Here Be Monsters! - The Coastal Path from St. Ives, Cornwall to Hayle, Cornwall

Should you have heeded the warning on the previous page you have now returned to the main coast path. If you weren't paying attention you are now stranded on a rock wondering if anyone will spot you and call the Coastguard!

Attention-payers will find a pleasant little stroll along a leafy path. (It is not hard to follow the path just keep to the left but keep the train track to your left).


When in doubt, take the left path.	There aren't too many twists and turns but watch out for the wildlife ...	... even the Beast of Bodmin has its Summer hols in St. Ives!	Soon Carbis Bay hoves into view.

Carbis Bay is also known as Porth Reptor because it is the beach where all the fierce dinosaurs from Jurassic Park spend their holidays.

Actually, this is a fib but is far more interesting than the truth, which is that Carbis Bay is a fairly recent creation and there used to be bugger all there in the olden days. Even the name 'Carbis Bay' is a modern invention. The names of the few local farms originally there weren't very interesting so they thought up something that sounded a bit more exciting.

Coast path from St. Ives, Cornwall to Carbis Bay 5

Once you emerge from the leafy lanes of the coast path you get an immediate bonus as you go over a high footbridge over the railway which gives you a tremendous elevated position above the beach. (Vertigo sufferers may not want to linger at this point!).

Having arrived you have several options. You can either chill out on the beach, head uphill into the village (not a fat lot there, though) or keep going.

If you decide to go on you have got a couple of choices as to your route.

You can drop down right onto the beach. If it is a very low tide you can sometimes walk around Hawk's Point straight onto Porth Kidney or towards the far end of the beach (assuming you have come from St. Ives' direction) you will see a metal handrail. The rocks tend to be slippery due to running water but the reasonably able should be able to scramble up onto the footpath which goes around the edge of Hawk's Point.

Alternatively, if you walk up the long road that leads down to the hotel and beach you will eventually come to two footpaths on the left. The lower footpath drops back down and then climbs back up to follow the path around the edge of Hawk's Point. (The beach route joins this path at its lowest point).

Coast path from St. Ives, Cornwall to Carbis Bay 6

This is the lower path. Just behind were the person is standing is a big dip where the path from the beach comes up.

The higher footpath follows the line of the train track and will take you directly over the top of Hawk's Point.

Coast path from St. Ives, Cornwall to Carbis Bay 7

You get a better view of Carbis Bay on the higher path.

Of course, if you do the walk there and back you can have the best of both worlds and take the low route one way and the high route the other.

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