St Just is the closest town to Land’s End and an ideal base for exploring the far west of Cornwall. St Just is surrounded by the beautiful north coast and neighbour to the moors. This old market town has that Cornwall feel, with local independent shops scattered around the town and beautiful pubs, restaurants, and cafes serving up delicious food and drink every day.
The popular coastal town of St Ives can be seen across newspapers, magazines, and social media for its beautiful surroundings. St Ives sees thousands of tourists flocking here every summer therefore in the summer it can get quite busy but its beauty is something to behold, a stunning picturesque harbours thriving with some of the best restaurants around along with delicious ice creams on the quay. People have been visiting St Ives since the mid 1900’s and have been coming back ever since, including some making the jump to moving near the coastal town.
Sennen is located in West Cornwall, surrounded by a beautiful coastline, and has arguably one of the best beaches in Cornwall. This old fishing village is located in a remote part of Cornwall and just behind it is Land’s End the furthest westerly point in the mainland England. Sennen is still a small village to date but has everything you need to enjoy a day out, around the village it’s full of local independent stores which are supported by the locals during downtime in the winter.
Redruth is a small village inland of Cornwall, as one of the most populated towns in Cornwall, Redruth is home to many Cornish residents and now has somewhat been commercialized bringing in the big supermarkets and smaller shops that come with that. Redruth has a lovely surrounding countryside with rolling hills for miles and mooing cows. Also in the town are some nice cafes, and a lovely indoor Market plus some vintage and curio shops to browse through then if you’re hungry there are many restaurants and pubs serving up great food every day.
Porthleven is a small town in Cornwall, England. It is located on the south coast of the county, about 12 miles east of Penzance. The town is known for its picturesque harbour, which is the most southerly in the United Kingdom, and for its annual Seafood Festival, which celebrates the town’s fishing heritage. Porthleven is a popular destination for tourists, with a range of shops, restaurants, and pubs.
Porthcurno now is a small secluded village away from the mainland of Cornwall, tucked far south as you can go, Porthcurno offers a place from all the busy tourist-heavy towns. Around the village, you can find a few shops, cafes and the odd pub to grab a bite to eat, another attraction in the village is the Telegraph Museum which you can find out about how Porthcurno played a major part in Telecommunications back in time.
Penzance is a thriving town packed with local shops for everything you need, from our favourite Cornish pasty to small homeware shops. Built on everything you relate to Cornwall like mining, agriculture, and fishing, this once small village has now become a favourite seaside resort for tourists, seeking scenic views with a good transport system and golden beaches for the family.
Newlyn is home to one of the biggest working fishing fleets in the UK, the village is a thriving fishing village that is a massive contributor to the Cornish economy each year. In the harbour you’ll find all different fishing boats, from beam trawlers, longliners, crabbers, and even small boats used for handlining mackerel in the bay.
Mousehole is a small old fishing village on the West Coast of Cornwall, sacked by the Spaniards in July 1595 during this tragic event the entire village apart from one house was burnt to the ground, the house still stands today which shows the testament of how the houses were built back then.
Marazion is an attractive destination for family holidays, offering a variety of water sports and obviously the picturesque St Michaels Mount. The name Marazion is referred to as Market Jew but believed to be derived from the old Cornish Marghaisewe, meaning Thursday market. Believed to be the oldest town in Britain formed by Romans many years ago.
The Lizard Point is the most southerly point in the UK, famous for the serpentine stone which is a unique metamorphic rock, dark green vein with red and white. Locals used to make fashionable ornaments in the Victorian times but the village has several serpentine turners working during the season, today there are multiple shops and galleries where you can view the serpentine rock first hand.
Helston is an old market town just inland from Porthleven, arguably most known for the famous Floral Dance held on 8th May unless it falls on a Sunday or Monday then it takes place on the following Saturday. This town now has a great sense of community about it with old Georgian buildings that can be found around the town. Helston now has been slightly commercialized with the big supermarkets making home and feeding a lot of the locals.
Hayle is just down the road from the popular tourist destination of St Ives. Famed for its three miles of golden sandy beach. This town is a popular spot for tourists as well as bird watchers, the estuary through Hayle is known for being an international bird-watching spot, with various species such as ospreys, avocets, and a host of wading birds. Along the paths and roadside verges you’ll find areas where wild orchids grow, where else in the UK can you find that!
