Main Claire's Itchy Feet logo

Cornwall Coastal Path Boscastle to Tintagel

One of the best ways to spend a day in Cornwall is coastal walking. As long as the weather is on your side you can spend the day being stunned by Cornwall’s beauty along Cornwall coastal path. There are many different walks you can do depending on the time you have and how difficult a walk you would like. To help you get your walking shoes on here is my guide to coastal walks Cornwall Boscastle to Tintagel.

Why Visit Coastal Walks Cornwall

There are so many reasons why you need to visit Cornwall. One is to check out the Cornwall coastal path. If you are from the UK and have never visited Cornwall, or done any coastal walking then what are you waiting for? Jump in your car and head down the M5 right now to experience what these south west coast path walks have to offer and plan a walking holiday Cornwall style.

There is a lovely walk close to Plymouth from Mount Edgecombe to Kingsand/ Cawsand. You can even carry on up to Whitsand Bay if you still have the energy. But today I decided to try somewhere new, so Boscastle to Tintagel it was.

Did You Get Travel Insurance Yet?

The Insurance companies I recommend are Hey Mondo and Safety Wing

Hey Mondo is great if you are looking for a great value flexible policy. They offer single-trip cover, annual multi-trip cover, and long-term travel cover. Safety Wing is great value, with monthly coverage starting at $45.08. It’s super easy to use, and it just renews each month. I currently use them as they offer me free cover for my son as part of my policy.

Read my full travel insurance post here, where I go into detail about all companies. 

Visiting Boscastle

Steeped in history Boscastle was a medieval settlement that dates back to the Iron Age.

Coastal Walks Cornwall | Cornwall Coast Path Boscastle to Tintagel

In the 19th century, it became an important trading town, but it was more recently in 2004 when Boscastle became well known in the UK after a flash flood devastated the entire town. A multimillion-pound investment was made into its regeneration and it is now a much-loved tourist destination as well as a well-visited day trip for locals (like me).

Coastal Walks Cornwall | Cornwall Coast Path Boscastle to Tintagel

Getting to Boscastle

I traveled there by car. You can get there by public transport but it is difficult. If it’s a weekend it’s even more difficult. So if possible, renting a car is your best bet if you don’t have your own. There is a local bus service run by First Cornwall so you can check timetables etc ahead of time. The closest train station is Bodmin and you will need to get a bus from there. Be aware though the buses and trains aren’t the most reliable. They are often late or canceled. Normally because a cow has wandered onto the tracks/ road…

Arriving in Boscastle

When you arrive in Boscastle park in the car park (pay and display) and take a walk through the village.

I decided to eat at The Riverside as it was quite early and everything was still shut. As it is also a B&B it was very busy with guests, so be warned you may have a bit of a wait on your hands. When I did finally get served it was totally worth the wait. Order the full English with a pot of Earl Gray, you won’t regret it and it will fill you up for the walk ahead.

Coastal Walks Cornwall | Cornwall Coast Path Boscastle to Tintagel

Get informed at the visitor center

Fed and watered, take a walk to the National Trust Visitor Center to get a map and the latest visitor information, they will also give you the current times of the buses so you can get back from Tintagel.

I actually didn’t plan on walking the coastal path until I went in and spoke to the lovely (and very helpful) people who work in there. They suggested doing the coastal walk to Tintagel and getting the bus back (they even gave me a timetable and told me where to get the bus from!).

It is worth mentioning that I was advised to drive to Tintagel to park my car, (as it’s free) and then walk to Boscastle and get the bus back to my car. But I didn’t mind paying and I was keen to start my walk. If you are planning to do this walk through it is great advice worth considering as the parking is free.

Make sure you pick up a map

If you get the map from them (£1) the distance, the time it takes and the degree of difficulty are on the front. This walk was 5 miles, 3 hours and a moderate degree of difficulty. It pointed out some of the sights I would have missed, or not know what to look for without it.

Powered by GetYourGuide. Become a partner.

What to Pack and what to wear

This was an unplanned walk so I wasn’t as prepared as I would have liked. I would advise taking plenty of water, and some snacks with you. The walk takes around 3-4 hours and even with my big breakfast, I got peckish.

