Southwest Cornwall Cycling Tour

Make your way to collect your bike by 9.30am in Penzance, with many guests adding a nice in Penzance to start. Once you have your bike then ride to the north coast where the mudflats of the River Hayle are a rich habitat for wading birds. Follow the coast road past miles of sand dunes then above rugged cliffs with spectacular views of the Atlantic. Explore a woodland cycle trail at the tranquil Tehidy Country Park, on the way to the popular surfing cove at Portreath. This was one of the main mining areas in Cornwall until the early 20th century and you can still visit Cornish Goldsmith workshops and exhibitions as well as the Tolgus Tin Streaming works nearby. The ride ends along beautiful, wooded valleys back into Truro.

Today’s route takes you from Truro via the Roseland Peninsula, taking in the best of the local landscape. It uses mostly country lanes and cycle paths once you have left Truro and is a peaceful day’s riding. This is the most challenging route of the trip with a lot of hills, but a shortcut will be provided if you need it. The full route is hillier than the shortcut, but worth it to see the truly spectacular scenery in the local area. Please note, the trip includes a transfer via King Harry’s Ferry, which costs £1.50 per person and is payable locally.

Overnight Location: Truro

Traversing between Truro and Helston for your next overnight stay, this route takes you past the old tin mine at Wheal Jane to Penryn, once the main port in this area, where you’ll find its heritage displayed in some fine architecture from Tudor to Georgian and in a small museum. Continue down the coast to Falmouth, a busy pleasant town where the atmosphere is flavoured by the salt sea air. Here you can visit several exotic gardens, a Maritime Museum and some pleasant beaches. Impressive fortifications of Henry VIII’s Pendennis Castle still dominate the headland. Continue past more subtropical gardens to Gweek on the Helford Creek, the home of the National Seal Sanctuary where they rescue injured seal pups from local beaches and also care for other abandoned sea mammals. The terrain is not as tough as the circuit from Truro, but there are still some steep climbs out of Truro and around Falmouth, Constantine and Gweek.

Overnight Location: Helston

Explore the west coast of Cornwall through the delightful Church Cove to Mullion from where you can continue all the way down to Lizard, the most southerly point of the British mainland. This also takes you to Kynance Cove where the combination of the rare serpentine rock and the powerful sea has produced amazing beaches with cliffs, caves and islands. Next, cross Goonhilly Downs where the underlying serpentine rock gives the area most of its special characteristics. The soil it produces is the ideal habitat for the Cornish Heath that is almost unique to this area. It supports rare wildlife including the hen harrier and short-eared owl and is also the home of a satellite tracking station.

Leaving Helston, continue to Porthleven which for many years was the local centre for boat building and is still a working fishing port. Then follow the coast west to Praa Sands, this mile-long sweep of sand is renowned as one of Cornwall’s finest family beaches and is very popular with surfers. Further on is one of Cornwall's most famous landmarks, St. Michael’s Mount, a little island community that can be reached by causeway at low tide, which is also the perfect photo opportunity!

The circuit from Penzance takes you out to Newlyn - England’s busiest fishing port. The local scenery inspired the Newlyn School of artists and their legacy can be seen in museums and galleries around the town. Continue through narrow streets past little Mousehole harbour and over to the pretty, sheltered Lamorna Cove, which is a lovely spot for a swim. Pass the Merry Maidens, a Bronze Age stone circle that stands amidst a remarkable concentration of ancient Celtic standing stones to Lands’ End, where the road stops and you can enjoy a variety of entertainments and attractions. Drop your bikes back at the shop by 5:30pm.

Sadly, your cycling tour of Cornwall has come to an end. Buses and trains are available to take you to Newquay Airport, or to Plymouth, Exeter, or London and beyond. Have a pleasant journey!