[Closed] What to do in Cornwall?

Which bit? It can take 2hrs+ to drive from one end to the other?

We are staying in Penzance but don't mind a drive for something worth it.

Cornwall is England's longest county and right now the A30 is possibly its most useless road. Where you are staying is important in recommending things within a reasonable distance.

So where are you staying?

Equally what you like to do will help. Personally I hate almost anything historic and shopping. You might love them.

We are in Penzance, I know what you mean about the A30 having driven down it yesterday, it does leave a little to be desired.

I'm not a massive fan of shopping but my other half is, I'm happy to do some as she enjoys it. We are both equally happy doing outdoor pursuits as we are wandering around some old buildings. We went to the Eden project yesterday and enjoyed it but weren't so keen on the crowds.

Other info that may help, I'm 30 and we have no children to amuse.

Minnack theatre to have a look at a show and walk around the gardens and museum and enjoy the view. St michaels mount, walk across the causeway when the tide is out. Grab some cider at Healeys cider farm. They do some nice samples 🙂 and if its good enough for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and they have a musicl festival at the end of this week!

Get yourslef to Treen. Park just past the Logan's Rock Pub, follow the footpath to the campsite, onto the coast path, turn right, then the first left and you get the scramble down to this:

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Best at a low tide. Dissappears at high tide.

If you like sitting in aeroplanes this is very good. http://www.cornwallaviationhc.co.uk/

Me and my lad were there 2 weeks ago. Having tried a few planes on I'm 5" too tall to fly a Harrier but fit nicely in a VC10 or Canberra.

Watch the sun set from the Blue Bar at Porthtowan.

Coastal Path walks are stunning, I never get bored of them. I've not been for about 10 years but the Eden Project is worth a visit I think, also the Gardens of Helligan are quite interesting - more for the backdrop story. St Micheals Mount is worth a look, Boscastle is interesting to saunter around (as are many of the little port towns and villages) as is Tintagel. Also Goonhilly.

Geevor Tin mine was worth the visit on a wet Monday.

St. Ives - avoid the twee shops, but visit the Tate Museum and Barbara Hepworth's house for some art. Nice beach too. The coast north of there is lovely.

Just back from a week in Penzance. We had three kids in tow so activities aligned to stuff we could do with them but here goes. All of this stuff is within 10 miles (bar the Lizard things)

Beaches (easy to access) - Praa Sands, Porthcurno (favourite), Kynance Cove on Lizard (get there on a receding tide) Marazion, Sennen.

Places to visit - Minack Theatre, Porthcurno Telegraph Museum, Newlyn if you like fishing boats, St Michaels Mount (well worth it and free if you have NT), Levant Mine, Lizard light house, RNAS Culdrose viewing area.

Pubs to eat - Gurnard's Head, Queen's Head Bottalack, Halzephron on Lizard, Tolcarne in Newlyn looks good, Sainsbury's cafe on a nice morning. Mackerel Sky Seafood in Newlyn, Also Lewis' Chippy in Newlyn

Short Walks all of which could be extended - Pendeen Watch to Portheras Cove, Lands End to Sennen (use the bus, do out and back or extend to Cape Cornwall), Roskilly's ice cream farm (Lizard)

Sennen is a nice, long sweep of a beach and some surf. You can clamber down to the platform above which people climb the cliffs (undergraded climbs in my view). Seals can be seen there and the blowhole sometimes works. Good cafe, pub, museum.

Chill out and watch the sun set at The Watering Hole on Perranporth Beach

Go up Tregonning Hill on a clear day, you'll see down to the Lizard, over Mounts Bay, the Penwith Moors, St Ives, Carbis Bay and the North coast, the fringes of Bodmin Moor and the clay pit tips.
Short walk up from Balwest too, so doesn't take long.

(potential can of worms, but I'm right) Horse and Jockey in Helston for superior pastys by which all are judged. Flaky skirt is my choice. Got to be sure of your appetite if you're going to order large.

Thanks for all the great replays, looks like there's lots to consider that we hadn't looked at let. St Michaels mount will defiantly be visited, I think we will probably walk across the causeway and return by boat. We have a nice view across to St Micheals mount from our bedroom window, a little misty this morning though ...

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a visit to Mousehole

pendeen light house

lamorna cove (make sure you pay to park !)

If you're into it, loads of ancient sites/archaeology to take in. My favorites would be...

Boscawen-Un stone circle - beautiful little monument if you can find it.
Chun Quoit and Chun Castle.
Lanyon Quoit.
Carn Euny and Chysauster ancient villages.
Halliggye fogou.

