Both my friend and I had eyed up the beautiful scenery, cozy thatched cottages and wild beaches of the Cornish coast often enough to each have a wishlist of places to explore, so on our Cornwall road trip, we tried to fit in as many places as we could over a long weekend.
Truro:
Where to stay in Truro:
Where to eat in Truro:
See above – the Old Vicarage breakfast was delectable and all as locally sourced as possible. Sadly the one dinnertime we were in Truro we grabbed a pub dinner as we were too tired to dress up and go fine dining, but we couldn’t leave without trying a Cornish Pasty.Reading through scores of reviews (and narrowly missing the World Pasty Championships) we sampled the classic miners fare at the award winning Warren’s Bakery – which was insanely good.
What to do in Truro on a Cornwall Road Trip:
Explore the Eden Project
The bio-domes are incredible – with the tropical gardens thriving despite the sea winds. Unfortunately we ran out of time but our hosts recommended visiting – and told us how the Eden Project have started having evening concerts which intrigued us no end. Next time, next time.
Discover the Lost Gardens of Heligan on a Cornwall road trip
Set aside at least 4 hours, more if you can. If driving from a southern city in Cornwall, ignore your SatNav and drive to St Austell, before following the brown tourist signs. We ended up winding through teeny tiny little country lanes which almost turned my teetotal friend to drink.
Walk along the beach at Mevagissey
Recommended to us by our Truro hosts for the night, Mevagissey is an attractive old fishing town which still boast a working harbour, not to mention the most incredible clifftop glimpses of the ocean if you drive over from Heligan Gardens, 5 minutes away.
St Michael’s Mount/Penzance
Within 20 minutes of leaving our lovely Truro base we could see why exactly how the rugged coastline and mist cloaked isle inspired mystical tales and the legendary escapades of King Arthur. Making our way through the beautiful countryside hemmed with stone walls (determinedly sticking to A-roads unlike our slightly stressful foray through teensy farm lanes to the Lost Gardens of Heligan) we simply rolled up and over the undulating roads.
Where to eat at St Micheal’s Mount:
If you visit after the end of March, the island has cafes and tearooms, but we ended up with the best view in the area sat in the Godolphin Arms. Tucking into a late lunch of perfectly cooked fish and chips (the portions are huge – we split one plus a cauliflower cheese and still struggled) and a coffee we were as happy as clams.
What to do near St Micheal’s Mount:
Try to visit around low tide, and you’ll be able to walk along the man-made causeway linking the island to Marazion village. Then, just explore. If you get caught on the island or can’t be bothered walking there are shuttle trucks (low tide) and shuttle boats (high tide).
Penzance and Mousehole
We wriggled our way through the narrow streets of this town, and would be super curious to see what the town is like in better weather, but loved each corner of Mousehole, a smaller town slightly further up the coast. We watched the sunset with St Micheaj’s Mount in the distance which felt a little bit special (which I ruined by telling instagram that my friend had kidnapped me and was trying to make me lose all sense of direction in the teeny lanes.)
Visit Lizard Lighthouse:
A lighthouse at Lizard Point the southernmost point of England, Lizard Lighthouse was built to guide vessels passing through the English Channel, and it is the only lighthouse you can climb in Cornwall. Well, after the end of March… There are also cottages to rent that would have a beautiful view over the ocean.
St Ives:
St Ives has been a busy fishing port since the Middle Ages and is believed to have been settled as early as the Bronze Age. A picturesque fishing harbour and seaside town voted best family holiday destination by Coast magazine and one of TripAdvisor’s top 10 European beaches. This is the town that we wanted to spend much more time in.
Where to stay in St Ives:
Not here. It was ooooooooooooooookay, but as a castle needs a thorough brush up of credentials. There are a plethora of gorgeous cottages within St Ive’s town centre that would have been simply darling – but you’ll have to navigate the heartstoppingly tiny lanes that weave in between buildings there far longer than the motor car.
Where to eat in St Ives:
We breakfasted in the Scoff Troff Cafe (not quite trusting the hotel breakfast, and keen to spend as much time in St Ives as possible) which was really rather good. I had the eggs benedict and announced that it was better than a few that I had tried lately in posh London hotels…
We dined at the Rum and Crab Shack (above), enjoying a cracking Lobster and Crayfish Roll (no pun intended). The Lobster and Crayfish were dusted with cajun spices, served with lemon and coriander mayo in a brioche roll and fries, all with a view over the harbour.
What to do in St Ives on a Cornwall Road Trip:
Just wander – I know I say it often enough to have created my own cliche, but it’s truely the best way to discover the nooks and crannies of any place. We popped in and out of cute boutiques, laughed like drains as a parent warned his son that the seagulls would carry him away if he didn’t behave and generally enjoyed everyone else relaxing in the rare sunshine.
Get High:
Pick up the South West Coast Path from Porthminster Beach (a nice tarmaced stretch of coast path) towards Carbis Bay. The path’s a bit steep, but worth it, as you emerge to the most spectacular view. Stop at the black-and-white Baulking House. This early nineteenth-century building was a “huer’s hut”. A “huer” was a lookout who would watch for pilchard shoals arriving in the bay. When he saw one, he would raise a hue-and-cry (hence the name) of “Hevva, hevva!”, and guide the fishing boats to the right place. Perch on one of the hut’s benches, and you’ll appreciate why this was such an outstanding lookout spot.
Selfie at Lands End
We couldn’t resist the (touristy) siren call of visiting Land’s End, the westernmost point of England. Lands End is the legendary Cornish destination that has inspired people since ancient Greek times when it was referred to as ‘Belerion’ – place of the sun. We followed (drove) in the footsteps of nineteenth century visitors who would travel to The First & Last Inn before making the final stage of the journey to ‘Penn-an-Wlas’ [Lands End in Cornish] on horseback or foot along the narrow lanes. It does get busy with tourists but…
Newquay:
Where to stay in Newquay:
Where to eat:
We enjoyed the hospitality of their delectable restaurant, and then our breakfast in bed, in true relaxation style.
What to do in Newquay:
We left with regrets that we didn’t have more time our Cornwall road trip, but the days we did enjoy brimmed with enjoyment.Have you been? It seems as though most of England decamps to Cornwall for family holidays in the summer?
