5 Christmas Day Walks in Cornwall
12th October 2022
Winter boots brushed with sand, woolly hats and scarves pulled on snug, and cheeks pink from the salty sea air. This year, shake off the post-Christmas lunch slump with a bracing coastal walk.
Christmas day is the perfect time to step outdoors and explore Cornwall’s rugged coast path. With nothing around you but expansive seascapes and open skies, you can take this time to appreciate the beauty of nature and the company of loved ones, a moment of mindfulness amongst the business of the festive season.
Find out why Christmas time is the best time to visit Cornwall and some of our holiday retreats to stay in at Christmas time.
Here’s our pick of five Christmas day walks in Cornwall, where you can embrace that windswept feeling and be the first to leave footprints on the sand.
Watergate Bay – Mawgan Porth
Panoramic seascapes, unruly waves and rocky cliff faces. This walk will truly whisk you away from a drowsy afternoon in front of a Christmas film, instead bringing you feelings of awe at the power of the ocean. This walk, which is just over two miles, follows footpaths on the cliff edge, with endless vantage points to stop and simply soak it all up.
Chapel Porth Beach – Wheal Coates Mines
This short walk features a gentle climb towards one of Cornwall’s most iconic mines. The red cliffs, brushed with sea flora and sprawling greenery, are a sight to behold- bring a flask of something hot and herbal and let the unruly beauty of this area wash over you. Pass streams, springs and areas of bog towards this Cornish Mining World Heritage Site.
Fistral – Pentire Headland
This blustery walk takes you along the pebbled stretch of Fistral beach and around its panoramic headland, where you can cast your eyes across Newquay’s beaches on one side and Crantock on the other. At Fistral, you will spot dedicated surfers riding the swell even on Christmas day. Once you have strolled around the headland, call in at Lewinnick Lodge for a glass of festive bubbles.
Carbis Bay – St Ives
This walk, just under two miles long, allows you to take in the sights, sounds and scents of nature undisturbed. Running parrallel to the scenic St Ives railway, you will be witness to swathes of ocean and white sand. With only gentle ascent and descent, this is a great family walk for those looking to reconnect with one another during this season.
Check out our luxury holiday properties in Carbis Bay by the sea.
Hayle Sands beach walk – Gwithian Lighthouse
Starting in the estuary town of Hayle, this walk follows the coast path all the way to Gwithian, before returning along the flat expanse of beach. A Site of Special Scientific Interest for its sand dunes and wildlife, you are bound to spot sea birds dotted along the water’s edge. Make your way to Gwithian Lighthouse, the iconic Cornish landmark which inspired Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse.
