Holiday in Cornwall: our insider's guide to the best beaches, where to stay, cheap eats and the best things to see and do
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Everyone loves Cornwall – whether you had an unforgettable childhood holiday on an idyllic beach or you’re a fan of celebrity chefs like Rick Stein and Nathan Outlaw, there is something for all tastes and all ages in our glorious county.
Cornwall’s biggest draw, of course, is its 300 miles of coastline, from dramatic cliffs to towering dunes and quiet coves, but there is a lot more to the county.
Word to the wise – be careful calling it a county, as many locals prefer its historic description as a Duchy while others simply see it as a separate country.
(If you want more tidbits and information on why Cornwall's a land apart, we suggest you read this ).
We asked the team at our sister site Cornwall Live to share their definitive insider's guide to make your visit to Cornwall the best you can get.
They revealed everything from where to stay, the coolest hangouts, the beaches that will make you feel like you're in the Caribbean (it’s sunny all the time in Cornwall, honest), historic stately homes and gardens, the best days out for families and the best venues for entertainment.
Check out their insider tips to holidaying in Cornwall below...
What's included in the guide?
Best places to stay (from campsites to hotels) The best family days out Top beaches to visit The prettiest walks Best things to see and do What to do when it's raining Places you've seen on TV Cheap eats and tipples Music and entertainment How to get there
(Image: Lonely Planet Images)
1. Best places to stay
Best campsites
Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay is hugely popular with families as there is plenty of space across 80 acres of parkland with amenities and facilities close by.
As well as being in beach paradise Newquay, singletons will be able to pitch up and experience Newquay’s famous party scene.
Of course, this is just one of literally hundreds of campsites across Cornwall - so we've rounded up the 11 best ones here .
Best hotels
There are some extraordinarily good coastal hotels, many with spas, some of the best restaurants in the South West and the sort of views that will make you gasp.
We’d highly recommend The Scarlet , overlooking Mawgan Porth on the north coast. An eco-hotel, it’s famous for its spa breaks – you definitely won’t have experienced anything like the outdoor barrel cedar sauna atop the cliffs; relax while being at one with the ocean.
(Image: Tripadvisor)
(Image: Tripadvisor)
Further down the coast is the Watergate Bay Hotel – you could spend your entire holiday here without seeing anywhere else.
Next door is the brilliant Extreme Academy , where you can learn to surf in an hour – believe us, we did – and after that wind down in the very wonderful Zacry’s restaurant.
With one of the most amazing infinity pools you will ever see and its own boardwalk and changing area for surfers, you have to visit.
Glamping
These days people want something more than slumming it in a tent, largely thanks to fantastical festival experiences, and Cornwall can offer all sorts of glamping ideas.
Fancy holiday like a hobbit? Then snuggle up in a Lord of the Rings-style pod near Bude in a countryside haven called, yes, Rivendell.
(Image: Airbnb)
Outlandish Holidays at St Keverne on the beautiful Lizard Peninsula offers treehouses for adults and a whimsical fairytale cabin, the Jack Sparrow House ( You can book it for £100 a night on Airbnb ).
You can find more details about these and 19 other brilliant Cornish glamping holidays here .
Cottage hire
There are hundreds of cottages you can rent if you want to do Cornwall in style.
Cornish Horizons has over 500 cottages throughout the whole of the county: how about an apartment overlooking the beach, a family town house in the middle of Padstow or a large country mansion when your four-legged friend can come on holiday too?
Visit their website here to see the full list of what's on offer, or call 01841 533331.
For those on a budget, Sykes Cottages has some great properties from just £294 for seven nights - and Holidaycottages.co.uk can also be a great source .
2. The best family days out
Free days out
If you’re bringing your kids to Cornwall then you want to make it as cheap as possible.
From fascinating historical landmarks to vibrant festivals, secret beaches and attractions that simply offer no admission charge, you can enjoy fantastic days out - and you don't have to spend a penny to enjoy them.
The Camel Trail is a true treasure trove for cyclists, affording stunning views from Bodmin to Padstow. There are plenty of pubs on route too if you fancy a bite to eat.
Check out more suggestions for spending time but not money in Cornwall in our insider's guide for family days out here .
(Image: AWL Images RM)
Family days out and theme parks
There’s so much to do with the children in Cornwall – from charming theme parks (Flambards, Land’s End and Camel Creek Adventure Park) to animal parks (Newquay Zoo, Paradise Park).
