Penzance to Marazion cycle path
Route Overview
| Distance | 2.3 miles |
|---|---|
| Surface | The surface is sealed throughout, and is mostly smooth concrete. |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Child-Friendliness | ✅ Very child-friendly |
| Suitable Bikes | Anything (including trikes) |
| Barriers | There are no barriers along the route. |
| Café / Food | There are cafés in, or near the train station, and also The Hoxton Special, the Surf Club, and Jordan’s Café, all on the route. |
| Train Access | The route starts right by Penzance train station. |
| Parking | Pay and display parking is available at the train station, TR18 2LT, at Longrock car park, TR20 8HZ, and the Marazion car park, TR17 0DA. |
The Bay To Bay Multi-Use path runs from Penzance station to the edge of Marazion, some 2.3 miles away. The path was built in 2022, using smashed concrete from the Penzance promenade as sub-base. The path runs along the coastal flood defences, and is sandwiched between the railway line, and the sea.
On a clear day, it offers fantastic views over to St Michael’s Mount, but the downside is that it’s very exposed, and on blustery, windy days, you’ll certainly notice it. As the name suggests, it’s a shared path, and during the high season it can get quite busy.
Bay to Bay cycle route overall rating:
(Colour explanation: blue = good, yellow indicates some warning, and red indicates issues to be aware of)
Surface on the route
The route has a sealed surface throughout, with most of it being smooth concrete. Do note that, due to it being right by the sea, at times there can be significant amounts of sand on the route, and adjust your cycling accordingly.
Refreshments
There are several cafés in, or very near the Penzance train station. There’s also The Hoxton Special further along, as well as the Surf Club, and Jordan’s Café. Though off the route, the café on St Michael’s Mount is very good, too.
Bikes
You can use any type of bike, but do note that in places the path isn’t especially wide, and trikes may at times need to yield.
Toilets
There are toilets at Penzance train station, at The Hoxton Special, at the Surf Club and Jordan’s Café, and various locations in Marazion, those the ones in Marazion aren’t directly on the route.
Safety from traffic
The entire route, as shown on the map, is traffic-free. However, if you wanted to go into Marazion itself, or continue to St Michael’s Mount, you will need to cycle on the road.
The grading system I use is explained here.
Points of Interest
St Michael’s Mount is well worth a visit, and is reachable via a causeway, when the tide it out. Do keep an eye on the tide though! Look at the tidal forecast further below, to ensure you don’t get caught out.
Barriers
There are no barriers along the route.
Cycle Hire
You can hire bikes from Penzance Cycle Hire, who can also do delivery and collection.
Child friendliness
The route is suitable for even younger kids, but do take care where it skirts the edge of a car park along the way.
Social safety
The whole route is highly visible, and there will usually be other people around.
Hilliness
This route is very flat.
Weather forecast for the Bay to Bay path
Tide times
The chart below shows the forecast tide times for Newlyn (adjacent to Penzance). It relies on data from the Environment Agency. Us the chart to plan your visit, so you can have the opportunity to walk across the causeway to St Michael’s Mount, during low tide.
⚠ TidalNews: No data for station
E72239.
What the Bay to Bay path looks like
Getting to the Bay to Bay path
The route as shown on the map below starts at Penzance station, which the far end of the Paddington to Penzance mainline. This makes it simple to get to the start car-free, by taking your bike on the train. As ever, read my Bikes On Trains guide for useful and helpful tips for taking your bike on the train.
Parking near the Bay to Bay path
Adjacent to Penzance train station there’s a large public car-park (pay and display) – TR18 2LT. There’s also the Longrock car park (TR20 8HZ) but do note that it fills up rapidly, especially in summer. Finally there is the Marazion car park, TR17 0DA.
More Routes
To find more routes, click this link.
DayCycle
DayCycle routes are routes that can can easily be cycled by most people in a day, or part of a day. Do have a look at all the other DayCycle routes available on WillCycle.
Bay to Bay route interactive map
You can download the GPX file from the map below, simply by clicking the GPX button. Hovering over the elevation profile will show the elevation for that point along the route, in both metres and feet. It will also show the gradient.
If viewing the map on your phone, you will also see a Find Me, Navigate and Record Route button, below the map. WillCyclers can have voice turn-by-turn navigation of the route, and participate in any treasure hunts that may be active along the route.
And finally…
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