Lantic Bay
Right, 2020 is here and I feel the need to jump back into this! And as one of my 2020 resolutions is to explore a new place in Cornwall every week (usually on a Sunday), I might as well blog about it!
We kicked things off this last Sunday (12th of Jan… bit of a slow start) with a trip to Lantic Bay. What a stunner! I mean, the day was all set out for it to be beautiful regardless- with the sun shining early and little of the wind we’ve been getting lately. But it really was a terrific morning exploring a new area of Cornwall.
Situated on the eastern side of the Fowey Estuary, it is a relatively secluded part of the Cornish coast. Perhaps because it is not the easiest to get to! We chose to get on the move by 7.30 and arrived at Lantic Bay’s National Trust carpark by 8.30. (If you look at a map, you can’t quite believe it would take that long to get there from Newquay, but there isn’t exactly a direct route).
We were the only ones in the car park and actually remained the only ones on the whole walk until just before we returned to the van (about 10.30ish). Definitely a great time to go.
It turns out that there are many walks you can do from this spot, including a woodland (yay!) but we came to see Lantic Bay, so we opted to head straight there. You cross the road and take the path through some fields. They are often occupied by livestock and there are the normal warnings for keeping your dog under control. Luckily for us, there were no cows or ponies about for Bowie to try and herd.
It doesn’t take long before you pop over the brow of the hill and view the stunning coastline including Lantic Bay. The coastal path is very clear along this section and would be a great bit to do on a separate occasion.
We headed down to the bay, noting that there were signs saying the way was a bit steep. Jim and I realised we didn’t have the same knees we had in South America 6 years ago. It is a little bit of a scramble- for people unsure on their feet I would be wary. But nothing too major and worth every step.
It was mid tide on arrival and the beach was in full shadow still. The beauty of it was enhanced by our isolation. The bay had sections that don’t seem to be touched by the tide so I imagine people wild camp there, when nobody is looking. I wish we had have brought a thermos with us to have a bit of a sit and bask when the sun finally did reach us.
Sadly, it was immediately obvious that this bay was prone to throwing up flotsam from the currents. The tide line was one long seaweed tangle, interspersed with litter. Pieces of plastic in all sizes- from a large plastic drum, to a scrubbing brush, a reusable cup (bit ironic) and the usual bottles, lids, fishing wire… It was all there tainting our experience of the great outdoors and reminding us that you can’t escape it. I did a mini beach clean, filling a dog poo bag with primarily fishing wire as I assessed that to be the worst on the beach. Note to self; add a reusable litter picking bag to the ‘Explore Kit’.
Interestingly, there were a good few Portuguese Man O’ Wars in the mix too. They must have blown in on the recent storms. I reported them to Marine Strandings Network once back home as they like to monitor wildlife on our beaches.
After a good half hour on the beach, we climbed back up to the headland, tried to get a Pride Rock shot (didn’t work), looped around and back the way we came. Not a massive walk distance-wise, but we were hungry by then! Definitely worth the early Sunday start and definitely somewhere to go back to!
Been to Lantic Bay? Any tips for my next visit? Please write in the comments- I love getting them!