Dress appropriately for the weather. If you are in shorts and a vest top then make sure you wear sunscreen. I wore normal training shoes (sneakers) and they were fine. If it’s wet then I would advise hiking shoes/ boots or shoes with a good grip as my trainers wouldn’t have cut it grip-wise. Lots of people had walking sticks, I didn’t miss them so this would be a personal preference.

The Walk from Boscastle to Tintagel

Walking Cornwall’s coastal path is stunning! The weather was pretty perfect for walking: nice breeze, not too hot with a bit of light rain every now and again.

The map was easy to follow and it gave some really clear reference points to keep me reassured I was heading in the right direction.

I also passed plenty of other walkers, I even sat at the top on one cliff and chatted to a walker for about 15 minutes while we both had a quick water break.

Even without a map, I think you would struggle to get lost on this track as it’s pretty well-marked.

It was mostly a pretty easy enjoyable walk, there were moments I felt ‘the burn’, but the breath-taking view you get at the top of a hill makes the pain of the climb so worth it.

One thing I would say doesn’t forget to keep looking behind you! Sometimes the view behind you is even more beautiful and you can become so focused on getting up the next hill you forget to stop and look around.

Coastal Walks Cornwall | Cornwall Coast Path Boscastle to Tintagel

 

Things to do in Tintagel

You will know you are close to Tintagel when you see King Arthur’s Castle/Hotel at the top of Smiths Cliff.

Don’t do what I did and walk towards it (unless you specifically want to go there), walk around and down and you will see Tintagel haven and the remains of Tintagel Castle.

Coastal Walks Cornwall | Cornwall Coast Path Boscastle to Tintagel

The castle is under the guardianship of English Heritage and you do need to pay to enter. I’m a bit frightened of heights and the bridge put me off a bit so I admired it from a distance. I did, however, treat myself to a fish pie in the café there, though, which was the perfect end to my walk!

They offer tourists a drop off service back into the town for £2 if you are too tired to walk up the last hill. I decided to keep walking and headed up to the church before walking back down into the town.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have much time to explore the town, as my bus was due, the next one wasn’t for over 2 hours (buses in Cornwall and Devon aren’t the most regular especially on a weekend).

Padstow

As I still had a few hours of daylight left when I returned to my car I decided to take a drive down the coast to Padstow for a traditional Cornish Cream Tea before home. I love Padstow and have been there many times before (Normally after a leisurely bike ride along the Camel Trail).

It’s a lovely fishing town with some really quaint shops selling local produce. If you want good fish and chips and a Cornish cream tea in between shopping then Padstow is the perfect place.

This was such a fun day out for me and I can’t recommend walking the coastal paths in Cornwall enough.

Final Thoughts

Coastal Walks in CornwallPick a place along the coast you like the look of. Head there in your car and go to the Visitor’s Center. They will give you all the information you need to know including safety and weather warnings for that day. It’s best to drive to your destination and get the bus back.

Although I didn’t do this, I would next time.

The buses aren’t very regular and there is a very real chance that you could not be able to get back if something happens to the buses. There aren’t many taxis either so they can’t be relied upon. At least if you drive then you can take the bus to the starting place and if you have a long wait go and find a nice local coffee shop to wait for the bus.

If you decide to stay in the area overnight here are some of my hotel recommendations:

Tregatherall Lodge

Bridge House B & B

King Arthurs Arms

Coastal Walks Cornwall

The form you have selected does not exist.

Are you traveling in The United Kingdom? Be sure to check out my other blog posts:

Coastal Walking in Cornwall | Boscastle to Tintagel

7 reasons to visit Cornwall in the United Kingdom

7 reasons to visit Devon in the United Kingdom

How to spend a day in Bath, United Kingdom

Coastal Walking in Cornwall | Porthcurno to Gwennap Head

What’s in my Bag | Packing advice for Europe

This post was proofread by Grammarly

Ioana

Monday 3rd of September 2018

Thank you, your post was very helpful!