Cornwall is one of the best places in England to enjoy long walks and hikes. The miles of South West Coast Path are perfect for walking. Here’s my pick of the five best walks and views in Cornwall, England.
Cornwall is a great place to visit if you enjoy long walks and beautiful coastal views. In the South West corner of the UK, it’s one of my favourite places to go for a walking holiday. With my best walks and views in Cornwall, you can enjoy the best that this part of England has to offer.
Cornwall has hundreds of miles of the South West Coast Path, which follows the whole county around the coast. It’s well sign-posted, with plenty of car parks, pubs, villages and hotels along the route. So you can just park and walk, for as long as you want.
If you’re planning to walk along part of the South West Coast Path in Cornwall, it’s important to be prepared for the weather. The weather can change quickly on the coast, and it can often feel very windy, with no shade or shelter on hot sunny days or rainy days. Make sure you’re prepared, taking waterproofs, sun protection, food and drink. And good hiking boots are essential. And you’ll want to have a car to make the most of the more secluded areas of coast away from the main towns and cities.
Cornwall’s long coastal paths give endless opportunities for walks. It can be hard to choose exactly where to walk. So here’s my pick of the best walks and views in Cornwall, England.
1. Crantock Beach to Holywell Bay
The first of my pick of the best walks and views in Cornwall is the walk from Crantock Beach to Holywell Bay.
Crantock Beach is one of my favourite beaches in Cornwall. It’s just outside the popular town of Newquay, but it doesn’t feel like it’s connected to the town. It’s a huge beach, especially at low tide. You can park in the National Trust car park at Crantock Beach. Just make sure you get here fairly early, as it’s not a huge car park so it can get busy at peak times.
Start your walk by taking the coast path directly from the car park onto the sand dunes behind Crantock Beach. This path gives you lovely views down to the beach as you walk along the sand dunes.
Continue following the coast path behind the beach, enjoying all the views back over the beach. It’s just a stunning part of the walk.
More beaches, and seals!
As soon as you start losing sight of Crantock Beach, you’re rewarded with views of another beach. Once you turn the corner at the headland, you can quickly start to see the beach called Polly Joke. It’s a more secluded beach than Crantock, and it’s also beautiful. Follow the coast path all around the beach, giving you great views of it on all sides.
Soon after, you’ll get to one of the best places in Cornwall to spot seals in the wild. There’s a small cove, just after Polly Joke beach, that often has seals. Of course, you’ll have to be lucky to spot them here – they’re wild animals, so there’s no guarantee that there will be seals around here. But if you’re lucky, you might spot some resting on the beach, or swimming in the sheltered water. I’ve had some great sightings of seals here, and it’s always the highlight of my day.
Once you’ve walked past Kelsey Head, you’ll see Holywell Bay as well. You can walk as far as you want, before turning back to walk back to Crantock. On your way back, I recommend walking along Crantock Beach rather than on the sand dunes behind. It gives some different views, and it’s beautiful seeing the huge beach at low tide. You could even go for a paddle in the sea if you’re feeling brave!
2. St Agnes Head to Portreath
Another of the best walks with great views in Cornwall is the walk from St Agnes Head to Portreath. You can park in the small car park at St Agnes Head. And as soon as you head towards the sea, you’re rewarded with stunning sea views.
This is a great walk to admire the impressive cliffs in this part of Cornwall. There aren’t so many beaches on this walk, but you can see some really impressive cliffs and rocks. It’s amazing to stand on the cliffs and watch the sea crashing onto the rocks below you.
This part of Cornwall’s coastline has a lot of links to Cornwall’s mining heritage. It’s a great place to enjoy getting to know some of Cornwall’s history a bit more. A few hundred years ago, most people who lived in this area either worked in the mines, or were the wealthy owners of the mines. As you walk, you constantly see signs of dis-used mines and the remains of old mines. Some of the entrances to the mines still exist – and some of them look really creepy and dark. It makes you realise how it must have been a hard life, to have lived here as a mine worker.
Keep walking along the St Agnes Heritage Coast until you get views of Portreath Beach. Then it’s time to re-trace your steps to walk back to St Agnes Head.
