Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

South West England

Forrabury And Minster

Tintagel Castle loop from Boscastle — Cornwall

Routes

Hiking trails & Routes

South West England

Forrabury And Minster

Tintagel Castle loop from Boscastle — Cornwall

Moderate

4.9

(58)

216

hikers

Tintagel Castle loop from Boscastle — Cornwall

04:49

17.2km

350m

Hiking

This moderate hike, the Tintagel Castle loop from Boscastle, offers a challenging yet rewarding experience along Cornwall's dramatic coastline. You will cover 10.7 miles (17.2 km) with 1138 feet (347 metres) of elevation gain, typically taking around 4 hours and 48 minutes to complete. Expect diverse and demanding terrain, including uneven cliff paths, steep ascents and descents, and some sections of road walking, all while enjoying panoramic coastal views from headlands like Barras Nose.

Starting from the picturesque Boscastle Harbour, this route takes you through varied landscapes. The trail can be narrow in places, especially along the high sea cliffs, and sections like the Rocky Valley are particularly challenging with steep descents and ascents that can be muddy after rain. Sure-footedness and good fitness are recommended for this adventure.

The route is steeped in history and folklore, most famously its connections to the legend of King Arthur and Merlin. You will encounter the iconic ruins of Tintagel Castle, perched dramatically on 300-foot-high cliffs, and can spot Merlin's Cave beneath the castle at low tide. The trail also features the ancient labyrinthine carvings in Rocky Valley and forms part of the renowned South West Coast Path, highlighting its significance.

Last updated: April 23, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Cornwall AONB

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

459 m

Museum of Witchcraft and Magic

Highlight • Monument

This warren-like museum is one of the most fascinating I’ve ever stepped into, and it’s easy to lose yourself completely in the narrow corridors which wind you through the weird and wonderful history of the occult.

Beginning with the apparatus used to torture medieval enchantresses, the collection progresses past a recreation of a wise woman’s cottage, delightful witchy cartoons and sorcerers from vintage Hollywood, a huge display of herbal ointments and potions and some rather grotesque keepsakes (voodoo dummies made of hair and pickled two-headed piglets, anyone)?

The final display covers the rather spooky rites and rituals of modern day Wiccans. My favourite exhibit are the lovely depictions of the clever witches of Boscastle itself, who used to sell ‘wind’ to the captains of becalmed ships waiting in the harbour for better sailing weather.

Tip by

838 m

Boscastle Harbour

Highlight • Settlement

A century ago, Boscastle was a bustling harbour community with hundreds of commercial ships passing through every year. These days, it’s difficult to imagine the tranquil little village being a hive of industry. It has a serene and laid-back atmosphere, making it a real gem along the Cornish coast.

Tip by

1.39 km

Willapark Lookout

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Willapark Lookout was built in the early 19th century and its purpose is shrouded in local legend. Some say it was a summer house. WIth beautiful vistas in every direction, the perfect place for a picnic. Others say it was a party house, filled with gambling, drinking and excess. Others still, a place to store smuggled goods. Maybe all three? It is now restored and used as a Coastguard Lookout Station.

Look down to the west of Willapark Lookout and you'll be peering down the Black Pit.

Tip by

3.69 km

Ladies' Window Arch

Highlight • Natural Monument

This Cornish coast is phenomenal enough with its jagged, folded cliffs and multitude of rugged, secretive coves. But the Ladies Window Arch takes the drama of this coastline even further. Millennia of weathering has formed this archway in the cliff which you can walk right through as though it were specifically created just for inquisitive hikers.

Tip by

5.38 km

Rocky Valley Waterfall

Highlight • Waterfall

The stones form a very special landscape

Tip by

5.52 km

View of Bossiney Cove from the South West Coast Path

Highlight • Natural Monument

The South West Coast Path (SWCP) is a 630-mile (1,014-km) coastal hiking path that goes around the entire South West peninsula of England. It starts in Minehead in Somerset and finishes in Pool in Dorset. It is a very hard continuous hike, so best done in achievable chunks, but it is a stunning endeavour with world-class views.

Tip by

6.25 km

Bossiney Cove

Highlight • Beach

Bossiney Cove is a beautiful hidden gem that can only be reached at low tide. The cove has a small sandy beach which is completely disappears at high water. Access to the beach is via a footpath over farmland and then by steep steps. Unfortunately, the route is not suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs or people with mobility issues.

Tip by

7.80 km

View of Barras Nose

Highlight • Viewpoint

A wonderful walk along the coast with great views!

