Falmouth Pendennis and Swanpool Loop

45 min – 1 hr 10 min · Falmouth, Custom House Quay → Falmouth, Custom House Quay

Desk-researched

Desk-researched — not yet run on the ground

Elevation profile

102 m gain · high 47 m

Hover or use arrow keys to read the profile

4 m – 47 m

Line mapped on a filtered walking graph that keeps to paths and quiet lanes and treats fast or classified roads as cross-only (scripts/walk-graph.mjs); elevation from EU-DEM 25 m. Not from a recorded run.

Mapped from OpenStreetMap footpaths on the OpenTopoMap contour map — a planning line, not a recorded run.

Distance: 7.3 km
Climb: 102 m
Per km: 14 m
On foot: 45 min – 1 hr 10 min
Line: Mapped

From the town quays out around Pendennis Point beneath the castle walls, then along the seafront to Gyllyngvase and Swanpool and back through town. Falmouth is a port first and a resort second, and this loop shows you both faces.

Getting there and back

Falmouth's three branch-line stations all sit within a few minutes of the loop; Falmouth Town is closest.

Parking

Town car parks near the quays are the practical choice; the headland has limited spaces that go early on fine days.

Conditions

Pavement, seafront path and the quiet headland road, with a short path section behind Swanpool lake.

Navigation

Follow the water clockwise: docks, castle, beaches, town. Hard to lose and easy to shorten.

Season

All-year ground. In a big easterly the sea throws spray across Cliff Road, which is either a hazard or the reason you came.

Dogs

Easy on a lead. Gyllyngvase has a summer dog ban; the headland and Swanpool stay open.

Good for

Student and visitor runs straight from town
A seafront lap with a castle in the middle
Recovery days with cafe options every mile

Watch for

Dock traffic at the Pendennis gate crossings
The headland road is shared with cars, slow but present
Seafront crowds around Gylly on any warm day

On the ground

Toilets and cafes at Custom House Quay, Gyllyngvase and Swanpool
Water fountains on the seafront

GPX download

The line on this page is mapped from OpenStreetMap paths, not a recorded run. Treat the file as a planning aid and check it against conditions on the ground.

Download GPX