Outstanding Circular Walks in Cornwall Video Series
Welcome to another post in a brand-new series with outdoor enthusiast and storyteller Dan Smedley aka @bimblingbooksbeer. Dan is exploring some of the most scenic and characterful routes from the Outstanding Circular Walks in Cornwall Pathfinder Guidebook.
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Sennen, Land’s End and Nanjizal
Pathfinder Walk: 10
Distance: 5 miles
Start and finish: Sennen Cove Harbour Car Park
Why walk it: Rugged granite cliffs, the Longships Lighthouse, incredible wildlife, hidden coves and one of the most spectacular golden hours in Cornwall.
From the moment you step out at Sennen Cove, you feel the scale of this place. The harbour car park looks straight out onto white-gold sands and a coastline that feels almost impossible in its beauty. There is something about starting a walk at the very edge of mainland Britain, with the Atlantic stretching endlessly in front of you, that sets a very particular tone. It feels like both a beginning and an ending at the same time.
As you climb northwards towards the old coastguard lookout, the coastline unfolds dramatically. Longships Lighthouse appears offshore, standing guard over the rocks, and on a clear day you can even make out the faint outline of the Isles of Scilly on the horizon. Having visited the islands before, I know how different life feels out there, how still and quiet the world becomes, and seeing them again from these cliffs always gives me a sense of longing. These cliffs themselves are extraordinary. Pure granite, rough, harsh, weathered and covered in lichen. I have climbed here for years, and they never stop feeling wild and untamed. It is the perfect combination when you want to escape the noise of normal life: a stretch of coastline that feels like the end of the world, paired with some of the most powerful geology in Cornwall.
As you follow the South West Coast Path, the drama does not ease. The cliffs drop sharply to the sea, cut by sea arches, stacks and jagged notches that show just how destructive this coastline can be. The remains of wrecks are still visible here, including the MV Mulheim, a cargo ship that ran aground in 2003. Even on calm days, it is easy to understand how it happened. The tides run fast and forceful, curling around the rocks like they are alive. Wildlife thrives in this difficult environment. On the day I walked it, shoals of tuna were hammering through the surface of the water like torpedoes. It is not often in the UK that you can stand on a cliff and watch wild tuna hunting. Add to those basking sharks, dolphins, seals, countless seabirds and even recent orca sightings, and you begin to appreciate just how alive this coastline is.
Eventually you reach Land’s End. For many, it is the tourist attractions that take centre stage, but for me they miss the real beauty of this place. The cliffs here are astonishing. The wildlife is incredible. This is the true heart of Land’s End. The sign, the attractions and the cafés are there if you want them, but the soul of this walk lies in the raw, natural coastline.
From Land’s End, the path curves towards Carn Boel, leading you across Trevilley Cliff before dropping down into one of Cornwall’s best-kept secrets: Nanjizal. Hidden, quiet and almost untouched, it feels like a small paradise tucked away from the rest of the world. The famous Song of the Sea arch sits at the far end of the cove. At low tide, the rockpool behind it creates a crystal-clear lagoon where sand shifts and rocks move with each tide. At high tide, the arch glows with sunlight pouring through it. When I visited, the tide was in and the rockpool was hidden, but for me it made the moment even more beautiful. The arch stood there glowing, keeping its secret for another day.
I stood there quietly, alone at golden hour, watching the sunshine straight through the rock arch and feeling something I had not felt in a very long time. After one of the hardest years of my life, after clawing my way back from my lowest point, I found myself standing here representing Ordnance Survey, preparing to launch a men’s mental health fundraising project through my own clothing line, and I felt proud. Quietly, unexpectedly proud of the person I was becoming. It was one of those rare moments where the landscape and your own lifeline up perfectly, even if just for a minute.
From Nanjizal, the path climbs steeply out of the cove. It is a proper leg-burner, but once you reach the top the walking becomes much easier. The inland stretch is a gentle journey back across farm fields towards Sennen. You pass through Trevescan and the Land’s End Camping and Glamping site before the path guides you back over the final fields. If you time the walk for late afternoon, you will be met with another breathtaking sight: the sun sinking directly into the ocean beyond Longships Lighthouse. With no land ahead of you, it is pure magic. The entire sky glows, the lighthouse silhouette stands proud in the distance, and the day ends in a way only the far west of Cornwall can offer.
This walk has everything: raw cliffs, powerful wildlife encounters, hidden coves, iconic landmarks and one of the best sunsets in Cornwall. But more than anything, it gives you something rare. Space. Perspective. A reminder of how small your worries become when you stand on the edge of the world and breathe it all in. To bring this series to life with Ordnance Survey and to share some of the finest walks Cornwall has to offer has been incredibly humbling.
These routes have given me calm, clarity and a way back to myself on days when I needed it most. If you would like more Cornish inspiration, behind-the-scenes walking content, wild swims, mental health reflections and honest conversations about life, I share it all across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok, each offering something slightly different but all grounded in the same purpose: helping others find the calm they are chasing.
Join me soon for some Bimbling, Books and Beer
By Dan Smedley
Bimbling, Books and Beers
Raw stories & quiet moments for better mental health