3. The Lizard
My favourite walk with views on the south coast of Cornwall is the walk around The Lizard. The Lizard is the most southern point of the UK. There’s a big car park here, but it still can get busy. But it’s worth getting here early so you can get a car parking space. And once you start walking along the coast path, you soon lose most of the people and can have most of the area to yourself.
The Lizard has a famous lighthouse on Lizard Point. And the coastal scenery around here is just stunning. There are so many impressive cliff and rock formations. On windy days, it can be exhilarating to stand on the cliff path and just feel the wind, and also see the big waves crashing onto the rocks below you.
There are lots of options for walks around The Lizard, and all of them are just as nice as each other. I tend to walk from The Lizard in the direction of Land’s End. But you can also walk in the other direction, and the views are equally stunning. And keep an eye out for any animals in the sea as well. The Lizard can be one of the best spots in Cornwall to see whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks. There have even been sightings of Orca here in 2026, although that is really rare. But you can often spot dolphins, porpoises, or the fins of basking sharks as the migrate past this coastline.
4. Perranporth Sand Dunes to Holywell
If you’re looking for a walk that is more about beaches and sand dunes, rather than big cliffs, then I recommend the walk around Perran Sands Beach. This huge beach starts at Perranporth town, which is the perfect place to park. There’s a car park right next to the beach, but there’s another one about 10 minutes walk uphill, which tends to be a lot quieter. I always choose this car park, as it gives you lovely views over Perranporth Beach before you walk down.
Walk downhill to Perranporth Beach, and then find the coast path that goes just behind Perran Sands beach. The path quickly dips into the sand dunes. And it’s a beautiful place to walk. You still get lovely views down to Perran Sands Beach. But you also get views of really impressive sand dunes. There are times when you could easily believe that you’re in a small desert, with the sand dunes rising high on each side of you.
I really enjoyed walking among the sand dunes behind Perran Sands Beach. It felt really unique, and really different to the other coastal walks in Cornwall that follow the cliffs.
At the end of Perran Sands sand dunes, continue along the coast path to the headland. You might be lucky and spot some semi-wild ponies grazing here. Keep following the coast path towards Holywell Beach, enjoying the cliffs and coastal views.
When you’re ready to turn back, I recommend walking along Perran Sands beach rather than through the sand dunes on your way back. Perran Sands Beach, which connects to Perranporth beach and town, is a beautiful beach in Cornwall. It’s a huge beach at low tide, with beautiful views out to sea. And if you’re feeling brave, you can enjoy a paddle or swim in the sea on your way back.
5. Mevagissey to Portholland
The last of my pick of the best walks and views in Cornwall is the walk from Mevagissey to Portholland. This walk is on the south coast of Cornwall, and it feels a bit different from the other walks. It starts in the cute fishing villages of Mevagissey. Mevagissey is one of my favourite villages in Cornwall. It’s a really cute place, that feels really historic. You can park at the large car and coach park, which you get to just before the road goes into the village.
It’s definitely worth spending some time looking around Mevagissey village, either at the start or the end of your walk. And it’s a great place to enjoy a Cornish Pasty – there are several bakeries selling freshly baked Cornish Pasties, that you can enjoy eating sat next to the harbour. It’s a great way to get some energy for your walk!
The views of the harbour in Mevagissey are lovely. It’s nice to walk around the harbour and look at all the fishing boats. Then, take the coast path as it climbs steeply up from the village. When you start climbing, you get lovely views back onto the village. I last did this walk on a slightly rainy day, so it was a shame not to be able to see the views in the sun, but it was still lovely.
The rest of the walk just follows the coast path towards Portholland. The cliffs can be slightly less dramatic here than they are on the north coast of Cornwall. But it’s still a lovely part of Cornwall. Once you get to Portholland, turn back and head back to Mevagissey. And on the way back, you can stop at one of Mevagissey’s tea rooms to enjoy a Cornish cream tea as a reward for all the walking and hiking you’ve enjoyed on Cornwall’s best walks.
Hope you enjoy my pick of the best walks and views in Cornwall! Make sure you also check out my top things to do in Cornwall in all weathers for more things to enjoy in this beautiful corner of England. Or, for more fantastic walks with views, check out my best walks and views in the Lake District, the best walks on the Gower Peninsula in Wales, or around Bournemouth, Sidmouth, and Yorkshire.
