Being a well-known holiday destination in the UK, Cornwall is always chockablock full during summer. This can lead to busy hiking trails, which can take the enjoyment and calmness out of your hiking experience in Cornwall. The solution is simple, head to Cornwall for a hiking trip in winter. If you can catch a break from the weather, you can expect spectacular hiking trails without the crowds.
Of course, a downside to any hiking trip during winter in the UK is the shorter days. It means you’ll be hiking from sun-up to sun-down to squeeze in a long day hike or multiple trails. Despite only having one day in Cornwall, we were able to squeeze in the two best hikes in Cornwall into that one day; Zennor to St Ives in the morning and the Lizard Coastal Walk in the afternoon.
In this guide, we’ll detail how to fit these two awesome winter walks into one full day of hiking. We’ll discuss the logistics, provide GPS-guided trail maps and show you photos of these two incredible Cornwall hiking trails.
If you’re not convinced about hiking in Cornwall during winter, check out our YouTube production below. This video shows off the Zennor to St Ives and Lizard Coastal Walk trails, completed in one epic day during winter. We’ve also included aerial footage of St Michaels Mount, which can be visited in between these trails (time allowing).
Cornwall’s Best Hikes on a Winters Day
With so much outstanding coastline, Cornwall has many brilliant coastal walks to choose from. For instance, there are numerous sections of the South West Coast Path (AKA the Cornwall Coast Path) worthy of a day hike.
With only one short winter’s day to experience the best hiking in Cornwall, it can be difficult to choose which trail or trails to prioritise. Given that most of the coastal walks are one-way trails, that presents another logistical issue with trying to fit in more than one hike into your day. But, by hiking Zennor to St Ives and the Lizard Coastal Walk, you’ll be able to fit the best walks in Cornwall into one awesome winter’s day. This is made possible by Go Cornwall Buses.
The Plan: You’ll park in Cornwall, and then catch the earliest 16A bus from St Ives to Zennor. In mid-December 2021, the earliest bus was around 8:30am, but click here for the latest timetable. The bus takes around half an hour, which means you’ll start the hike around 9am.
With a decent hiking speed, you should finish the Zennor to St Ives hike by around midday. You’ll then drive about an hour to get to Lizard to complete the Lizard Coastal Walk, finishing around sunset (somewhere between 4 and 5pm). Thankfully, the Lizard Coastal Walk is a loop, so it’s a great option as your second and final hike for the day.
By following this itinerary, you’ll experience golden hours for sunrise and sunset during both hikes, making the best winter walks in Cornwall even better.
The 2 Best Hikes in Cornwall
Below, we’ll briefly describe the two best hikes in Cornwall, that you can smash out in just one day. The itinerary starts with the Zennor to St Ives trail, which is perhaps the best hike in Cornwall.
1. Zennor to St Ives
- Type: One-way
- Distance: 11.3km
- Time: 3.5 hours
- Accumulated elevation gain: 370m
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: Zennor Bus Stop
From Zennor Bus Stop, you’ll walk through the small, quaint and sleepy town of Zennor. Soon enough, you’ll arrive at the South West Coast Path. There, you’ll find a National Trust signpost and your first sweeping views of the incredible coastline surrounding Zennor.
This is an epic place to take in the golden hour, which is made possible by the late sunrise in winter. After passing a cool rock-stack formation and more glorious coastal views, the trail takes a north-easterly direction away from Zennor and its surrounding coastline.
Afterwards, you’ll reach Wicca Pool. This part of the coast is mostly formed by granite boulders. There’s also an epic series of cascades, hurdling down into the ocean.
We didn’t get any close-up photos of the waterfall, but we did get some great video footage! Check out our YouTube video at 2:02 to see this awesome waterfall. The Wicca Pool area is one of the major attractions of the Zennor to St Ives trail.
As you continue along the coastal path, expect mind-blowing views at every twist and turn. The trail can be moderately steep, rough and slippery in sections, so take care.
