St Michael’s Way

Walk the 12.5-mile pilgrimage from Lelant to Marazion.

St Michael’s Way is a scenic walk that takes you from Lelant near St Ives to St Michael’s Mount in Marazion (see map here). You’ll follow the scallop shell waymarks past ancient sites, monuments, holy wells and churches, enjoying views of Hayle Estuary and Carbis Bay.

The walk is part of the Camino to Santiago, a network of ancient pilgrim routes that connect locations across Europe to the tomb of St James in Spain. It’s said that this route was once used by Irish and Welsh pilgrims who wanted to avoid sailing around the perilous coast at Land’s End.

This is a challenging walk, so we’ve included plenty of inspiration for rest stops, as well as things you can see and do along the way. Please be aware that the path can get very muddy following heavy rain. Visit the British Pilgrimage Trust website for more information and to see access updates.

Activity level: Energetic
Duration: 1 day

You can mix and match from the suggested activities to create a great day out during your stay. If you were to do all the activities on this itinerary, the estimated duration is given above.

Please note: You will need to contact the venue or experience provider directly to book.

Click on each individual experience and find out more about its accessibility and public transport connections, along with an eco tip.

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Things to do

St Michael’s Way

Historic churches

Walking the St Michael’s Way is an opportunity to explore some of the historic churches in the area. At the start of your journey in Lelant, you’ll find St Uny, a medieval, granite-built church with a rich history. In Ludgvan, you’ll find the impressive St Paul’s Church, which has a history dating back to the 7^th century, while Gulval is home to a lovely 13^th-century church.

National Trust

Trencrom Hill

Trencrom Hill is an ancient hill fort and mythical home of the legendary giant Trecobben. The story goes that he used to play games with the giant who built St Michael’s Mount (which you will just be able to see in the distance). Look for the rock formations, which are said to be the Giant’s Cradle, Giant’s Chair and Giant’s Spoon.

St Michael’s Mount

Walk the causeway

On a crisp and bright day, St Michael’s Mount is a sight to behold. As the tide lowers, the causeway is revealed – and this is your entry point to the famous landmark. The castle itself is a National Trust site, which is open to visitors daily during the summer, but only on selected dates from the 1st November-31st March, so it’s definitely worth planning your day here first.

Places to Eat

Tremenheere Kitchen

Lunch in an idyllic setting

Whether you’ve spent the morning exploring Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens or you simply want to enjoy a relaxing lunch in a tranquil setting, Tremenheere Kitchen is a wonderful place to plan a pitstop. The kitchen is open for breakfast and lunch, and their menu is filled with seasonal, local ingredients. Check their winter opening hours here.

Essential Information

Places to Stay

Retreat to a cosy self-catering cottage or book a stylish hotel in the heart of town. Discover the perfect seaside stay for your winter in Cornwall.

More inspiration?

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Accessibility

Many of the activities in our itineraries are accessible. Click on each individual experience to find out more about its accessibility. We advise that you contact the venue or experience provider in advance to confirm. You can also find information about accessible venues through Access Cornwall.

Local knowledge

Enjoy updates from local experts and find information about upcoming events.

Getting around

Discover the many ways you can get out there and explore without relying on your car.

Positive impact

We’re hoping to make every stay as sustainable as possible. Find out more here.

Itinerary last updated on February 24th, 2023

This listing has been curated by the EXPERIENCE West Cornwall team and was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We advise that you contact the venue or provider directly to confirm any seasonal opening details and to book the experience.