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From the centre of Marazion village roll southwest towards Long Rock. On the way out of the village, opposite the beach car park there is a road ('Green Lane') bearing off to the right, take it - it takes you onto the NCN route 3. Keep right at the next junction after 200m or so and follow the road for a further 500m. Just after the point where the road bears sharply round to the right there is a turning on the left with a little NCN '3' sign - take it and follow this to the end where it becomes a paved bridleway/cyclepath. Simply follow this path to it's end alongside the main A394. Turn left to pass under the A394 and then take the second right, signed to St Erth. Stay on this road, staying straight on at all junctions until you arrive at St Erth. Follow the road round sharply left after crossing the river and continue out, passing under both railway and A30 bridges to meet the B3301 at the head of the Hayle Estuary. Turn right towards Hayle. After 1.5km arrive at a roundabout just after passing under the railway viaduct. Turn left here and follow the road all the way through Hayle town centre until you reach a mini-roundabout. Turn left here, signed Portreath, Gwithian etc. This road passes along Upton Towans and Gwithian Towans through the village of Gwithian (stay on this road as it bears left by the pub). Shortly after exiting Gwithian, with an area of landscaped dunes on your left, you arrive at a humpback bridge with a junction signed Godrevy on the RH bend shortly thereafter. Here you can detour left 500m to Godrevy for a great cafe and lovely coastal views. To continue the ride stay on the road as bears sharp right after the bridge and then climbs up onto the cliff tops by Hells Mouth (it's worth having a peek over the edge here) and on to run along the cliffs all the way to Portreath. The views north from some of the viewpoints along the road are lovely on a nice day (see photo above...).
It's a steep descent into Portreath and there is often sand on the road at the hairpin at the foot of the descent so take care! There's cafes and stuff in Portreath but it's not a particularly picturesque location so keep going, just staying on this road as it runs inland from the beach. Approx. 3km from the beach the road forks, take the left fork to Porthtowan. The road climbs for a while and then descends steeply into the valley at Porthtowan. Take care on this descent, cars emerge from the beach road near the bottom on the left and don't always see plummeting cyclists under the shadow of the trees on the descent. You can take this beach road for a short detour to the beach and Porthtowan itself, it's a scruffy, sand-blown place but there's a cafe and shop if you need it. Unfortunately, after this descent the road rears right up again in front of you... it's not as hard as it looks though, it's a nice steady gradient of less than 20% and you've got some nice views of the beach, and possibly a lovely surf, on the left. At the top of the climb the road simply runs inland to reach a crossroads after about 2km from the top of the climb. Go straight across here to a junction on the B3277 from St Agnes. Go right here and follow this road all the way to the big roundabout on the A30 at Three Burrows. You need to go straight across here onto the A390 towards Truro.
Proceed on the A390 for about 2km to Penstraze and a junction on the right signed to Chacewater. Follow this road 2km to a staggered crossroads - go straight across (in reality it's a right and immediate left). Follow this road now as it eventually descends into the valley at Bissoe, turn an acute right at the junction at the bottom of the descent. Just a couple of hundred meters now and you'll arrive at the Bissoe cycling cafe (and bike hire) off to the right... definitely worth a stop for a brew and a toasted teacake....
Suitably refreshed, turn right out of the entrance to the cafe (or straight on from the descent above if you didn't stop) and follow the road through this pretty valley for a km or so to a t-junction in the little village of Cusgarne. Turn left down the hill, and follow the road as it climbs through the village of Frogpool. Don't make any exits off this road until you reach a t-junction/crossroads above Frogpool. Turn right here and follow the road for roughly 2km to a t-junction. Facing you is a no-entry sign... so turn left then immediately a sharp right onto the A393 Falmouth to Redruth road (in reality - ignore the no entry sign and go straight across.. it's only 10m or so of naughtiness). Take the next left after 100m. Stay on this road now as it climbs steadily for a few km towards Four Lanes. It's a nice, open 'roadies'climb this where you can really find a rhythm, the surface is good and the road quiet (it's an even nicer descent tho...;o). Follow the road as it climbs to eventually reach a T-junction - go right (signed Four Lanes). After 1km or so you meet the B3280 to Redruth, go sharp left here to Four Lanes. Keep on the B3280 all the way through the village and for a further 1.5km approx. On the right you'll see a road going off signed to Praze-an-Beeble and Penzance, take it. Follow this road now as it climbs at first to lovely views of the coast on your right and then descends eventually arriving at a cross-roads in the village of Praze-an-Beeble there is a bakery and pub opposite. Go straight across and arrive at another crossroads in Leedstown with the pub facing you. Go straight across here and follow this road for 12km or so as it ducks and dives it's way through the villages of Townshend, Relubbus and Goldsithney eventually arriving at a roundabout. Take 2nd exit (straight across) and roll back into Marazion and a brew at one of the cafes!
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