Nearing the end of this mesmerising coastal walk, you’ll see Porthmeor Beach along the coast and the outstanding St Ives headland. Before reaching St Ives, you’ll pass Man’s Head, which has a fascinating WWII pillbox to explore. You’ll then walk through the famous Cornish seaside town of St Ives to complete the walk.
It’s now time to jump in the car and head to Lizard for your second winter walk of the day.
Read more: Zennor to St Ives Walk – The Ultimate Guide
2. Modified Lizard Coastal Walk
- Type: Loop
- Distance: 8.2km
- Time: 2.5 hours
- Accumulated elevation gain: 250m
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: Lizard
We slightly modified the ending of the Lizard Coastal Walk. Please visit the National Trust website for the full 11.2km trail.
Without a doubt, this is one of the best hikes in Cornwall. Starting in Lizard, you’ll soon swap road walking for a dirt trail, leading you by farmland. After roughly 2km, you’ll reach the stunning coastline and catch a first glimpse of the phenomenal Kynance Cove. Coined as Britain’s best beach, Kynance Cove is surrounded by amazing sea stacks and beautifully rugged coast. Certainly, we can testify that Kynance Cove is one of the best beaches in the UK!
By following the coast further north, it’s possible to access some epic narrow headlands jutting out from the coast. We also recommend making your way down onto the beach (tide permitting) and exploring the caves and sea stacks that make Kynance Cove truly extraordinary.
Once you’ve checked out this wonderful cove, you’ll briefly retrace your steps and then head further south along the coast. There is an easily distinguishable coastal trail that continuously provides stellar views of the glorious Lizard Peninsula. If you’re battling to complete this trail before sunset, this is a good time to speed hike!
After a spell of speed hiking, and negotiating the undulating trail, you’ll wind around Lizard Point, which is the most southerly point of mainland Britain!
Modified Lizard Coastal Walk Trail Option
Once you’ve passed Lizard Point, continue east along the peninsula. If you have enough time, make sure to continue all the way to the serene Church Bay. However, if you’re running short of daylight, we have a solution for you! It’s possible to shorten this walk by returning to Lizard via a dirt trail leading away from Housel Bay. In its own right, Housel Bay is a lovely spot to take in the golden hour of sunset. Plus, you’ll have a direct and easy route back to Lizard from there.
Besides, the highlights of this walk are Kynance Cove and Lizard Point. So, you shouldn’t have too much FOMO returning to Lizard from Housel Bay.
Read more: Lizard Coastal Walk and Kynance Cove – The Ultimate Guide
The Best Hikes in Cornwall Recap
It’s hard to beat hiking in Cornwall in the South West of England. Undoubtedly, hiking Zennor to St Ives and the Lizard Coastal Walk is even better during winter. Without the summer crowds, you’ll have a much more enjoyable hiking experience. Better yet, if you’re short on time, it’s possible to fit these two awesome winter walks into one day. Hopefully, this guide has given you the know-how to tackle both of these trails on a stellar winter’s day.
For bonus tips, accommodation alternatives to Cornwall and our five hiking essentials, continue below.
Getting to England
If you’re planning on doing this hike from abroad, Newquay is the closest airport to St Ives. You’re looking at an hour’s drive from Newquay to St Ives. Otherwise, it’s about a 5 or 6 hour drive from London and Manchester. When booking flights, use Skyscanner to search for the cheapest flights.
Getting to and Around Cornwall
To complete this one-day Cornwall winter walk itinerary, you’ll need a car! Of course, catching the 16A bus from St Ives to Zennor is a necessary part of completing the two best hikes in Cornwall on a short winter’s day. But, you’ll need a car to get to St Ives initially and then once you’ve finished the hike from Zennor to St Ives, you’ll then need to drive to Lizard for your afternoon hike. To follow this hiking itinerary, public transport isn’t a viable option for getting from St Ives to Lizard.