Coverack is a stunning old fishing village tucked away on the east side of the Lizard is stunning. Tourists come from all over to visit this village’s stunning scenery, perched on the side of a point with the turquoise sea you wouldn’t think this is in the UK. Coverack has a little harbour which is surrounded by old whitewashed cottages with lichen and moss on the rooftops.
Carbis Bay is a hot spot in the summer for tourists, the beautiful sandy postcard beaches with the turquoise sea bring in all the second homeowners back to lovely Cornwall to admire everything it has to offer. Located just one mile off St Ives, Carbis bay is an ideal spot for families with toddlers as the sea in the bay is perfect for swimming but not great for the surf. During low tide, this opens up Porthkidney sands where you will find the RSPB bird sanctuary, an important habitat for the sea birds.
Camborne is a small hamlet village surrounded by beautiful countryside, now it’s somewhat been commercialised with big supermarkets, takeaways, and other stores now situated within Camborne making it a hit village for people moving down as it’s not too different from more populated places in the UK. Situated next to the A30, Camborne is a good place to visit as it’s easy to get around being so close to the A30 and just down the road from the beautiful beach of Godrevy.
Cadgwith Cove is a picturesque small fishing village filled with thatched cottages lined up the sides of the valley and the small fleet of fishing boats winched up on shingle beach, these boats featured in ITV Cornwall this fishing life. The boats are still operated and the catch of the day feature in the local pubs and every Friday The Cadgwith Cove Inn sings a traditional Cornish song keeping the character in the village alive and well.
The village of Torpoint is one of many gateways between Devon and Cornwall, situated on the South East Coast of Cornwall near the Rame Heritage Coast. Between Torpoint and Plymouth is the River Tamar, a long winding river which leads through Cornwall, and getting across to Devon isn’t as difficult as it used to be, one ferry across and you’re there.
Saltash is located on the border between Cornwall and Devon, just across from the River Tamar is Plymouth which is divided by the Tamar Bridge. Saltash is home to beautiful views across the river with local Heritage trails and a leisure center. A great location to explore what the east of Cornwall has to offer, along with many great transport routes by road and rail so going up to Devon is no problem either.
Polperro is located south of Looe. A small Cornish seaside town steeped in great history, from its fishing heritage to a smuggling haven for pirates, with its small back alleys and accessible caves to move the untaxed goods around. Now the town of Polperro is a beautiful quaint village whose narrow streets and pretty cottages remain undeniably attractive. Many of the cottages are covered with beautiful flowers in the summer. The winding streets are so narrow they are forbidden to cars, so using the century-old footpath to explore is ideal.
Mevagissey is a hilly village with a beautiful harbour which was once the main place to go for pilchard fishing and still has that working harbour as it once did with a few dozen fishing boats left patrolling the sea. The old buildings in the town are constructed from cob and slate which shows testimony to a time when the large shoals of pilchards were the livelihood of the entire village, now you can take fishing trips from the harbour to fish for those.
Lostwithiel is located in a wooden valley at the furthest reach of the Fowey River. This inland village has easy access to both coasts and the moors as well, making Lostwithiel a great base for exploring the county as a whole. The name Lostwithiel comes from the Cornish word ‘lostwydhyel’ which means ‘Tail of the woods’.
Looe is split by the River Looe, both towns are joined together by a bridge across the river, in Medieval times both towns were separate with East Looe having the harbour and main shopping center while West Looe is quieter but also has small corner shops, restaurants, and hotels. The bridge that joins them was constructed back in 1853, replacing the bridge built in the 15th century.
The market town of Liskeard is located in South East Cornwall just east are the popular tourist destinations of Looe and Polperro. Liskeard is a beautiful town with original Victorian shop fronts, Town Hall and Clock Tower as well as the newly refurbished Stuart House which has now been made a venue for Arts with a beautiful garden, named after Charles I who stayed for 6 nights during 1644 Civil War.
Fowey is a small port which still is busy to this day, providing scenic moorings for leisure boats; the harbour is flanked by fourteenth-century blockhouses, one in Fowey and one of the opposite sides of the river in Polruan, from which chains were suspended to close the harbour mouth way back when. You can still visit the Polruan blockhouse but unfortunately, the Fowey blockhouse is closed but there still remains a good view from Fowey. In the second World War, Fowey was the main town for air-sea rescue and also one of the places from which D-Day invasions were launched.
