Looe to Polperro Coast Path

South East Cornwall · Coast path · Point to point · Hard

1 hr – 1 hr 40 min · Looe, West Looe bridge end → Polperro Harbour

Desk-researched

Desk-researched — not yet run on the ground

Elevation profile

185 m gain · high 63 m

Hover or use arrow keys to read the profile

0 m – 63 m

Line traced from the South West Coast Path route in OpenStreetMap; 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: 7.7 km
Climb: 185 m
Per km: 24 m
On foot: 1 hr – 1 hr 40 min
Line: Mapped

A point-to-point from Looe's bridge through Hannafore and along the cliff path to Talland Bay and Polperro, where the houses stack over the harbour like they were shaken from a box. The middle third climbs and drops without apology.

Getting there and back

The bus between Polperro and Looe makes the return leg painless — roughly half-hourly in season. Check times either way.

Parking

Park in Looe (the Millpool is biggest) and run to Polperro; Polperro's car park sits well above the village and charges like it knows you have no choice.

Conditions

Seafront tarmac through Hannafore, then earth path, rock steps and field shoulders; the valleys hold their mud.

Navigation

Coast path signs throughout, with the only real junction at Talland signed for both the beach and the path onward.

Season

Spring and autumn give the path back to locals. After heavy rain the steps run like small streams and the handrails earn their keep.

Dogs

Fine for step-hardened dogs on leads; Talland's beaches carry summer restrictions.

Good for

Linking two harbour towns the hard way
Step-climb strength work with sea views
Finishing at a bakery you have thoroughly earned

Watch for

Long flights of steps either side of Talland, punishing when greasy
Cliff-edge sections narrow where the path shares ground with fences
Polperro's lanes are barely shoulder-width at holiday pace

On the ground

Everything in Looe
Beach cafes at Talland Bay in season
Cafes, pubs and toilets in Polperro

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