Things to do in Cornwall
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Cornwall
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months: warm enough, everything open, below-August prices.
Warmest, busiest, priciest. Book everything.
Oyster festival, autumn light, quieter; good value.
Wild and empty, seasonal closures; the coast path at its most dramatic.
What's on
- Golowan Festival late June
Midsummer fire festival in Penzance.
- Boardmasters August
Surf and music festival at Fistral, Newquay.
- Falmouth Oyster Festival October
The start of the oyster season.
- Montol December
Winter solstice fire festival in Penzance.
Best things to do in Cornwall
Tate St Ives
Modern art above Porthmeor Beach; pair with the Hepworth Garden.
Minack Theatre
Cliff-carved open-air theatre; the setting justifies the daytime visit.
St Michael's Mount
Tidal island castle; check tides, the causeway walk is half of it.
Eden Project
The biomes in the clay pit; the county's best bad-weather day.
Tintagel Castle
Cliff-top ruins on the new footbridge; book timed entry in summer.
Port Isaac
Fishing village harbour and lanes; go in the evening.
Padstow Harbour
The food town's harbour; come hungry.
Kynance Cove
White sand and serpentine stacks; needs low tide.
Where to stay in Cornwall
St Ives and Carbis Bay
a first trip
Art town, beaches, coast path; August needs months of booking.
Falmouth
harbours and year-round life
Most hotel choice, maritime museum, ferries; good in any season.
Padstow and the north coast
food
The restaurants are walkable; quieter than St Ives.
The Helford and south coast
quiet and gardens
The river and Trebah; for the trip that slows down.
Think twice about
- Newquay town centre for a quiet trip
Built for nightlife and stag/hen groups; stay at Fistral instead.
- St Ives in August without a booking
It sells out and the lanes gridlock; book months ahead and park-and-ride.
- Deep inland without a car
Fine to visit, but basing there without transport strands you.
Best restaurants in Cornwall
The Seafood Restaurant
Stein's flagship since 1975; book the conservatory weeks ahead.
St Petroc's Bistro
The smaller Stein rooms; Stein cooking without the tasting menu.
Paul Ainsworth at No. 6
Ainsworth's starred tasting menus; the town's other big table.
Outlaws New Road
Outlaw's starred seafood tasting menus.
Outlaws Fish Kitchen
The casual Outlaw; day-boat fish by the harbour.
The Mariners
Ainsworth's pub across the estuary; the Rock Chip Butty.
Caffe Rojano
Low-key harbour restaurant when the big rooms are booked.
The Fish House
Beachside seafood above Fistral; the post-surf lunch.
Outdoor things to do in Cornwall
South West Coast Path
The St Ives to Zennor day walk; lunch at the Tinners Arms.
Fistral Beach
Britain's famous surf beach; book a group lesson, mind the rips.
Camel Trail
Flat estuary cycle to Bodmin; the Wadebridge section is the easy day.
Lost Gardens of Heligan
Restored Victorian gardens; the county's best garden.
Trebah Garden
Sub-tropical valley down to a private Helford beach.
Land's End
The cliffs are fine; walk the coast path past the complex.
Best hotels in Cornwall
Carbis Bay Estate
The G7 hotel with its own Blue Flag beach and spa.
Trevose Harbour House
Six-room townhouse in the Warren; the style pick.
Boskerris Hotel
Adults-only clifftop above Carbis Bay with Godrevy views.
The Greenbank Hotel
Harbourside since the 1640s, with pontoons and the Working Boat pub.
St Michaels Resort
Spa hotel opposite the beach with the hydrotherapy pool.
The Royal Duchy Hotel
Family-run seafront hotel with the bay-view terrace.
Harbour Hotel Padstow
Made-over Victorian above the harbour; the practical food-town base.
Budock Vean Hotel
Country house on a 65-acre Helford estate with spa and golf.
Is Cornwall expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | £55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | £140 a person |
| Splurge | £380 a person |
| No limits | £750 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Minack Theatre: a few days ahead
- St Michael's Mount: a few days ahead
- Eden Project: a few days ahead
- Tintagel Castle: a few days ahead
- Fistral Beach: a few days ahead
- Camel Trail: a few days ahead
- Carbis Bay Estate: weeks ahead
- Trevose Harbour House: weeks ahead
- The Seafood Restaurant, No. 6, Outlaws New Road: weeks ahead in season.
- Minack performances, Tintagel, Eden Project: timed entry ahead in holidays.
- St Ives accommodation in August: months ahead.
Is Cornwall safe?
- Rip currents at surf beaches: swim between the flags. Unfenced cliff edges. Tides cut off beaches; check times. Emergency: 999 or 112.
Cornwall travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Land's End theme complex; walk the coast path instead.
- Harbour-front tourist menus at Stein prices without Stein cooking.
- Motorway-service pasties; buy from a proper bakery.
Getting around Cornwall: public transport and more
- A car is essential; the A30 is the spine. Book hire cars ahead in August.
- Without a car: St Ives has the branch line from St Erth; Falmouth has trains and ferries.
- St Ives, Padstow and Port Isaac parking is tight in summer; use top car parks.
Who Cornwall suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Cornwall your trip
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