Things to See and Do in Lelant

Lelant Beach

The beach at Lelant is called Porthkidney Sands. It is a vast expanse of golden sand (around 1 mile long) with stunning views across to St Ives.

It’s not a safe place for swimming, but because it’s so big and lacks facilities, it always feels nicely empty. As it is dog-friendly all year, it’s one of the best places in West Cornwall to bring your pup for a scamper! When the tide’s right, you can walk along the beach to Carbis Bay (please check the tide times first).

To access the beach from Lelant, take the path from the church down to Porthkidney Sands beach.

Golf at Lelant

For keen golfers, the links course in Lelant is home to the West Cornwall Golf Club: the oldest course in Cornwall. The sea views from the golf course are stunning!

Visitors are welcome to play here: just book online in advance. The current cost is £60 per player.

Walking in Lelant

There are some lovely walks in Lelant. In addition to the beautiful beach walk along Porthkidney Sands, you can also explore the South West Coast Path and St Michael’s Way.

St Michael’s Way is a coast-to-coast micro-pilgrimage which covers diverse holy places, from ancient Irish Saints to giants on hilltops. Lelant is a great place to begin this journey; finishing at St Michael’s Mount in Marazion, this 13-mile trail can be completed in a day.

You can also take the very scenic Lelant to St Ives walk which takes you along a moderate section of the South West Coast Path. The route takes about an hour and a half, and if you don’t fancy the walk back, you can jump on the St Ives train back to Lelant!

Lelant Trains

The short St Ives branch line that runs along the Hayle estuary and the coast is one of the most scenic train rides in Britain.

The train runs between St Erth and St Ives and stops at Lelant railway station, Lelant Saltings and Carbis Bay.

Taking the train from Lelant to St Ives is a wonderful way to enjoy the views and alleviate the stress of parking in St Ives.

Lelant Heritage

St Uny church in Lelant dates back to Norman times, although most of what you see today is later medieval. St Uny was an Irish saint. He and St Erth were the brothers of St Ia, who founded St Ives, making sainthood a bit of a family business in this corner of Cornwall!

Lelant is actually named after a completely different saint, St Anta, whose name features in Carbis Bay’s church, St Anta and All Saints, a 1920s church that replaced the previous wooden hut.