Cycling in Cornwall
Whilst most of our holiday cottage guests are more orientated around sailing, hiking, and taking to the water, we do also get requests for cycle trails in Cornwall. Now our surrounding area is famous for many things, but being flat is not one of them!
Although you can cycle from many of our cottages, the roads are narrow and especially with children or less experienced riders, it may be safer to find an off-road trail. These are also much more picturesque, and there are even a few without too much elevation gain – yes, really!
Below is a short guide to long cycle paths near Falmouth, as well as a few places which are great for kids to take bikes and play.
The Bissoe Trail
Starting just a ten-minute drive from Falmouth and Mylor, you can easily park in Devoran and pick up the Bissoe Trail. The former railway track leads you all the way to Portreath on the North Coast, mostly off road on gravel tracks. The whole route is 11 miles each way but there are plenty of places to stop and take a break or make the route shorter.
St Piran’s Cafe is a dedicated cycling hub with coffee, cakes and lunches available for a mid-way break. They also have a large car-park and bike hire, so if you’re borrowing bikes for the day this could be a great place to start and shorten the route slightly.
The Great Flat Lode
Starting in Camborne and looping around the old heritage mining area, this 7 mile trail takes you past abandoned engine houses and the striking hill of Carn Brea – an ancient fortified settlement with far-reaching views.
Like the Bissoe Trail, some of the route is on old tramway paths which were built for transporting tin and copper ore from the mines to processing plants. You could park at King Edward Mine, which also has a museum on the history of this industrious area of Cornwall. The terrain is described as ‘challenging’ but also suitable for families as there are only a very few places where it is necessary to cross a road. Being more remote, there aren’t cafes or shops on route, so pack a picnic before you go!
The Penrose Estate
Managed by the National Trust, Penrose is a large and beautiful country estate with a range of routes though woodland, past lakes and down to the coast at Porthleven or Gunwalloe. Paths are wide and largely smooth, making it excellent even for children’s bikes and scooters with small wheels. Serious cyclists beware that at busy times you’re likely to be sharing the route with lots of runners, dog walkers, children, maybe even some horses so this is better for a leisurely ride than a time-trial!
There is a lovely National Trust cafe to stop at in the estate itself (all free, there is no paid entry but a donation car park). Or, if you choose to follow the trail further down to the coastal village of Porthleven, expect to choose from a range of culinary delights – we’ve written a whole blog on places to visit in Porthelven as there are many options.
You can also follow the path South towards Gunwalloe and Poldhu, which will be hillier and more gravelly but provides stunning sea views as you make your way down onto the Lizard Peninsula.
The Camel Trail
A little further away from Falmouth, this famous trail is absolutely still worth a visit if you’ve got a whole day to enjoy the ride and then explore Padstow and Rock. Start in Wadebridge or Bodmin which both have bike hire options, and follow the flat path with scenic views of the estuary.
The Padstow to Wadebridge stretch is 5.5 miles and is the busiest section, with Wadebridge to Bodmin an additional 5.75 miles, with the option of adding the section South to Wenford Bridge. Nearly the whole trail is off-road and flat, without traffic. Enjoyed by families, dogs and horses, it’s often busy at the weekend so expect to share the route in the Summer, unless you go very early in the morning! We think the views could be worth it though…
There are a few great cafes along the route where you can stop and catch your breath, or keep going to Padstow and choose from a huge range of take-aways, cafes and restaurants to suit a variety of budgets! We love Sabzi deli for their salad boxes and great coffee! There are also a number of Rick Stein’s restaurants as well as the option to catch the pedestrian (and bike) ferry to Rock where you enjoy expansive sandy beaches and some foodie highlights like Michelin- starred The Mariners and Four Boys.
Further Afield
A few other options which are about an hour’s drive away from most of our cottages are Lanhydrock National Trust and Cardinham Woods, both of which have extensive routes and bike hire options. They also have fantastic cafes where you can refuel before or after your ride, and Lanhydrock has a seasonal coffee box at Respryn which also does fantastic drinks and cakes. National Trust membership will secure your free parking at Lanhydrock, or Forestry England at Cardinham. Both also have pay and display for one-off visits, and are well set up with toilets, bike repair stations and safe off-road routes for children.
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