Known as Cornwall’s “forgotten corner”, the Rame Peninsula has long been one of the county’s quieter coastal escapes. But with renewed attention on the landscapes of the South West Coast Path – including those that inspired Raynor Winn’s coast-walk memoir, The Salt Path – this secluded stretch of coastline is set to attract a new generation of walkers and explorers.
On a typical sunlit afternoon, as day-trippers from Plymouth spill from the ferry onto Cawsand Beach, it feels anything but forgotten. Yet beyond the easy charms of the waterfront, Rame reveals a quieter side: a landscape of windswept headlands, hidden coves and wild, often solitary beauty, with some of the most breathtaking coastal views in Cornwall.
At its heart lie Kingsand and Cawsand, neighbouring villages that sit across an old Devon-Cornwall border. Their narrow streets weave between red sandstone fishermen’s cottages, centuries-old smugglers’ quays, welcoming pubs and a scatter of boats bobbing offshore. Mostly free from traffic, they offer the perfect starting point for finding your own stretch of the Salt Path.
From here, waymarked trails climb cliff tops, thread through woodland and cross open meadows, revealing a landscape alive with wildlife – from hovering kestrels to Dartmoor ponies – alongside secret beaches and far-reaching sea views. It is, as Raynor Winn describes it, a place filled with “crystal-clean air”.
