Towns in Cornwall
This blog post is a collection and overview of towns in Cornwall that you must visit while on holiday in the county.
ST IVES
St Ives is and has been the hub for many art residents. The light that St Ives captured is truly unique and beautiful. St Ives is also home to Tate St Ives, many beautiful shops and businesses as well as some amazing beaches.
If you would like to read more about St Ives, please click this link.
Marazion / St Michael’s Mount
If you haven’t been to St Michael’s Mount it is a must for any Cornish holiday. St Michael’s Mount is a beautiful castle in the sea, owned by the National Trust. You can visit by boat or foot depending on the tide!
I have a full blog post on the castle which you can read by visiting here.
Tintagel
Tintagel is linked the legend of King Arthur. The dramatic castle ruins and coastline had inspired the imaginations of many writers and artists.
Owned by The English Heritage you can now visit the castle once again thanks to a new spectacular bridge.
To read more about Tintagel click here.
Looe
The historic fishing town of Looe offers its visitors a lot of activities to do. It’s also flat from the car park into the town (very uncommon in Cornwall) making it great for elderly or less abled visitors.
It’s charming independent shops will definitely help you pick out a momento from your stay in Cornwall. I would highly recommend the Looe Gift shop which had been owned by the same family since 1948 or Pendragon Crafts for something a bit more other worldly.
Looe also has to offer a fantastic safe beach for children and lots of sea adventure trips. Whether you’re into your fishing or want a look around Looe island which is now a nature reserve, it’s got it all.
To read more about Looe please click here.
Polperro
Next to Looe is the fishing village of Polperro. Polperro is much smaller than Looe but it still oozes historic fishing village charm.
To find out more about Polperro you can read this blog post.
Charlestown
You may recognise Charlestown as it has been used for the set of many film and TV programmes. Some of which include: Doctor Who, Poldark, Hornblower, Mansfield Park and Alice in Wonderland.
Before Charlestown hit the big screens it was used as a port for copper, coal and China clay. You can now often find tall ships parked inside the harbour walls.
To learn more about Charlestown you can read this post.
St Agnes
St Agnes is a charming little village with lots of mining history. I would highly recommend going for a walk along the south west coast path towards Chapel Porth. From here you will see some fantastic views of the coastline as well as the infamous Cornish tin mines.
To read about the Cornish tin mine Wheal Coates click here.
Mevagissey
Mevagissey is small fishing village located near St Austell. Not too far from Heligan Gardens.
Mevagissey has to offer small independent shops, an aquarium and lovely little harbour.
To read more about Mevagissey check out this blog post or to find out more about Heligan gardens read this one.
Newquay
Newquay may be well known for its party scene. However, this is normally only in the height of summer during Boardmasters week.
Newquay also has to offer some of the best beaches in Cornwall for surf and tourist attractions such as: Newquay Zoo and Blue Reef Aquarium.
Click here to follow my instagram which includes lots of Cornish inspiration.
Mousehole
Mousehole is an iconic Cornish coastal village which is the location of the children’s book The Mousehole Cat*.
If you’re visiting near Christmas Mousehole is well know for it Christmas light display which glistens on the water in the harbour.
If you would like read more about Mousehole click here.
Falmouth
Falmouth is a magical place which is bustling with students and tourists thanks to the local art university. You will find some lovely independent shops, restaurants and the National Maritime Museum. You can also visit Pendennis Castle owned by English Heritage which is a sister to the castle in St Mawes.
To read more about Falmouth click here.
St Mawes
St Mawes is a small village opposite Falmouth on the Roseland peninsula. It boasts a castle built by Henry VIII which is now owned by English Heritage.
You can catch a ferry across to Falmouth which is journey well know for spotting a dolphin or two.
To read about St Mawes click here.
Fowey
Fowey is a coastal town which is located at the edge of the river Fowey.
Fowey has some lovely homeware shops and art galleries as well as offering self drive boats, paddle boards and kayaks. If you’re into water sports and want to try it out somewhere relative safely I would recommend trying it out in Fowey. To read more about Paddleboarding in Cornwall click here.
If you have time why not also head over to Polruan on the foot ferry.
To read about Fowey and Polruan click here.
Padstow
Padstow is located on the north coast of Cornwall and is one end of the camel trail.
Padstow as well as offering some incredible shops, art galleries and beaches also has the infamous Rick Stein fish and chip restaurant as well Padstow Lobster Hatchery where you can see behind the scenes of marine conservation.
To find out more about Padstow click here.
Summary
I hope that this blog post was good at giving you a great summary about which towns in Cornwall to visit.
If you feel like I have missed out on some major ones please give me a message on Instagram and I will update the blog post!
Lots of love, Melissa x
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