Roseland Beaches Walk

Detailed walk information

Starting from Portscatho with the sea on your left walk down past the view over the harbour (picture top left) to the cottages and pick up the path that will take you all the way to St Anthony’s head. Portscatho, meaning “harbour of boats” was an important fishing village with fish cellars around the walls of the harbour. It still has a small fishing fleet. The villages of Gerrans and Portscatho are interlinked with the church up at Gerrans the first to be mentioned in documentation as it goes back to Norman times. Dedicated to St Geraint who was a 9^th or 10^th Century Celtic saint, locally there are also sites in honour of King Geraint of Dumnonia who is associated with the legend of King Arthur and is supposedly buried around Veryan on Carne Beacon. The church high up on the hill is a valuable reference point for sailors.

It is a two-mile walk to Towan beach (picture top right). Once there the National Trust car park and toilets are 300 metres up the path to the right whilst the South West Coast Path continues ahead to St Anthony’s Head. This is a popular beach but never crowded, as it is a long stretch of coarse sand. The tall post encountered as one leaves the beach is a “wreck post” where a breeches buoy could be fired to the mast of a ship to begin rescuing people of stricken vessels. Often over the edge in the bays seals can be seen. 

Walk around Killigerran Head and the approach to Porthbeor Beach. This is worth getting down the 100 or so steps, especially at low tide. There are caves to explore and although popular with the boating community in summer it remains a fairly quiet beach. If you want to shorten the walk, with your back to the sea and steps down to the beach, walk ahead up the path to the road which is 50 metres away and turn right heading back to Porth farm and take the signpost to Rosteague and Portscatho/Gerrans. Otherwise continue west along the coast path.

After 30 minutes you should be approaching St Anthony’s Head with the wonderful views over to Falmouth, down to the Lizard peninsula and up the Fal river to Truro. This is the gateway to the Carrick Roads (Fal River). Strategically St Anthony’s has been important in protecting the entrance to the Fal and various gun batteries were placed here which you can explore. There is also a bird hide lower down where one can see peregrine falcons nesting. There are toilets here and a seasonal café. Walk to the end of the car park and take the road downhill.

This takes you to the Military road T-junction. To the left downhill is Place and the ferry. To the right is the road back to Portscatho and the NT car park and Porth Farm, toilets and beach. Just after the entrance to the Porth Farm buildings there is a footpath sign and gate that indicates Rosteague and Gerrans. Take this and not the road and it will take you through farmland to a lane, eventually coming out at Gerrans. Visit the church and there is also a tearoom and pub here.

Portscatho is a short walk down the hill where there are numerous galleries, a convenience store and restaurants and a pub.

Public transport information

Bus 550/551 from Truro 1 hour to Portscatho or Ferry from St Mawes to Place walk up to the road and follow the instructions from Military Road t junction.

Nearest Toilets and Nearest Disabled Toilets

Toilets in Portscatho and on St Anthony’s head.

Nearest Car parks and Nearest Car Parks with disabled provision

In Portscatho there are public car parks.

Nearest refreshments

Pub and restaurants in Portscatho, Café on St Anthony’s Head –seasonal and pub and tea room in Gerrans.