Then there's one of the most famous attractions in the UK, the Eden Project (why not take a zipwire ride over the biomes?), to the hugely enjoyable Retallack Aqua Park.
Throw in underground adventures at historic mines and the legend of King Arthur at Tintagel Castle and you have a fun-packed holiday.
Oh, and make sure to check out the 33 top Cornwall attractions to take your kids to before they turn 16 .
3. Top beaches to visit
How can you come to Cornwall and not go to the beach? Even if the sun’s hiding they’re perfect for a relaxing walk (quite a few let your dogs visit too).
Ask anyone in Cornwall and they will each pick a different beach as their favourite such is the choice, from the more dramatic surf beaches of the north coast to the idyllic, easy swimming beaches of the south coast.
One of our favourites is Gyllyngvase in Falmouth – it’s great for safe swimming, barbecues, rock pooling with the hire of stand-up paddleboards plus it’s right next to the Gylly Beach Café, a great excuse for a cider and a bite to eat.
We've also rounded up the beaches that would be worthy of the Caribbean if you're after a glamorous staycation - check out CornwallLive's full guide to Cornwall's beautiful sandy beaches here .
Insider tip:
As locals we are probably going to rue the day we do this, but there are a lot of secret coves that tourists will never know about, but we’ve revealed some of them because us Cornish are lovely.
For instance, Nanjizal is often deserted as the nearest car park is over a mile away. It’s well worth the walk especially for Doctor Who fanatics as the episode , The Smugglers, was filmed there.
And for Poldark fans, we've searched out seven secret beaches and coves that capture the spirit of the show!
4. The prettiest walks
Locals' favourite trails
With its rugged coastline, moors and rural countryside, Cornwall is an ideal destination for hikers.
There are so many great coastal path treks - in fact we've shared our favourite nine here - but how about parking at the village of Treen? The path leads down to the sea and out on to the point at the spectacular Logan Rock, taking in views across Porthcurno Bay to the west and east along the coast.
It is then a short walk around Porthcurno Bay with its beautiful white sands below. One the west side, there is a climb up to the legendary Minack Theatre, perched on the cliff edge with views down into the ocean beyond.
(Image: Getty Images)
Best walks if you've got a dog
Over the summer, dog walkers can find themselves banned from many of Cornwall’s favourite beaches. However, there’s no need for your four-legged friend to miss out on their daily exercise.
We’ve come up with 15 of the best dog walks in Cornwall featuring the likes of Tehidy Woods, the Great Flat Lode (isn’t that a name to conjure with?) and The Gannel in Newquay.
5. Best things to see and do
Beautiful gardens
Head inland and Cornwall has some of the most gorgeous gardens in the country.
From the tropical to the hidden and even, arguably, the most famous manmade garden in the whole world – the Eden Project – there are plenty of very different and very beautiful gardens to visit in the Duchy.
If you want to combine sub-tropical gardens and an exotic walk down to a secluded beach, then Trebah Garden on the Helford River is a definite place to visit. Similarly, neighbouring Glendurgan, with its huge maze, is stunning.
Can't decide which ones to visit? We've revealed the 17 most beautiful gardens in Cornwall here .
(Image: LightRocket)
Grandiose stately homes
Where there’s a sweeping garden in Cornwall, there is usually a historic stately home too.
The county is full of them – many run by the National Trust , but also several owned by the families whose ancestors built them centuries ago.
One of the most famous is St Michael’s Mount which, when the tide is right, you can walk to along its own cobbled highway from Marazion. The working village and gardens are well worth a visit but the cherry on top of the island is the castle.
The St Aubyn family have lived there since the 17th century and all the treasures from the past are on display, including a leather water bottle found with the skeleton of a giant discovered in the crypt of the church.
Short on time? Here are the prettiest ones you definitely won't want to miss .
(Image: VisitBritain RM)
6. What to do when it's raining
Okay, we lied above – the sun doesn’t always shine in Cornwall as those of us who live here are only too aware.
If on your visit the rain should come then we have plenty of things for you to do undercover. Fear not, life in Cornwall is not just about the beach.
One thing we would highly recommend is the fascinating Tattoo: British Tattoo Art Revealed exhibition at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth, the most comprehensive history of tattooing in this country.
If that doesn't take your fancy, then you can check out 25 more activities to do in the rain here , should the British weather let you down!
Museums
It was revealed earlier this year that Cornwall has the most museums of any local authority in the UK, beating Westminster and Camden into second and third places.
