Hall Walk

The Hall Walk loops around a peninsula near Polruan, delivering one of Cornwall's best coastal footpath stretches without the brutal elevation gain you'd find elsewhere. It's a proper riverside and estuary circuit - you're walking alongside the Fowey River for a good chunk of it, then the path swings out to show you Polruan's steep streets tumbling down to the water.

The walk takes about two hours at a decent pace. Start from Polruan village itself (park near the quay) and follow the signs - the route is well-marked, though muddy patches catch people out after rain. You'll pass through woodland that opens onto sudden views of the estuary, small beaches tucked into inlets, and working boats. The landscape feels properly lived-in rather than theme-park Cornwall.

It works for families with kids old enough to manage two hours of undulating ground without complaint - say, eight upwards. Walkers will find it meditative rather than challenging. History types will want to know that Hall means the medieval manor house that once stood here; there's not much left, but the walk follows medieval footpaths. Free to do, obviously - it's a public footpath. Go mid-week in shoulder season if you want relative peace; summer weekends bring the crowds.

If you're staying at Tremeer Farm's yurts just across the way, this is an obvious addition to your park holiday itinerary. Par Sands and the other parks round Polruan are close enough that Hall Walk works as a morning activity before heading back for lunch. The Fowey Valley keeps you anchored to the east side of Cornwall rather than getting pulled toward the clichéd north coast.