There are many parking options in St Ives. We highly recommend Trenwith Car Park. It’s a huge car park with plenty of space during the off-season. It was also much cheaper than we had expected, costing only £2.20 for less than 4 hours between 8am–6pm. This parking rate only applies from 1 November to 31 March, which is another great reason to visit Cornwall for a hiking trip in winter. The prices for parking go up extortionately during peak season.
In terms of parking in Lizard, we recommend the main car park in town. There’s plenty of space during winter and best of all, it’s free with no time constraints.
If you don’t have your own set of wheels, consider renting a car.
Car Hire
If you don’t have your own car, you should hire one using Discover Cars. Personally, we use Discover Cars and highly recommend them for finding your ideal car hire at an affordable price. Booking online is super easy and the free cancellation policy is great.
To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.
Accommodation in Cornwall
Being a popular holiday destination, there are plenty of lovely places to stay in Cornwall. One of the most popular areas to stay in Cornwall is St Ives. Otherwise, we recommend using Booking.com to find your perfect accommodation in Cornwall.
Gear Essentials For the Best Hikes in Cornwall
These are our gear essentials for tackling the best hikes in Cornwall.
Osprey Skarab 30
The Osprey Skarab 30 is our go-to hiking backpack for day hikes. This well-designed unisex backpack is comfortable and spacious, so you’ll have plenty of space to pack everything without feeling the strain on your upper back.
Osprey Ultralight Raincover
A waterproof backpack cover is an absolute must when you’re adventuring outdoors. The Osprey Ultralight Raincover Medium is a high-quality waterproof cover that’ll keep your backpack bone dry.
GRAYL Reusable Water Bottle
The GRAYL GeoPress is the best water filter bottle that allows you to purify 710mL (12 ounces) of water. This bottle will make water safe to drink wherever you’re hiking.
BUFF Original Ecostretch
The BUFF Original Ecostretch is a great option when it comes to multifunctional headwear. We use the Ecostretch as a neck gaiter to keep the sun off our necks and it helps us keep warm in cooler climates.
Sony Cybershot RX100 VII
Capture epic photos and videos with the Sony Cybershot RX100 VII. This is hands-down the best compact camera. We love using this simple point-and-shoot camera when we’re hiking as it’s lightweight and durable.
To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.
Trail Navigation
Below, we’ll talk about maps for the two best hikes in Cornwall.
Hiking from Zennor to St Ives is quite straightforward as you’ll be hiking along the well-signposted Cornwall (South West) Coast Path. But, if you’re unfamiliar with the area, it doesn’t hurt to have some GPS directions as a backup.
Additionally, the Lizard Coastal Walk is another hike that’s easy to navigate. However, if you want to follow our specific modified version, feel free to use our Wikiloc GPS-guided map.
For those not so prepared, if you need help with directions during your hike and don’t have any phone reception, consider using Maps.me. Although, you need to have at least downloaded the map of the general area beforehand.
Bonus Tips
- Consider hiking in Cornwall in spring or autumn: We genuinely think hiking in Cornwall is best during winter due to the much quieter trails. But, for improved weather, it may be worth hiking in spring and autmun before the summer crowds flock to the area.
- Be prepared for poor weather in winter: In theory, you only need one winter’s day to complete Cornwall’s two best hikes. However, you may want to give yourself more than one day in Cornwall in case the weather doesn’t allow for hiking.
- Check the most recent bus timetable: The bus timetables for Go Cornwall Buses change slightly every year, so check there website for the most up-to-date information. This will ensure you’re day of winter walking in Cornwall goes off without a hitch.
- Other hikes in Cornwall: if you have more time, you should also consider the Camel Trail. Otherwise, if you have lots of time, consider doing a multi-day hike in Cornwall, in which, you should do the entire South West Coast Path.
- Other places to visit in Cornwall: again, if you have more time in Cornwall, we recommend checking out Port Isaac.
- Other hiking adventures in the UK: check out our NC500, Brecon Beacons and Flamborough Head to Bempton Cliffs hiking guides.
That’s a wrap on the two best coastal walks in Cornwall! What do you think is the best Cornwall hike? Let us know in the comments below.
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