Near St Austell is a small town called Charlestown, an unspoiled late Georgian working port, constructed between 1791 and 1801 by Charles Rashleigh a local entrepreneur and a member of the local landowning family, in a response to the growth of the local mining industry. The Mines were built to export copper and import coal, it was soon being used for exporting China Clay, the name of the port gets it from its creator.
Tintagel is a small quaint village with just outside of the village a scenic cliffside to the famous Tintagel Castle. Around the village, you will find old cottages which date back to the early 1900 and some further back and of course, the Old Post Office which is now run by the Nation Trust, its slate roof and cobbled walls were once a fourteenth-century manor house which has been restored for people to admire.
St Agnes situated on the north side of Cornwall is not as popular as other tourist destinations but it does not lack in the beautiful scenery of golden beaches with turquoise water. In the town are many places to eat if you want a quick bite to eat or a full dinner, also around the town are many small local craft shops and independent galleries which makes it attractive for day-trippers. St Agnes attracts holidaymakers that absolutely love a good walk along the rugged coastline, with scenic views and thriving wildlife the cliff sides near St Agnes play host to a variety of wildlife, including Razorbills, Guillemots, Grey Seal and even the odd Dolphin.
Rock is the neighbouring town to Padstow, just across the Camel estuary. Rock got its name from a local quarry where rocks were used as ballast by ships that had unloaded the cargo at Padstow; this quarry has now been replaced as a car park. In recent years Rock has seen great investment brought into this small town, bringing all kinds of celebrities to buy second homes here including Royal Family members, and now Rock is often referred to as ‘Chelsea-on-Sea’ with there being multiple million-pound homes, villas, and apartments hidden amongst the trees on the edge of the cliffs.
Portreath is a small seaside town just 5 miles north of Redruth, once a busy port of importing coal and exporting copper from the mines but has now been victim to bigger ports that can hold bigger boats. All the copper in the area was moved from the mines using horse wagons and then shipped by the ton to Swansea for smelting down and then the shops would return with Welsh coal and to this date, you can still see the original loading ramp in the village.
Port Isaac is a small fishing village built into a cliffside with interesting buildings surrounding the port. The narrow and winding streets are full of white-washed old fisherman cottages made from traditional granite, slate fronted houses which many are listed as of historic importance. Port Isaac now is a beautiful port full of life, still has a small working fishing fleet but is now seen as a place that tourists flock to see the beautiful harbour and walk the narrow pathways around.
Located near the River Camel Estuary is the small village of Polzeath. This village is a well known place for surfers and beach lovers to come and explore. Around Polzeath is many holiday cottages and throughout the small village are restaurants and pubs serving up fresh local fish from Padstow and nice cool Cornish Cider all day, so after you’re done with a coastal walk or relaxing on the beach, take a trip to the local establishments and support the locals that live in this village.
Perranporth was once a mining village but now attracts thousands of tourists every year, full of family-friendly resorts with miles of golden sand. In Perranporth village there are a few places to eat, along with great coffee shops and beach activity shops, just through Perranporth are two small streams which wind through the town and sides of cottages.
Padstow was and still is a busy fishing port as it was once back in Elizabethan times, now the local fishermen supply the multiple restaurants within the town. Padstow plays a major part in the tourism industry in Cornwall, welcoming millions each year to a little bit of Cornish life. Tourism first boomed when the railway in 1899 was built, running a regular service between London and Padstow and since the town has thrived on tourism.
Newquay was originally a fishing port of Towan Bilstra before the new quay was built in the fifteenth century. Among other things the quay was used for the import and export of mined ore and coal and for many years the main industry was fishing for pilchards and salting. Although pilchard fishing died out years ago this fishing town still has a working harbour, although it’s hard against the big swells of the Atlantic, they still manage to get out when the weather is good.
Minions is located east on Bodmin Moor not far from Liskeard and known as the highest Cornish village sitting over 300m above sea level. The name ‘Minions’ derives from a mound located just west of this village. Inside the village, there’s a selection of great places to eat, from pubs to restaurants serving up tasty food every day along with this there are a few shops to explore. Minions is a great base if you’re wanting to explore the lovely inland Cornwall, especially that you’re on the Bodmin Moors right away.
The small Hamlet town of Mawgan Porth is located in between Newquay and Padstow in North Cornwall, an ideal position for exploring the North Cornish Coast. This small village has not yet been filled with commercial shops, it has a small supermarket, multiple places to eat, and establishments to grab a drink on the go.
