The Cornish Coast Path (530kms / 330 miles) is arguably at its most spectacular during springtime. The dramatic landscape, with its cliffs, headlands and sandy beaches are sprinkled with explosions of blossoming wildflowers like confetti. It’s magic.

Throw in winter-busting sunshine, and gentler, more welcoming weather, and you can soak up the glory of this diverse, wild and sometimes harsh landscape. All along the pathway visitors can find easy access to the multitude of walking routes that follow the whole of the Cornish coast. It’s a seemingly never-ending array of white beaches, colourful coves, bays, surf, wildlife, flora, fauna – and very few people.

Having been fortunate enough to explore sections of both the north and south coastal paths, I highly recommend a springtime visit for as much time as you can spare, and for as long as your legs will carry you.

You are sure to experience a mixture of weather on either coast, but the north coast has more sandy beaches, dunes and surfing, while the south coast has more cliff top walks, boating, and better protected spring flower blooms.

These photos were taken while walking the coastal path between Gerrans Bay (Carne Beach) and Gorran Haven. Here you will experience a happy combination of solitude, grandstanding scenery, wildlife and fine sand beaches. This stretch of path is all the more inviting as it is often much less visited than the closer-to-hand St Mawes/Falmouth and Mevagissey Bay regions to the south and north.

More broadly, across the whole of this western region’s coast there are treks for all levels, with the South West Coast path (1,000km from Minehead to Poole), recognised as not only the longest hiking trail in England and Wales but also uniquely created by coastguards originally trying to catch smugglers. This allows for interesting paths that twist and turn with the coast, delivering outstanding views of the seascapes below.

Across headland, moorland, broad estuaries and wild beaches, you can delight in all aspects of rugged coastal scenery, including picture postcard fishing villages, seaside resorts and centuries-old pubs. As well as wildflowers, seabirds, seals, dolphins, whales and the odd moody bull.