St Piran's flag, CornwallCornish Miles
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Map of the St Just to St Ives Coast Path route line
West Cornwall

Recorded route line

Coast path

West Cornwall / Coast path

St Just to St Ives Coast Path

The big one: from St Just past the Botallack engine houses, Pendeen Watch, Bosigran and Gurnard's Head to Zennor, then over the boulder fields to St Ives. Run and recorded end to end — the watch said thirty kilometres, and every one of them asks for attention.

4 hr 30 min – 6 hr 30 min

St Just, Cape Cornwall side to St Ives, Porthmeor Beach

Verified / Last verified 2026-07-03

Distance
30.0 km
Elevation
882 m
Start
St Just, Cape Cornwall side
Terrain
Coast path
Difficulty
Hard
Route type
Point to point

Practical notes

Best for

  • A full coast path mission
  • Arc of Attrition and coast race recces
  • Mining-coast scenery that distracts from the climbing

Watch for

  • Old mine workings close to the path around Botallack and Levant — stay on the line
  • Boulder fields and rock steps through the whole Zennor-to-St Ives half
  • Boggy stream crossings between Morvah and Zennor after rain
  • Remote middle section where bailing out means slow inland lanes

Facilities

  • Car parks and shops in St Just
  • Shop and toilets at Pendeen
  • Pubs at Gurnard's Head and Zennor mid-route
  • Norway Stores in St Ives — the first cold drink and food at the finish
  • Everything in St Ives

Season

A settled-weather route that wants long daylight. In winter the bogs deepen, the granite greases up, and the time estimates stop being polite.

Parking
Don't try to make this a car day — St Just is small and its buses are infrequent, so parking at the start leaves you stranded at the finish. Go by rail instead (see below). If you must drive, leave the car at the St Ives end and taxi or bus round to the start rather than the other way about.
Public transport
The clean way to run it, verified in person: train to Penzance, then the bus up to St Just for the start. Finish at Porthmeor and it's a short walk through town to St Ives station, where the branch line runs frequently through the summer back down to St Erth for the Penzance connection. Want a few more miles instead of the town walk? Carry on to Carbis Bay, Hayle or St Erth stations and take the train from there.
Conditions
Recorded end to end on 2026-07-03: granite steps and mine track early, boggy valley crossings through the middle, and near-constant boulder work after Zennor. Five hours elapsed, with a pub stop at the Tinners Arms. Dropping into St Ives at Porthmeor, Norway Stores is the first place you reach for a cold drink and something to eat — a welcome sight after the boulder fields.
Navigation
Coast path waymarks the whole way. The boulder sections past Zennor ask you to pick lines rather than follow a worn path; keep the sea on your left and be patient.

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