Translated by Google •

Tip by

8.12 km

Barras Nose

Highlight • Viewpoint

From Barras Nose you can look south west towards Tintagel Castle or north east towards The Sisters. Either way the views are breathtaking.

The headland was the first coastal area to be acquired by the National Trust, back in 1896 for the price of £505.

Tip by

8.62 km

View of the Tintagel Castle Bridge and Merlin's Cave

Highlight • Cave

From the footpath you can peer up to the bridge linking The Island with the mainland and gaze down upon Merlin's Cave. There is a carving of Merlin's face on the left of the entrance. Legend has it that Merlin carried the baby King Arthur through the cave to safety. It goes completely through Tintagel Island to West Cove on the other side.

You can visit Merlin's Cave, which is accessible at low tide, for free by descending a small path just before the castle ticket office. Please check tide times carefully if you enter the cave!

Tip by

8.95 km

View of Tintagel Castle

Highlight • Viewpoint

The South West Coast Path affords a wonderful view of Tintagel Castle, on Tintagel Island.

Tintagel Castle is a place of myths and legends. Supposedly where King Arthur was conceived, with the help of magic by the wizard Merlin.

The Castle is owned by the Prince of Wales and managed by English Heritage. To cross over to the Island and visit the castle visit their website english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/tintagel-castle

Tip by

9.59 km

Tintagel Old Post Office

Highlight • Historical Site

English stone house from the 14th century. The roof of the house is crooked and crooked. Denau that makes the charm. House and garden are top-maintained by the National Trust. Against entry the house can be visited.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

12.0 km

Wishing Tree Log

Highlight • Trail

fun to add coins and make a wish

Tip by

12.5 km

St Nectan's Waterfall

Highlight • Forest

This stunning glen is privately owned and managed, and is well worth visiting. Find the narrow, vibrant glen cloaked in glorious woodland with a river cascading through it. There are plenty of Cornish folktales about St Nectan's Glen and waterfalls, and when you wander through, it's easy to believe that fairies and pixies do indeed live here.

Tip by

17.2 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

8.23 km

3.38 km

3.07 km

1.78 km

698 m

Surfaces

5.30 km

3.63 km

3.22 km

2.21 km

2.03 km

765 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (210 m)

Lowest point (20 m)

Weather

Sunday 5 July

26°C

11°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 10.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

May 29, 2024,Tintagel 🤴🏰

Now it's time to say goodbye to our beloved Cornwall. Last day. And once again a great experience: King Arthur's Tintagel Castle. But in the end, nature overshadows everything man-made.

Showing Translation

Want to know more?

This route was planned by komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Report restricted access

Nearby routes

Moderate

4.8

882

Padstow to Trevone loop — Cornwall

03:15h

12.1km

150m

Moderate

4.8

499

Port Isaac to Port Quin Circular Walk

02:34h

9.27km

170m

Hard

4.6

360

Trebarwith Strand to Port Isaac and back on the South West Coast Path — Cornwall

08:02h

22.9km

590m

Moderate

4.9

216

Tintagel Castle loop from Boscastle — Cornwall

04:49h

17.2km

350m

Moderate

4.8

357

Pentire Head & Polzeath Beach loop — Cornwall

02:18h

8.30km

150m

Moderate

4.6

314

Trevose Head & Constantine Bay loop from Harlyn — Cornwall

02:26h

8.99km

120m

Moderate

4.7

326

Rough Tor and Brown Willy — Cornwall

02:18h

7.37km

290m

Easy

4.9

362

Siblyback Lake Trail

01:12h

4.70km

20m

Easy

4.7

105

Tintagel Castle loop to Barras Nose & Penhallic Point — Cornwall

01:50h

6.62km

120m

Easy

4.9

158

Crackington Cracker Walk

01:46h

6.14km

150m

Moderate

3.6

Golitha Falls and Siblyback Lake Trail

02:37h

9.87km

90m

Moderate

4.8

Tintagel loop from Trebarwith Strand

02:22h

8.27km

190m

Tintagel Castle loop from Boscastle — Cornwall

Museum of Witchcraft and Magic

Boscastle Harbour

Willapark Lookout

Ladies' Window Arch

Rocky Valley Waterfall

View of Bossiney Cove from the South West Coast Path

Bossiney Cove

View of Barras Nose

Barras Nose

View of the Tintagel Castle Bridge and Merlin's Cave

View of Tintagel Castle

Tintagel Old Post Office

Wishing Tree Log

St Nectan's Waterfall

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️