Port Isaac, Cornwall to Padstow, Cornwall

Quite strenuous till you get to Port Quin, then the going becomes easier

miles 35 - 38

The Coast Path climbs out of Port Isaac on the south side of the harbour, round Lobber Point and then down past Pine Haven, a very pleasant spot. Up the other side of this valley to the cliff tops again and then the path goes up and down along the cliffs until it turns round Killen Head and drops to Port Quin

Port Quin is a pretty hamlet of a few houses, and no shops. It had a pilchard salting "factory" in the last century, but when the pilchard shoals disappeared, then the hamlet became redundant. This is now owned by the National Trust and is rented out as holiday cottages

The path follows the road steeply out of port Quin, past a large National Trust holiday house, and to seaward is Doyden Castle, which is a 19th century folly, used originally for upper class gambling parties, but now it too is owned by the National Trust.

On past disused mine shafts to the sandy beach at Lundy Bay

north of Port Quin	Port Quin inlet	Port Quin
Doyden Castle from Port Quin		The port !

miles 38 - 40

Its a fairly level walk now along the cliff tops . You can cut off the headland of Pentire Point to get to Polzeath quicker, but the Iron Age settlement and fortifications on the point make the walk round the coast worthwhile.  You can clearly see three lines of ramparts and their gates closing off the tip of the promontory

miles 40 - 42

Round Pentire Point and into Padstow Bay. The rock formations change here from the layers of sedimentary rocks that we have seen in folded layers to more massive lavas from volcanoes deep in the ground. Soon the path drop down to a sandy beach at Pentireglaze Haven, then up to the Victorian houses of New Polzeath. And past the short row of these hoses, and on to Polzeath at the head of the beach

Polzeath ahead	Polzeath beach in winter	south from Polzeath

miles 42 - 45

From Polzeath it is an easy walk to Padstow. Round the edge of the cliffs to Daymer Bay, and the start of a sandy beach running for miles into the Camel Estuary.

You pass St Enodoc Church, burial place of John Betjeman. It was built in the 6th century as an Oratory, and lay buried for years under the sands. They still have difficulty keeping the sands out!

You can either go along the beach, or follow the marked path over the golf course. Near the Rock Hotel you came to the ferry to take you to Padstow. Though the ferry does operate in winter as well as summer, its hours are more catholic in the winter, so check in advance.

Padstow is an old fishing port, that still has a fishing fleet. In the last century it was a Transatlantic port, until the Camel silted up and navigation was no longer possible for larger vessels. Today the Doom Bar, on the south side of the estuary, between Padstow and the sea, continues to wreck vessels even today.

Prideaux Place, a stately home overlooks the town. But Padstow is probably best known today for the transitory fame that television has brought Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant (plus Mr Steins various other business ventures in Padstow)

Rock from Padstow war memorial	Mr Steins Sea Food Restaurant	the ferry route to Rock
	Padstow's inner and outer harbours

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Corisande Manor Hotel, Cornwall Corisande Manor Hotel, Newquay, Cornwall - the place to stay to explore the Cornish Coast

And if you want to learn more about Cornwall, then try our Cornish information site, Cornwall Calling

Cornwall Coast - your guide to the Cornish Coastal Path