Matt Warren
Day 21 – Portreath to Hayle (13.3 miles)
Today brought picture-perfect walking conditions—blue skies, gentle temperatures and a calm breeze. The early miles passed quickly, powered by decent energy levels and a relatively forgiving path. But before long, the fatigue of nearly three weeks on the trail crept back in. No particular aches, just a general weariness that’s becoming all too familiar.
We stopped mid-route for some much-needed nourishment—a fresh salad, a cracking vegan sausage bap, and a vegan carrot cake that really hit the spot. That kept us ticking for a while, but not forever.
As we neared Hayle, we tried to follow the coastal dunes of Gwithian Towans, a stunning stretch of shifting sands and wild grasses. Unfortunately, the soft terrain and narrow, nettle-lined paths were hard work. So, we dropped down onto Hayle Beach—a vast, windswept expanse that looked glorious but felt endless. We reckon we covered at least three miles on soft sand, which drained whatever energy we had left.
A Diet Coke from a lovely beach café was our lifeline late in the day. It gave us just enough to get to our accommodation in Hayle. It’s fair to say we arrived on our last legs. Looking forward to a shorter stretch tomorrow.
Day 22 – Hayle to St Ives (11.3 miles)
With no breakfast provided and only around 6 miles planned, we thought we’d enjoy a lazy morning… until we remembered that our luggage transfer was arriving at 9am. Cue the usual controlled chaos!
Once on our way, we found Duckies Café, a gem of a place with a top-tier vegan breakfast, strong coffee, and genuinely friendly service. Highly recommended if you’re ever in Hayle.
We grabbed lunch bits from ASDA and hit the trail, soon rewarded with some of the finest scenery so far—Porthkidney Sands, Carbis Bay, and Porthminster Beach, each one postcard-worthy. The undulating path had a few short climbs but nothing too testing.
Having visited St Ives before, we knew our way around and enjoyed a leisurely brew before completing the walk into town. On the way, we decided to make the next day’s walk a little easier by looping around St Ives Head, which we’d done previously and knew wouldn’t add much strain. Still, by the time we reached our accommodation, we’d clocked up 11.3 miles on the GPS—no idea how!
Rest day tomorrow and very ready for it, especially as we’ll be joined by Soph and Caz for the next section!
Day 23 – St Ives Rest Day
A much-needed day off today. We kept things low key—caught up on laundry (which was a bit of a mission as the dryer didn’t work), did a little work, read a bit, and gave our legs the downtime they deserved.
Later on, we met up with Soph and Caz, and had a lovely surprise when Katie popped over from Falmouth to join us. We had a relaxed evening at Beer & Bird—great vegan food, one drink (tomorrow’s a walking day, after all!), and lots of laughs.
Big thanks to Soph and Caz for bringing supplies—Huel, oat milk sachets, coconut oil, and for kindly taking back a few items we no longer needed. Much appreciated!
Day 24 – St Ives to Pendeen (14.6 miles)
Soph and Caz were with us by 9am, and we did a last-minute reshuffle to work out what we could actually carry (Soph’s huge flask of coffee, sadly, didn’t make the cut!). We started the day by cutting through a local caravan park to rejoin the coast path and were immediately intercepted by a local woman who informed us we were staying in the “wrong places” and warned us the route ahead was tough going. She wasn’t wrong.
The terrain was the hardest we’ve faced yet. The landscape between St Ives and Pendeen is truly wild—rugged cliffs, boggy moorland, and bouldery paths that broke any rhythm we managed to find. The route passes through part of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, and the legacy of that industrial past is all around—abandoned engine houses perched on cliffs, and inland the remnants of old mine buildings.
Caz took a few dramatic tumbles (nothing serious thankfully!), but she handled it like a pro—channelling her inner Torvill and Dean on the slick stone!
We bumped into Carol again for a quick catch-up before she detoured inland to the pub. She’s still going strong.
After arriving in Pendeen, we showered off the day’s efforts and then headed over to Soph and Caz’s cottage. We were spoiled rotten—amazing food, wine, a cosy fire, and great company. We honestly can’t thank them enough.
Day 25 – Pendeen to Sennen Cove (10.4 miles)
Feeling slightly worse for wear, we got a proper send-off from Soph and Caz with a fantastic breakfast and plenty of packed goodies for the day. Much appreciated!
We set off through more of Cornwall’s dramatic tin mining country, walking past the impressive Geevor Tin Mine, now a museum and a key site in the region’s mining heritage. Shortly after, we were clambering over some huge boulders—with sheer drops into the sea just feet away. A real adrenaline spike to start the day!
It was a tough start, and I could feel the effects of yesterday’s mileage (and maybe the wine!). After rounding Cape Cornwall, we stopped at a little café and tucked into some of the food Soph and Caz had prepped—absolute lifesavers. We also chatted to a lovely couple, Penny and Bill from Devon, who were finishing up their campervan holiday. A real highlight of the day.
The final stretch into Sennen Cove felt never-ending—so close yet frustratingly out of reach. But we got there in the end. And what a reward: plant-based milk in the fridge, our luggage already in the room, and a cold can of Korev waiting for us at the Old Success Inn. Absolute gold.
Tomorrow we hit Land’s End first thing before continuing on to Paul (around 15 miles). While not quite halfway, reaching Land’s End feels symbolic—like we’re turning a corner. From here, it’s the south coast stretch all the way. Let’s see where it takes us…
