,_Coast_Path_--_2013_--_1061.jpg)
LOCAL SEAFOOD
Track down day-boat John Dory, buttered spider crab, and salt-baked hake along working quays from Newlyn harbour to Padstow.
Cornwall.
EUROPE/UNITED KINGDOM/50.2660° N, 5.0527° W
Atlantic gales have shaped this granite peninsula for centuries, carving sheer slate headlands on the north coast and softening into tidal river creeks along the south. You feel the isolation once past the Tamar River, where narrow lanes tunnel under high earth banks and ruined engine houses mark old copper veins. Days run on harbour tides, brown crab hauled straight onto wet quays, and the quiet satisfaction of a hot shortcrust pastry eaten on a windy sea wall.
Last updated 2 Sept 2026
Field notes
Photographs · Wikimedia CommonsWhat Cornwall is about
Twelve ways to read the region. Pick a town below and you can turn any of these into a timed 1, 2 or 3 day plan.
COASTAL WALKS
The South West Coast Path links jagged slate headlands between Tintagel, the high cliffs of Zennor, and Lizard Point.
MODERN ART
St Ives drew Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, and Peter Lanyon for its clear Atlantic light and rugged modernist forms.
BAKING TRADITIONS
Skirt beef, swede, and potato crimped into peppery shortcrust pasties, best bought from corner bakeries in St Just or Helston.
MINING HERITAGE
Nineteenth-century engine houses cling to the cliffs at Botallack and Levant, anchors of the Cornish mining landscape.
ANCIENT SITES
Granite quoits, Iron Age villages at Chysauster, and stone circles dot the high heather moors of West Penwith.
CIDER & ALE
Cloudy farmhouse cider pressed from keeved apples pairs with malty Cornish bitter served straight from wooden casks.
SURFING & SWELL
Consistent Atlantic rollers hit the wide sandbars at Fistral Beach, Watergate Bay, and the reef breaks of Porthtowan.
SUBTROPICAL GARDENS
Sheltered southern valleys nurture tree ferns and Himalayan magnolias at Trebah, Glendurgan, and the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
HARBOUR VILLAGES
Whitewashed granite cottages crowd tidal slips and working lobster boats in Port Isaac, Mevagissey, and Mousehole.
SACRED ARCHITECTURE
Truro Cathedral rises in gothic revival limestone, while ancient parish churches honour Celtic saints like Petroc and Neot.
TIDAL ISLANDS
Walk the granite causeway at low tide to the medieval castle and monastery atop St Michael's Mount in Mount's Bay.
Where to go in Cornwall
The bases worth booking. Each one has its own field guide with 1, 2 and 3 day itineraries.
- 01St Ives
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
World-class modernist art collections meet turquoise Atlantic light and granite fishermen cottages.
- 02Penzance
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
A salty, working market town with fine Regency terraces, sea swims at the Jubilee Pool, and Scilly ferries.
- 03Padstow
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
Camel Estuary harbour renowned for refined seafood kitchens and immediate access to the coastal trail.
- 04Falmouth
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
A lively maritime base set on a deep natural harbour with art schools, quayside pubs, and ferry links.
- 05Fowey
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
Steep wooded shores frame this sailing haven of medieval lanes, maritime taverns, and tidal creek views.
- 06Truro
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
The small county city offers granite Georgian shopping streets, weekly farmers markets, and river walks.
- 07Port Isaac
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
A tight fishing gap where crab boats land their catch steps from Michelin-starred seafood dining.
- 08Mousehole
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
A compact stone harbour village celebrated for stargazy pie lore, pilchard history, and sheltered waters.
- 09St Just
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
The rugged westernmost town anchors the cliff-edge tin mines, wild moorland, and honest pasty bakeries.
- 10Charlestown
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
An unspoiled Georgian china-clay port with historic tall ships, stone quays, and harbourfront seafood.
- 11Bude
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
A relaxed northern surf hub famous for vast sandy low-tide flats, sea locks, and a historic tidal pool.
- 12Lizard
CORNWALL / UNITED KINGDOM
Mainland Britain's southernmost outpost sits among rare serpentine rock, wild orchids, and dramatic coves.
What to do in Cornwall
Cornwall is a long, wind-whipped wedge of granite and farmland bordered by two distinct coasts. The north faces raw Atlantic surf and high slate cliffs; the south shelters quiet wooded estuaries and sailing harbours. Days revolve around tide tables, coastal hikes, and eating fresh crab or turbot off the boat. It suits walkers, art enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates honest coastal cooking and broad maritime skies.
When to go to Cornwall
May, June, and September offer the finest balance: coastal paths are dry, gorse and heather bloom, and roads remain passable. July and August bring heavy family crowds and jammed single-track lanes. Late autumn and winter bring fierce ocean storms, empty beaches, and lit hearths in village pubs, though many small seasonal kitchens close between November and March.
Getting around Cornwall
The main railway line links London Paddington to Penzance via Truro, with scenic branches to St Ives and Falmouth. For the remoter coves and moorland of West Penwith or the Lizard, a compact car is invaluable. Allow extra time on the roads: high stone hedges turn two-lane maps into single-track negotiations, where driving twenty miles often takes forty-five minutes.