The county actually has a whopping 70 museums from Truro’s Royal Cornwall Museum , featuring the entire history of the county from prehistoric times and currently including a Poldark exhibition, to Geevor Tin Mine and the Telegraph Museum Porthcurno, demonstrating how Cornwall played a major part in the history of communication.
Being Cornwall, there is also the weird and the wonderful when it comes to museums.
We particularly love the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Boscastle and its fascinating history of folk magic, ceremonial magic, Freemasonry and Wicca.
With the largest witchcraft collection in the world, it will both thrill and spook you.
Feeling intrigued? You can find out more about it - and other leftfield museums - with our guide here .
Galleries
Of course, Cornwall is renowned for its galleries and none come more famous than Tate St Ives. In recent times it has been closed for redevelopment and extension, but it has now reopened - find out all about it here .
It's not just museums and galleries that have firmly established Cornwall as a culture hub - check out 31 reasons why it should be on any culture vulture's travel wishlist here .
7. Places you've seen on TV
TV Shows filmed in Cornwall
We’ve got this far without much mention of the P word. Yes, Poldark. If anything has caused an influx of visitors to our fair shores in the past couple of years it’s the Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson effect.
Ross may look lovely holding a scythe while topless but the dramatic Cornish coastline looks even better, so we can’t blame people desperate for a piece of Kernow.
We've rounded up the prettiest Poldark filming locations - and revealed how you can have your own cheap break there .
Of course, it's not just Poldark. The other big TV hit synonymous with Cornwall is ITV’s Doc Martin, starring Martin Clunes - and here are the picturesque locations where it was filmed !
(Image: BBC One)
Films shot in Cornwall
Cornwall is a haven for filmmakers.
Tim Burton has made two films in the county – Alice in Wonderland and Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, while James Bond movies, the infamous Straw Dogs and Germany’s TV obsession with the novels of Rosamunde Pilcher have all been filmed here.
We've taken a look at some of the best Cornwall locations used as sets here - how many do you recognise?
8. Cheap eats and tipples
Cornwall now has the best restaurants per square inch than anywhere outside London but no visit is complete without savouring our pasties, cream teas, beer and, now, myriad gins being distilled in nooks and crannies all across the county.
The best pasties
Cornwall is famous, of course, for its delicacy – the pasty. We recently held a competition to find out the county’s favourite pasty-maker and here is the winner . Just in case you want to seek them out on your visit.
Cornwall and the Eden Project, in particular, is the host for the World Pasty Championships where keen amateur and professional bakers from all over the world converge to vie for the title of best oggy (that’s Cornish for pasty). Read about it here .
Beach feasts
One thing you definitely can’t do in Birmingham, Bristol or Bradford is end the evening with a wonderful meal on a beach.
Cornwall is famous for it and there is no better place than The Hidden Hut at Porthcurnick on the Roseland Peninsula. We are talking luscious banquets overlooking a secluded cove with great company.
However, there are other pop-up dining events all across the county as you can discover here. Get salivating and get booking here .
Cream teas
Cornwall’s other favoured delicacy is the cream tea. Make sure you spread the jam before the cream though. In Cornwall it’s always jam first! We've rounded up the nine best ones here .
(Image: Dorling Kindersley)
Hidden gems
As this is an insider’s guide, we’ll let you into some trade secrets only the Cornish know about. Some of these will even come as a surprise to people who have lived here all their lives.
Have you drunk in The Chintz Symposium in Falmouth and found its hidden bar?
Or Beerwolf in the same town, where you can sup a wide and unusual array of beers while watching a band and buying a book? No wonder it was recently named the coolest bar in the country.
If you're after somewhere a bit different (and where you'll escape the crowds of tourists) then you'll want to check out our round-up of the 30 coolest places to hang out in Cornwall .
Fish and chips
Did you know that Cornwall is also the home of the best chippy in the UK?
Harbour Lights in Falmouth was frying high earlier this year when it came out on top of the 2017 National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish, scooping the title of Independent Fish and Chip restaurant of the Year.
We tried it for ourselves , and the judges were right good cod, it was lovely.
In the meantime, to whet your appetite we've also compiled a list of the best fish and chip shops in the county.
The 50 best restaurants in Cornwall
The region is renowned for its restaurants, from top burger joints like Boo Koos in Helston to Michelin-star venues run by such well-known TV faces as Nathan Outlaw and Paul Ainsworth.
Another Michelin chef who’s less known – and shouldn’t be – is Cornishman Chris Eden, who runs the restaurant at the Driftwood Hotel near Portscatho on the Roseland Peninsula. His ingenious food is as dramatic and tasty as the clifftop view from the dining room.
