After heading down to Cornwall this summer for a weekend by the sea, I decided to pull together a list of the best places to visit in Cornwall, based on my own experiences. We spent a week in Cornwall, on a road trip of Cornwall. We spent three nights in Falmouth, two nights in Newquay and two nights in Bude.
Cornwall is the ultimate UK summer staycation with its mild climate, breathtaking scenery and long stretches of sandy beaches. Located on the southwestern tip of the United Kingdom, it offers tourists moorlands, beaches, cliff faces, great cuisine and much more.
The county of Cornwall culminates at the promontory Land’s End, with views out to the Atlantic Ocean. The south coast is often dubbed the Cornish Riviera, due to it’s temperate weather and stunning harbour villages.
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How to get to Cornwall
I would drive, but you can also jump on a bus, fly or get a train. Newquay Airport is 5 mins from Watergate Bay and is served by Flybe which operates from London and Manchester.
If you are driving however, be organised for a road trip as it can be a pretty long drive. Trains take quite a while, but go from London-Penzance.
When to go to Cornwall
Cornwall is one of the first places to spring alive in the United Kingdom due to its southerly location. The best time to visit seems to be September and October when the weather is usually glorious.
We had a mix of weather, a few days with sunshine but had one day with lots of rain and we visited in October. The south-west coast of Cornwall has the only subtropical climate in the UK with palm trees being found in the area because of the intense heat during the summer and the warm winters.
READ MORE: Cornwall Restaurants: 10 Places to eat in Cornwall
Where to stay in Cornwall
Some of the best places to visit in Cornwall to go and see include St Austell, Mevagissey, upmarket riverside town of Fowey, St Ives Bay, popular Newquay, enchanting fishing villages and harbours; Port Isaac, Portreath and Mousehole as well as beach towns Perranporth, Porthcurno and Polzeath.
There’s also famous Padstow and university town Falmouth, as well as Truro, the only city in Cornwall where the cathedral still dominates the skyline. Head further down the coast and you reach Penzance, one of the largest towns in Cornwall, the busy fishing port of Newlyn, and you can even take a day trip out to the Isles of Scilly.
There are so many places to stay in Cornwall, but I’d highly recommend renting a property with Aspect Holidays and depending on what you’d like to do whilst you are in Cornwall will determine which area you should base yourself from. I have listed some of my favourite spots below, and linked to a few properties which offer a good location, access to local attractions and are a lovely stay.
- Falmouth: Falmouth is it an underrated town in Cornwall and is often overlooked by the more popular towns of Newquay. It has a vibrant culture with a great selection of cafés, restaurants, independent shops and art galleries.
- Mevagissey: A quaint working harbour village, lovely coastal walks nearby and close to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. Perfect if you love hiking and being outside.
- Newquay: Newquay is a town on the north coast of Cornwall, known for sandy Fistral and Watergate Bay beaches, where waves from the Atlantic Ocean create strong surf.
- Bude: Bude is a seaside town in north Cornwall, and is a lovely town with a beach and seapool. It’s a great spot if you are after the beach and watersports.
- St Ives: St Ives is known for its surf beaches, like Porthmeor, and its art scene. The seafront Tate St Ives gallery has rotating modern art exhibitions, focusing on British artists.
- Port Isaac: A small but lively town, the home of Doc Martin, the TV show and a quaint fisherman’s village. You can grab a good pub lunch here!
Credit: Aspect Holidays
Cornwall Itinerary
Top 21 Things to do in Cornwall
- Eden Project
- St Michael’s Mount
- Falmouth
- St Ages
- Newquay
- The Lost Gardens of Heligan
- Camel Valley Vineyard
- Tresco Abbey Garden
- Penzance
- Mousehole
- The Lizard Peninsula
- Tate St Ives
- Surfing
- Bedruthan Steps
- Fowey
- St Mawes
- Kynance Cove
- Trelissick
- Tintagel Castle
- St Isaac
- Port Isaac
10 Best Places to visit in Cornwall
The Eden Project
I’ve visited the Eden Project many a time and love it. Me and Theo first visited the Eden Project together over six years ago when we took our first holiday down to Cornwall when we first got together. And on this recent trip we went back and loved re-living one of our favourite holidays as a couple.
The Eden Project is a popular visitor attraction in Cornwall, and is most famous for the two biomes on the site. Inside the biomes are plants that are collected from many diverse climates and environments. The project is located in a reclaimed china clay pit, and the site is dominated by the biomes and now further exhibitions to do with the environment.
The complex is dominated by two huge enclosures consisting of adjoining domes that house thousands of plant species, and each enclosure emulates a natural biome. The biomes consist of hundreds of hexagonal and pentagonal, inflated, plastic cells supported by steel frames. The largest of the two biomes simulates a rainforest environment and the second, a Mediterranean environment. The attraction also has an outside botanical garden which is home to many plants and wildlife native to Cornwall and the UK in general; it also has many plants that provide an important and interesting backstory, for example, those with a prehistoric heritage. (Description: Wikipedia)
Even if you head here for the domes, it is well worth a visit. It can be a bit busy or pricey but it’s a fun day out and the gardens are always perfect and change with the seasons, and the biomes are great fun. There’s nowhere else in the world quite like The Eden Project! And I’d definitely recommend a visit to Eden Project Cornwall.