Launceston is a village located inland Cornwall, this old market town has been here since the time of the Normans. Launceston is not a hotspot for tourists and is more filled with Cornish locals, just off the A30 near Dartmoor National Park sits Launceston, this town has somewhat been commercialized with the big supermarkets moving in, but the town still holds some of its heritage today with the old castle, steam train, old parish church, and the interesting buildings within Launceston.
A popular family beach, Holywell Bay is a lovely 1 mile-long stretch of golden sand that sand dunes back onto it and is sheltered by towering headlands making it the perfect place to relax with the family and enjoy the peace that comes with Holywell Bay. The beach is known for its two islands which create an impressive backdrop, this has been featured in various TV shows but the most noted one is Poldark.
Crantock is located one mile away from Newquay next to the Gannel Estuary. Home to expansive beaches and big sand dunes, this popular location will be home to many tourists during the summer months. Another popular destination for surfing is facing the Atlantic. You will see surfers at different skill levels going out catching some waves and once you’re done there you can have a very traditional Cornish cream tea and even a beer afterward at the pubs nearby.
Bude is situated in North Cornwall, right next to the Devon border. Often compared to Newquay, Bude is a more toned-down version rather than being loud, it’s more of a family-orientated vibe. Bude is a quite compact seaside village with stunning beaches filled with families but doesn’t take long to escape the crowds and find the roads that lead up to the stunning views along the coast.
Boscastle is set down from the highland into a narrow ravine, classed as a tiny port with a natural harbour, Boscastle boasts some of the most attractive 19th century thatched cottages and white-washed buildings. Before railways, this tiny port was thriving with boats serving most of North Cornwall and in the summer of 2004 this tiny port hit national headlines with the worst floods it had ever seen, many had to be rescued from the tops of their houses.
Bodmin is the former county town of Cornwall is not short of history. Within the town are a few buildings which hold rich history such as Lanhydrock House and Garden, Bodmin moor and of course the most popular Bodmin Jail which is a must-see when visiting this historic town. Although Bodmin is not by the sea it does offer beautiful countryside surrounding it with vantage points overlooking the town.
Truro is the only city in Cornwall, its Cathedral towering above the skyline with its green spire and gothic aesthetic. The Cathedral was built at the start of the 1900s 250 feet in the sky with great big Victorian stained glass windows and the south aisle is one of the finest pieces of medieval architecture in Cornwall. Originally a market town and port way back over 800 years and boomed with the rest of Cornwall during the tin mining era.
The village of St Mawes has become a popular tourist destination as well as a second home haven in recent years but this beautiful old fishing port has stunning steep and narrow streets rising from the harbour which overlooks the River Fal. In recent years it’s seen a bunch of new house developments but still holds its heritage with the traditional thatched cottages. Around St Mawes, you’ll find a number of great shops, restaurants, cafes, and pubs serving up amazing food and drinks.
St Austell is just off the east coast of Cornwall and now one of the biggest towns in Cornwall. St Austell has a huge heritage from mining, during the mid 18th century this is what put St Austell on the map but now St Austell has a huge brewery which is keeping this town as the main town in Cornwall. Around St Austell, there are many things to do such as visiting the Eden Project, without a doubt the most popular tourist attraction in Cornwall.
Penryn is located at the head of the Penryn River which is where its name originates from, ‘Penryn’ is a Cornish word for ‘headland’ fit for this town as it is situated on the river. This old market town was once an important harbour shipping out granite and tin to other parts of the world during the medieval period, but now Penryn is dwarfed by the neighboring town Falmouth.
Helford Village was once a very important port, as difficult as this is to believe today as this is a quiet little village on the banks of the Helford River. Trading ships once would come into the passage and buy French rum, tobacco, and lace from the continent and the duty was collected at the old customs house. During the Napoleonic Wars, pirates and free traders roamed the river.
Falmouth is one of Cornwall’s largest towns, situated within a relatively sheltered bay on the south coast, Falmouth is a town all about water. This old harbour town was once a fine fishing village with a variety of boats now it still holds their small fishing boats to superyachts, opposite facing to these boats on the south side is an industrial dock catering for all sizes of ships and at the mouth of the Fal is one of the latest natural anchorages due to this you will see some of the worlds biggest ships here.
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