Mevagissey - Harbour & Square

Essential Intel

Please note: do not attempt the quest if it is stormy. Some sections may flood in stormy weather, and the route includes a working harbour with stretches that have no safety chains, steep drops to sand, rocks or open water, and tripping hazards.

There are also steep hills, slippery stretches, narrow lanes, some sections without pavement and a short flight of steps with steep drops on both sides. Keep Mini Explorers close, especially around the harbour, roads and steps.

Navigating The Route

This is a Treasure Hunt around Mevagissey Harbour & Square, with the Exploration Society sending Adventurers to Mevagissey to solve clues hidden around the village and uncover the secret of two ancient bejewelled figurines linked to a mystery journal from The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

The quest covers approximately 1.5 miles and should take around 1.5 hours to complete. You'll start at Willow pay and display car and coach park, cross the road, explore the village, investigate the harbour and harbour wall, tackle narrow lanes and steeper sections, then loop back towards the village centre and finish back near the main car park.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The route includes steep hills, slippery stretches, some sections without pavement, and a cliffside path up the steps signed 'Coastpath'. There is an alternative step-free route for part of the Trail: retrace along the harbour wall and take the first left to the High Street, then follow up the hill to the park. Anyone with a wheelchair in the group may prefer to wait at the bottom of the High Street while a scout party heads up the steeper section.

Take great care along the working harbour, where parts of the edge have no safety barrier and there are steep drops to sand, rocks or open water.

Getting There

By car: Start your treasure quest at Willow pay and display car and coach park (PL26 6SX), using ///fenced.quickly.pulps. Park here and begin at the main car park entrance.

By public transport: Make your way to Willow pay and display car and coach park at PL26 6SX to begin the adventure from the main car park entrance. The route loops back towards the village centre and ends back near the main car park.

Need the Loo?

Toilets are available close to the main car park at the start and end of the quest, and the route also passes toilets along the harbour edge.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

If you choose to bring four-legged trackers, keep them close throughout. 🐾

Do not let Mini Explorers or tracker dogs run ahead along the working harbour. The route includes roads, narrow lanes, steep sections, steps, slippery stretches and harbour edges with drops to sand, rocks or open water, so leads and close supervision are a sensible part of the expedition kit.

Food & Drink Stops

Treasure hunting around Mevagissey is hungry work, but there are a wide variety of refreshment stops in the village itself.

It's also worth packing provisions for a picnic along the way. The park at Clue 14 is described as a great scenic spot, with a view point near a bench by the lower path.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Mevagissey Harbour

The quest spends plenty of time around Mevagissey Harbour and the harbour wall, with views over the water and the working quayside. Once the treasure trail pressure is off, it's a lovely place to slow down and soak up the harbour atmosphere - just keep taking care near the edges, tripping hazards and stretches without safety chains.

Mevagissey Museum Building

Shipbuilding has existed in Mevagissey since 1745, and the village produced the Mevagissey Lugger, one of the fastest boats of its time and much favoured by smugglers. In what's now the museum building, boats were constructed on the ground floor, the first floor housed a workshop, and the top floor was used for storage.

The Park at Clue 14

This is a great scenic breather during the quest. The Trail suggests stopping here to admire the views and use it as a picnic spot, with a view point near a bench by the lower path.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Just 1.5 miles away from Mevagissey, The Lost Gardens of Heligan is an estate with 200 acres of gardens. After WWII, the Victorian gardens fell into disrepair and were lost from sight thanks to overgrown plants and brambles, before a chance discovery of a door to the ruins led to their successful restoration in the 1990s - a fitting extra for Explorers chasing a mystery linked to Heligan's lost secrets.