Cornish Cycle Tours - Coast to Coast Tour

NEW for 2010! Starts: Wadebridge. Total distance: 91 miles (147 km). Average daily distance: 23 miles (37 km). Tour difficulty 2: Medium Transfers available from: Bodmin Parkway station; Newquay Airport. Cycle hire: add £40 Price: £375 Arrive in Wadebridge. Check in for your first night's accommodation at the Molesworth Arms, a 16th century coaching inn in the north Cornish town of Wadebridge. In the afternoon you are free to explore the shops and cafes of Wadebridge, or you could stretch your legs by cycling the Camel Trail to Padstow. If you are hiring a cycle for the tour we will set you up and make all the necessary adjustments in the afternoon, to ensure you are ready to go in the morning. Preferred accommodation: The Molesworth Arms, Wadebridge.
Wadebridge to Charlestown - 23 miles (37 km). Leaving Wadebridge, your tour begins with a gentle cycle along the Camel Trail. Following the river towards Bodmin, you pass an 18th century jail (Bodmin Jail) and the Bodmin & Wenford Railway, where steam locomotives still ride the rails. Then it's on to the unspoilt village of Lanlivery and stop at The Crown Inn, a 12th century longhouse, for lunch. In the afternoon you will pass The Eden Project and ride along parts of the Clay Trails. Then it's on to the historic port of Charlestown which was used as a location for filming Poldark and Jane Austin’s Persuasion. There is also a shipwreck museum here where you will see tall ships docked. Preferred accommodation: The Rashleigh Arms, Charlestown.
Charlestown to Truro - 29 miles (47 km). The day's first stop is Mevagissey, a small working fishing village with narrow streets filled with gift shops, cafes, galleries and pubs. From Mevagissey the route takes you through country lanes, past beaches and the impressive Caerhays Castle with its famous spring gardens, deeper into the beautiful Roseland Peninsula. A quick trip across the Carrick Roads aboard the King Harry Ferry takes you past the National Trust gardens at Trelissick, from where it's a short ride into the cathedral city of Truro. Preferred accommodation: The Carlton Hotel, Truro
Truro to Newquay - 13 miles (21 km). The shortest day of cycling on the tour takes you from coast to coast. Departing the sheltered south coast at Truro the route skirts around Idless Woods (a great spot for a picnic), heading through the heart of Cornwall. Following country lanes, this leg takes you right past Trerice, an Elizabethan manor house with fine interiors and delightful garden owned by the National Trust - a great stop for a cream tea. Then it's on to Cornwall's surfing capital Newquay and the Three Tees Hotel close to Lusty Glaze beach. Preferred accommodation: Three Tees Hotel, Newquay
Newquay to Wadebridge - 26 miles (42 km). Leaving Newquay, the route follows National Cycle Route 32 through country lanes to St Columb Major, before heading north towards the coast. The route is faster and flatter than the shorter coastal road which can get very busy in summer months. Rejoining the coastal road at Constantine Bay - a great surfing beach - the route follows the coastal lanes to the ancient fishing port of Padstow. The town is known for its Obby Oss celebrations on May Day - the rest of the year Rick Stein caters for the hungry at his fish and chip shop, as well as the famous Seafood Restaurant. Padstow is also the starting point of The Camel Trail, the final leg of the tour back to Wadebridge. Photos Top: Sunset at Cot Valley, Visit Cornwall/Bob Berry