Penzance
Penzance sits on the very tip of Cornwall (right at the end of the United Kingdom) and although a long drive to get here, it’s worth it. This Cornish harbour town is not far from the most westerly and southerly points of the British mainland at Land’s End’s and the Lizard. The town is protected by the beautiful Mount’s Bay, around St Michael’s Mount, a magical tidal island.
Falmouth
Me and Theo visited Falmouth at the end of September this year and had the best time exploring Falmouth and the nearby towns and villages. Falmouth is it an underrated town in Cornwall and is often overlooked by the more popular towns of Newquay and family.
Falmouth is a great town to visit and has a vibrant culture with a great selection of cafés restaurants independent shops at galleries and fish and chip shops. Falmouth is known for its deep natural harbour on the file history and beaches like Swan pool of tourists a great weekend break in the British countryside. The National Maritime Museum in Cornwall has interactive galleries and lots of model boats on display.
Falmouth Has been shaped and influenced by a strong connection to the sea combining fascinating Maritime Heritage and modern creativity.
St Michael’s Mount
Walking across the causeway to St Michael’s Mount at low tide is one of Cornwall’s true highlights and something that can’t be done in many other places around the world. We headed over to St Michaels Mount on the Thursday and checked the tidal times to make sure we could make the crossing from the beach side to the island. St Michael’s Mount is a tidal island, linked to the town of Marazion by a man-made causeway of granite setts, passable between mid-tide and low water. It’s definitely worth a visit!
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Port Isaac
If you’ve ever watched Doc Martin, you’ll want to visit here. It’s also one of the most beautiful towns in Cornwall with its wonderful pubs, little streets and proper Cornish feel. Port Isaac is a small fishing village on the Atlantic coast of north Cornwall, with nearby towns such as Wadebridge and Camelford, both ten miles away. Port Gaverne, commonly mistaken to be part of Port Isaac, is a nearby hamlet that has its own history and is also a part of the TV show Doc Martin at times.
St Ives
Set on one of the prettiest headlands anywhere in the world, St Ives is a beautiful town and the stunning Porthminster beach attracts thousands every year. The seafront Tate St Ives gallery has rotating modern art exhibitions, focusing on British artists. Here you can find the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, and you can also head out on a boat trip if you fancy spending some time on the water to visit the famous seal colony.
Tate St Ives
The Isles of Scilly
Not technically in Cornwall, but another not to be missed. Jump on a boat and head across to the beautifully-raw Isles of Scilly. They are an absolute must, accessed by a 15 minute flight from Land’s End. Tip: here you can go swimming with seals!
Newquay
It’s also worth visiting Newquay, whether you are staying close or not. Newquay is a town on the north coast of Cornwall, known for sandy Fistral and Watergate Bay beaches, where waves from the Atlantic Ocean create strong surf. Without even having to go in to the water, at the Blue Reef Aquarium you can see pufferfish, sharks and rays or if mammals suit you better you can visit Newquay Zoo, where you can find lions, tigers and flamingos. We spent some time here over the few days we were staying at Bedruthan Hotel, and loved it’s proximity to Newquay.
Lost Gardens of Heligan
The Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey in Cornwall, are one of the most popular botanical gardens in the UK.Twenty-nine years ago, Heligan’s historic gardens were unknown and unseen; lost to the brambles of time since the outbreak of WW1. It was only the chance discovery of a door in the ruins that led to the restoration of this once great estate.
Today, The Lost Gardens have been put back where they belong: in pride of place among the finest gardens in England. The gardens are typical of the 19th century Gardenesque style with areas of different character and in different design styles. The house and outbuilding were converted into flats in the 1970s and the garden was considered lost, but it was rescued during a televised project in 1996. The Lost Gardens of Heligan are now open to the public as a tourist attraction. (Credit: The Lost Gardens of Heligan)
My Travel Tips and Recommendations
Flights
To book flights, I always use flight search engine, Skyscanner, I regularly use the Everywhere tool to find the cheapest places to travel. It’s how I get to travel so much all around the world. I find it the easiest way to compare flight prices across airlines and get the best deals.
Accommodation
For accommodation, I would recommend booking through Aspect Holidays. You can find a large selection of properties in Cornwall and surrounding areas for rent, with amazing views in great locations.
Photography and Technology
Here is a list of the technology I always travel with:
Travel Insurance
Picking travel insurance that covers you in all eventualities is an essential part of planning a trip for every single person. If you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. You never know what’s around the corner.
You can also find me on social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
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Thank you for reading and as always happy adventuring! If you have any questions about the destination please leave these in the comments below.
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Sophie X
