark directly at Narn Head, the National Trust parking lot at Kiberick Cove is close by and right beside the trail.

There’s a small carpark a little uphill from the trail at Portloe village; it costs a reasonable £3 to park there all day, payable by cash in the honesty box. You might be able to snag one of the few on-street parks in Portholland, but if not, there’s a pay and display carpark beside where I stopped for coffee at Pebbles Cafe.

The carpark at Porthluney Beach is surprisingly large, if not particularly cheap: pay by cash or contactless, since there’s generally no phone signal for parking apps.

There’s a National Trust carpark at Dodman Point, and finally, you’ve got two options for Gorran Haven: the cheapest for all-day parking is the Vault Beach carpark just south of the village. It’s National Trust, or pay with cash in the honesty box if you’re not a member.

Waymarking and Navigation

The signage today was pretty good, and with only small villages to navigate and a lot of coastal clifftop walking, it wasn’t hard to stay on track. The most difficult part of the day was finding the best way to get to my campsite at the end!

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 Portscatho to Portloe section is covered here, while Portloe to Gorran Haven is part of 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 in short supply today, at least with O2. It’s a pretty remote part of the trail, with no major towns nearby, and I often went quite a while without much or any signal.

I had reasonable service at the campsites at either end, very little when rounding either of the large headlands, and a mixed bag elsewhere depending mostly on how high up I was. In general on most of the beaches and in the villages, there was almost no signal at all.

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

As I complained about mentioned earlier, I had a hard time getting fed and watered on this section. Part of that was due to walking on a Monday when some places were closed, part of it was due to just passing some of the cafes and restaurants too early in the day.

Basically, I’d recommend checking opening hours carefully before setting out, and having some food in your backpack regardless.

As long as you’re there on a day that isn’t Monday, Tatums in Portscatho is the obvious place for breakfast: it opens at 8 a.m. If you’re starting out later in the day, you’ll also have the option of the Hidden Hut behind Porthcurnick Beach, which opens at 10 a.m.

Shallikabooky Beach Hut at Pendower Beach also apparently opens at 10, but not on the day I was there. If it is open when you pass, it’s apparently pretty good. If you’re in the mood for something fancier and more expensive for lunch, there’s also the Quarterdeck restaurant at Carne Beach, part of the Nare hotel.

After that, you’re on your own until you get to Portloe, which is where that lovely couple paid for my lunch at The Lugger hotel. It’s also relatively expensive, but sitting on the sunny terrace overlooking the beach was great. There are also toilets and a place to fill your water bottle on the path on the way down to the village.

Portholland has Pebbles Cafe and Crafts, where I stopped for a coffee; next time I’d probably keep going a bit further to Caerhays Beach Cafe at Porthluney Beach.

If you’re staying at the same campsite I did, you could do a lot worse than eat at the restaurant there. If not, there’s a fish and chip shop in Gorran Haven (again, check the opening hours), as well as a couple of cafes and a bakery/convenience store that are open during the day but not for dinner.

Accommodation

Just like the day before, campsites are thin on the ground on this section: between Portscatho and Gorran Haven you’ve really only got two choices.

There’s Merrose St Mawes Caravan and Motorhome Club, inland between Porthbean and Pendower beaches: it only has only a small number of tent pitches and closes in early September. There’s also Veryan Camping and Caravanning, but it’s a solid mile and a half off the trail behind Portloe.

Neither is particularly appealing for walkers, which helps explain why I carried on to Treveague campsite!

If you’re not camping, you’ve got a few options, although as usual many of them require 2+ night stays. Of those that don’t, the 17th-century Lugger Hotel, where I had lunch in Portloe, would be an excellent choice if you were looking to split the day in two.

You could also go for the well-priced New Inn in Veryan, a mile inland: leave the trail just before Portloe and walk up country lanes to get there. This cottage in Gorran Haven is also available for single-night stays: with two bedrooms, it’d be ideal for a pair of friends or couples.