Check out the top 50 here .
Best picnic spots
You don’t have to pay massive amounts to dine out (and actually most Cornish restaurants are very reasonable) so why not make the most of the summer weather and pack yourself a picnic and enjoy the landscape?
Loe Bar and Kynance Cove are just two places that make ideal picnic spots but there are plenty more you’ll want to check out - see our top picks here .
Cornish beer
The county is nationally renowned for its beer with both St Austell Brewery and Sharp’s Brewery in Rock producing some of the UK’s favourite drinks – St Austell with Tribute and Sharp’s with Doombar. No trip to Cornwall is complete with a pint of both.
However, Cornwall is also getting famous for its craft beers and smaller breweries. Here are nine of the best .
Beer gardens
When the sun’s out, where’s best to sink a pint and grab a bite to eat? One of Cornwall’s many pretty beer gardens , of course.
One of our favourite al fresco supping spots is the Heron Inn at Malpas on the outskirts of Truro. It has a view to die for – looking down the idyllic Carrick Roads river-ways towards Falmouth.
Cornish gin
Now Cornwall has become one of the coolest regions in Europe it’s no surprise that it’s responsible for the gin recently crowned the best in the world.
Tarquin’s, Cornish Navy Seadog Gin was awarded Best Gin at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2017 – the Oscars of the spirit world.
If that wasn’t enough, Tarquin’s isn’t the only Cornish gin hitting the mark. Here are eight wonderful gins produced in the county .
Beach bars
Fancy something a bit more cool, with beats and the laidback surf crowd?
Cornwall has some of the funkiest beach bars in the land.
Lusty Glaze at Newquay was recently named the best beach in the UK. Its bar and restaurant is well worth a visit and this summer you can catch concerts by Razorlight among others.
Check out more great beach bars here .
9. Music and entertainment
Best music venues
Despite being a world away from the big centres of music such as London and Manchester, Cornwall’s own idiosyncratic music scene has always thrived, whether leading the way for folk music in the 1960s or our own Aphex Twin being responsible for the explosion in electronic dance music in the 1990s.
There is much to love currently, including Cornish supergroup A Blaze of Feather featuring global star Ben Howard.
We are spoilt for choice for music venues , from live music pubs that are full of character and atmosphere to large venues like the Eden Project, who attract some of the biggest names in the business.
Things to do this summer
Cornwall now has more summer music festivals than any other county in the country, with major events from Boardmasters to four-dater Port Eliot Festival promising arts, music and food.
If you're visiting Cornwall for summer 2017 then you'll want to check out these brilliant festivals - and make sure you don't miss our round-up of the best things to do in July .
10. How to get there
From London
CAR: It's about a five-hour drive from the capital.
TRAIN: The train takes about 4-5 hours. Great Western Railways offers services from London Paddington to Coombe, St Ives, Penryn and Hayle. Ticket prices range from £40-80 so it's worth booking in advance with an off-peak departure.
There's also the Night Riviera Sleeper Service to Penzance departing late evening, with a journey time of around 9 hours.
COACH: National Express has direct coaches from London Victoria Coach Station to St Ives - the journey time is roughly 8-9 hours.
PLANE: If you're short on time and not planning to pack a carloads-worth, then the flight time to Cornwall is around an hour long. You can find cheap flights from London to Newquay for as little as £50 on Skyscanner .
From Birmingham
CAR: It's about a 4 hours 30 minutes journey time.
TRAIN: The journey takes about 6 hours from Birmingham New Street to Penzance , with one change. You can also find services to Newquay, with one-two changes , with a similar journey time.
PLANE: Journey takes about an hour. You can find cheap flights from Birmingham to Newquay from £50 on Skyscanner .
From Manchester
CAR: The journey time is about 5 hours 40 minutes.
TRAIN: Journey takes 7 hours, with services from Manchester Picadilly to Newquay via Exeter .
COACH: National Express does run services from Manchester to St Ives , but this has a hefty journey time ranging from 12-17 hours.
PLANE: You can find cheap flights from Manchester to Newquay from £71 on Skyscanner .
From Liverpool
CAR: The journey time is about 5 hours 45 minutes.
TRAIN: The journey time takes about 8 hours if you travel from Liverpool to Newquay , or from Liverpool Lime Street to St Ives .
PLANE: Journey time is about 1hr15. You can find cheap flights from Liverpool to Newquay from £89 on Skyscanner .