South West Coast Path - Perranuthnoe to Piskies Cove
Perranuthnoe to Piskies Cove
Notes from the South West Coast Path; in this blog series we document the short stretches we've done with the aim of helping others to enjoy it piece by piece. If there is any useful information that we’ve missed out, let us know in the comments!
Distance and details
2 miles (and back again) - 4 miles / 6.4 km total
Starting and finishing – Car park at Perranuthnoe beach, TR20 9NE (what3words alarm.radar.springing)
Halfway point – HMS Warspite monument, TR20 9BB (what3words sparrows.composed.tank)
Ease of walking
This route is fairly easy with a few hills and rockier sections. Some of the paths were quite narrow with spiky or stinging plants like gorse, blackthorn and nettles so long trousers are a good idea. We would recommend walking out on to Cudden Point which has stunning views out west to St Michaels Mount and Tater-Du as well as east across to Praa, Porthleven and the Lizard. Some of the paths were tiny trails with some steep slopes so it's not for everyone but well worth veering off the coast path if you don't mind heights. We ate our pasties sheltering from the wind here amongst the wildflowers and butterflies.
Wildlife
As mentioned, Cudden Point is a brilliant look out spot across Mounts Bay and east towards the Lizard if you want to try to spot whales or dolphins. During the walk we saw two seals on the reef at Stackhouse Cove. As well as birds of prey such as kestrels and buzzards. We also saw lots of butterflies and coast path regulars; Stonechats, Shags, Cormorants and Gannets.
Refreshments
Perranuthnoe has two great cafes; the Cabin and Peppercorn cafe. For this walk we bought pasties on the drive over from Falmouth and found a sheltered spot on Cudden Point to eat our picnic. There are no other facilities on the route so make sure you plan for this.
Toilets
There are public toilets in the Perranuthnoe car park and if you're eating in restaurants then there will be facilities for customers. Aside from that you may need to find a spot for a wild wee en route!
Parking
Perranuthnoe has a small car park with an honesty box system to pay, remember a few pound coins to pay with. Alternatively if you wanted to do this walk in reverse and start at Prussia Cove there's a small free car park there. (TR18 3EL or ///crispier.fixed.occupations)
Time to spare?
There are lots of fantastic swimming or snorkelling spots due to the rocky coves and shelfs. Piskies, Prussia or Stackhouse Coves are all excellent options. The walk out to Piskies took us about 2 hours as we stopped for lots of photos, watched the seals at Stackhouse Cove and ate lunch on Cudden Point. On the way back it took us less than an hour. If you're a more efficient walker than us then walking on to Praa Sands or even Rinsey Cove for some lunch would be a great idea.
