40. Cornwall Coast Path: Land's End to magical Pedn Vounder - 6 miles - OS Explorer map 102

Tough in parts with climb down to Pedn Vounder beach only for the fit and agile.

Parking at land’s End, or on a layby on the turning for Porthcurno just before you get there. Return to start by bus from Porthcurno between 28th of May and 2nd of September (2023) by Land's End Coaster. See lands end coaster leaflet 594x420 mar23 WEB.pdf (firstbus.co.uk)

Prepare to be disappointed by a collection of white utility buildings touting for your cash at Land's End. Soon at your back, its the only disappointment on this fabulous walk.

Heading SSE, i.e. keeping the ocean to your right, once passed the shops, cafés, loo and old Lands End signpost that’s been cordoned off (unless you’re willing to have your picture taken and pay for it - yep, that commercial - look over to Longships Lighthouse and the rocks waiting for the unwary. Imagine it in a storm! Or better still, check out Turner's painting of it at: https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103R2V

Ahead, after some kind of farm feature, you’re now striding over delightful unspoilt heathland.

After a mile or so, there are caves to your left. Remnants of open cast tin mines. Not all mine works have Poldark-style ruined wheelhouses. From here Nanjizal beach comes into view.

With luck, along with sunbathers and swimmers, you’ll glimpse wild Dartmoor ponies. Introduced a few years ago by the National Trust, they keep bracken down, saving volunteers the job, and encourage wildflowers.

With wildflowers attracting the ever rarer bumble bee, its flora and fauna in synergy. But caution: these ponies are wild. Stroking and feeding is not recommended, even if they nuzzle up in hope of a treat.

If you’re there at low tide, you may also spot what synergy of water and granite can do to shipping. The City of Cardiff was wrecked here in 1912 during a spring storm. If you're fingering a snorkel and daydreaming, it was carrying coal not treasure, I’m afraid.

Heading onward, a steep climb brings you back to flat heathland for a breather. A mile and a half later Gwennap Head lookout Station comes into view. This is where the path turns from SSE to east. Soon after, you arrive at little but lovely Porthgwarra Cove. A cafe here is a great place to stop and refresh. The pasties are good. There's a loo too, to do whatever you need to do do (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Easy to miss the curiosity of this little fishing hamlet. Just passed the café, look out for a tunnel blasted through rock to the beach and slipway. Well worth exploring and dawdling over. A second tunnel leads to a second, rock-strewn, bay.

Back on the coast path, it's now a climb toward St. Levan. Watch out for the sign if you fancy a five minute detour to its little church. Named after a 6th century Celtic preacher, these old saints didn't mind using a bit of heathen hokum in the heather to save souls. In the churchyard is a lump of granite cleft down the middle. A pre-christian religious site, legend has it St Levan split the rock with 'a mighty blow' during a service. Surprised at his own strength, he told his dumbfounded flock the end of the world would come when the split became wide enough for a horse and pannier to pass through. It’s a narrow split, so don’t fret.

With granite splitting thirsty work, they also named a well after him. You'll pass it.

Here, you can also detour down to Porth Chapel beach. It's lovely, but if I whisper there’s more beautiful beaches ahead, you may decide to press on. Minack Point with its famous open air theatre comes next.

We can thank Rowena Cade for it. In the twenties she bought the headland for £100, built a house (not poor) and, in 1929, staged a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Hard work thereafter created this space for the performing arts. Perfect setting for The Tempest with all that thundering ocean below, eh Will?.

Unfortunately, some carefully thought out screens stop you seeing much without coughing up. Never mind, what you see instead as you continue along the coast path are three fabulous beaches. Porthcurno is the nearest, and it's a gem. The farthest one is where you're heading, and it's a diamond. But nowt wrong with Porthcurno, and they have an excellent café by the car park.

It also has a bit of history. Watch out for a whitewashed pyramid. It’s a crude monument to the 1880 undersea telegraph cable that linked America to Europe, then to the UK via this beach. What did the Victorians ever do for us?

If you let the cafe wait, the lovely views looking back, and relatively easy going, may lull you into a false sense of security for the choice that comes next. Pedn Vounder beach is very special. Arguably Cornwall's most stunning.

It's also a challenging climb down and back, with a near sheer drop from slippery rock at the end. It is not for those with iffy knees and hips and no head for heights.

If you decide it’s not for you, ignore the signpost and turn back to Porthcurno, or take the option of turning left for half a mile to nearby - and lovely - Treen. There you can enjoy a local pint in the 16th century Logan Rock Inn.

For those who can manage the path to Pedn Vounder, the rewards on a fine day are magical. Wild flowers, soft sands and crystal clear waters framed by Cornish granite. A bit of heaven.

But another warning,this time for the shy. It's a nudist beach.

Soaking in the pleasures of the place may take awhile, and the Logan Rock Inn may eventually call, or that cafe at Porthcurno. If so, be prepared for a scrabble back for foot and hand holds before the path proper allows you to your feet.

Logan Rock or no, retracing your steps to Porthcurno car park is where this walk ends. It's also where you can catch the Land’s End Coaster back to where you started. On the top deck of an open topped bus if you're lucky. There you can reminisce over the expansive sands of Pedn Vounder and the equally magical charms of little Porthgwarra while your driver navigates the narrow lanes of deepest Cornwall.