Before we moved to Cornwall, we planned many of our holidays around walking sections of the South West Coast Path. It's a stunning trail, and easily broken down into short sections. Since our move, however, we have not made enough effort to complete more of the path even though we do walk our favourite bits failry often.
As I had booked to go and see the Christmas lights at Eden Project, I decided to spend the earlier part of the day walking nearby and chose the section from Charlestown to Par. Parking at Par Beach is free during Winter months - make sure you park in the Cornwall Council car park and not the main car park which is privately owned and not free. It's a 10-15 minute walk back into Par to the bus stop on Moorland Road/Par Green. There are 2 regular bus services running between Fowey and St. Austell with a stop at Charlestown Church. From here, it is just a few hundred yards down to the famous harbour, sadly still under repair at the time of my visit.
Off to the left at the end of a row of pretty cottages lining the harbour is a well-signposted uphill track heading towards Par Sands beach. Beyond this, the path continues behind the Carlyon Bay Hotel overlooking the beach and along the edge of a golf course. Once past the golf course, you arrive at Spit Beach and the outskirts of Par Docks. The last mile or so of the walk is diverted around behind the docks and industrial buildings and along the main road back into Par.
Once back in Par, I spotted Bluebell's Cafe on the other side of the road so popped in for a very filling ham and cheese toastie and a welcome cup of tea. Very friendly cafe with a good range of hot and cold lunches at great prices, I would recommend. After a lovely lunch, I continued on along the road back to the car park.
Apart from Charlestown, the walk was not the most scenic that I have walked, but it suited the weather which was drizzly and murky. The walk only took a couple of hours at most, but more time could be allowed for a picnic on one of the beaches if weather permits. Par Beach is quite extensive with food/drink vendors and toilets, and there is also Polmeor Lake nearby with a population of birdlife.
The 2 bus services running between Fowey and St. Austell are route numbers 24 and 25 (Dec 2025).
Cornwall Council car park at Par Beach is free all day from 1st November until the 30th March, and after 4pm at other times of the year. The satnav code is PL24 2AS.
The Coast Path is fairly well marked, but I always carry the relevant OS map which, for this area, is OS 107.
There are also several good guide books for walking the South West Coast Path. I would recommend looking on the website for the SWCPA for ideas and advice.