Coastal path mousehole to lamorna cove nice walk 😀

Just spent some time sea fishing at Falmouth which was good and liked the bars & food places in town. Also enjoyed visits to various places like Lost Gardens of Heligan, Kynance Cove (low tide) near the Lizard. I agree the A30 down that end is crap, particularly with the road works across Bodmin and Carland Cross roundabout hold ups. Should be better now I guess with school holidays over.

I second Geevor Tin Mine, Tate and Barbara Hepworth studio (lovely to roam around the garden and run your hands over her bronzes - fnarr, fnarr).

Also some great walking along the coastal path, Botallack Head, Bosigran, Zennor are outstanding. We did sections of the coastal path between St Ives and Penzance using public transport to get to/from the campsite and starting/finishing points.

Wouldn't bother with the Tate this year - it's shut until next year!

I wouldn't bother with it if it was open TBH.

St Ives museum on the other hand is very good.

Forgot reminded by drinking one now, try st Austells brewery tour nice beer samples and food was good as well. Was there beginning of August. 😆

Anywhere on the coast path, one mile or more from nearest carpark. And St Austell brewery.

Dalmation pelican at Helston Loe pond!

Also, second shout for Minnack theatre (dress warmly)

Go to the Scillies for a day?

Crabbing in the little harbour at Mullion (Lizard), fishing boat trip, beach at Kynance Cove (Lizard) , Lanhydrock, Heligan, Eden Project, surf lessons (water has livened up this weekend), day out in Falmouth (boats, art, food, pubs etc), kayaking,

If find way to North Coast check out Boscastle, St Nectans Glen, and great, great fish and chips in Delabole. Rent family bikes at Wadebridge - then Camel trail to Padstow and back (or inland to Bodmin).

Some good options, but Heligan beats Eden Project hands down in my opinion (Trebah beats it too, and has its own beach). EP is a couple of interesting glasshouses in a scruffy clay pit. Simply not worth the mahoosive entry fee IMO.

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on the stone circle front Men-an-Tol is my fave, its just north of Penzance.. IIRC theres another ancient thing on the way thats a big slab suspended, perfectly for comedy strong-man pics.

have done heligan before, its ok.. bit of a hike up from penznace. i'd say the monkey sanctuary in looe, but thats a bit far as well.

tbh eden project seems pricey, but when the mrs and i were down there earlier this year (stayed in mullion) we realised that although we'd paid at least a tenner for various places we didn't spend anywhere near as long there as we did in eden.

and as martinhutch said, trebah is really good. we did two or three national trust places too. theres one near penzance with a walled garden.

one thing thats not too far is the cafe at godrevy, nice localtion right above hte beach and theres the lighthouse nearby. (drive to hayle, turn towards the coast at the double roundabout by lidl and keep going, its next to a surf school..)

beach recommendation, poldhu cove. really good little beach. swim/surf/lifeguards/loo's and good parking.

stayed right in the heart of st ives before, always good. stayed in mousehole before as well. st ives gets stupid busy, but now kids are back at school won't be so bad.

Trebah's ace and easily linked with a trip to Falmouth from Penzance (Maritime Museum, Pendennis Castle, Chippy Tea - Harbour Lights or Steins).

Coast to Coast bike ride - Devoran to Portreath and back. Bike hire at Devoran.

All off road through some disused mine works with a few optional interesting bits.

should mention. trebah also has a good restaurant/cafe.

Coast to Coast bike ride - Devoran to Portreath and back. Bike hire at Devoran.

I did that earlier in the year when I was staying in Porthtowan.
It was OK and passed a few hours. 😐

+1 to the Isles of Scilly? Can go by plane or boat...

+1 to the Isles of Scilly? Can go by plane or boat...

I wouldn't really recommend the Scillonian III for a day trip.

They don't call it "The Great White Stomach Pump" for nothing.

[url= http://www.hiddenhut.co.uk/ ]For a spot of lunch or evening meal if you're lucky![/url]

The Hidden Hut is excellent, the feast nights are really good but usually sell out within 10 minutes of tickets being released,

Dibbs-
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This.

Eden has a local food festival running on Friday 9th to Sunday 11th - get in as part of your entry ticket to Eden itself. It is expensive to get in (£69 for a 2+2 family ticket or £62 if you buy it online) but there's plenty to see and do, and they're not fussed if you take your own picnic in (which helps with the finances).

Rent a bike from lands end cycle hire. Peter will deliver to your house in Newlyn and pic it up the next day. Do a loop from Newlyn to Mousehole to lands end then up past st just to sennen. Pint and a crab sandwich and back to Newlyn 45 miles.

If you are still down there.
The Victoria Inn Peranuthno, great pub, GREAT food, and a B&B if you are looking to stay a bit..