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Cornwall

Photo: Dietmar Rabich; Cropped by User:Martinvl (CC BY-SA 2.5), via Wikimedia Commons

Holidays in Cornwall

There's a reason Cornwall fills up first every summer. Here's how to find the right place to stay — and what to do once you've dropped the bags. Golden beaches, fishing villages and the best surf in England.

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Holiday ideas in Cornwall

Know what would make the week? Start from the thing that matters most.

Weather in Cornwall

Thu

8° 1°

💧0%

Fri

7° 5°

💧1%

Sat

9° 7°

💧4%

Sun

11° 6°

💧74%

Mon

9° 7°

💧57%

Tue

11° 6°

💧67%

Wed

9° 4°

💧33%

Forecast: Met Office

All places to stay in Cornwall

Must-have facilities
Eleven

Eleven

🏖️ 3 miles from Sandymouth (Excellent water quality)

Bude, South West England

Sleeps 4

£257 per break

Check availability
Treloyhan Manor

Treloyhan Manor

✓ Clifftop suites and lodges above Carbis Bay with sea views

🏖️ 0.36 miles from Porthminster (Excellent water quality)

St Ives

Check availability
Tresquare

Tresquare

✓ Large private lawned garden in quiet rural surroundings

Boscastle, South West England

Sleeps 8

£537 per break

Check availability
Chynoweth

Chynoweth

🏖️ 1.02 miles from Porthoustock (Excellent water quality)

Helston and the Lizard Peninsula, South West England

Sleeps 4

£767 per break

Check availability
Miramar

Miramar

🏖️ 0.61 miles from Summerleaze (Excellent water quality)

Bude, South West England

Sleeps 8

£881 per break

Check availability
Trecairn

Trecairn

🏖️ a few minutes' walk from Widemouth Sand (Excellent water quality)

Bude, South West England

Sleeps 10

£2,827 per break

Check availability
Beach View

Beach View

🏖️ a few minutes' walk from Towan (Excellent water quality)

Newquay, South West England

Sleeps 6

£557 per break

Check availability

🏨 Looking for a hotel instead?

The stays above are mostly self-catering. For hotels and B&Bs in Cornwall, Agoda compare prices across booking sites.

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More around Cornwall

Itineraries

Haunted Britain

From the blog

Cornwall packs a lot into a narrow county. You can spend a morning under cover in a museum, an afternoon on a clifftop, and still be back in time for chips. The towns most people base themselves in — Newquay, Padstow, Falmouth, Bude, Penzance, Looe and St Austell — each give you a different slice of it, and with 2,189 places to stay on BritStays you can pick a base that suits the sort of days you want rather than settling for whatever's left.

Days out with children

If you're travelling with children, the good news is that Cornwall's family attractions are spread across the county, so you're rarely stuck for options wherever you're based. Kernow Adventure Park near Falmouth is the obvious choice for a hot day, while Spingfields Fun Park and Pony Centre combines rides and ponies in one go.

  • The Monkey Sanctuary near Looe — animal-focused and generally calmer than a theme park.
  • The Tamar Valley Donkey Park, also on the Looe side of the county, which suits younger children well.
  • Screech Owl Sanctuary — birds of prey, and a good half-day rather than a full one.

Pairing one animal attraction with a beach usually works better than trying to cram two paid attractions into a single day, particularly with under-sevens.

Rainy-day plans

Cornish weather turns quickly, so it pays to have an indoor option held in reserve. The Shipwreck Treasure Museum near St Austell is the most reliably engaging for mixed-age groups, with Mevagissey Museum nearby if you want a smaller, quieter follow-up. Around Penzance you've got a genuine cluster: Tate St Ives for modern art, Penlee House, Gallery & Museum for Cornish painting and local history, plus St Ives Museum and Marizion Museum for something more parish-scale.

North coast visitors based around Bude have their own set: Cornwall at War Museum, RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum and Davidstow Creamery Museum sit within reach of each other, which makes a genuinely full wet day if the wind comes in off the Atlantic.

Outdoors and the coast

Land's End is the one everybody names, and it's worth doing early or late rather than in the middle of the day. The Minack Theatre is the other outdoor fixture — a performance is the obvious draw, but the setting alone justifies a daytime visit. St Michael's Mount is tidal, so check crossing times before you set off; arriving at the wrong point in the tide is the classic Cornish mistake. The Net Loft, in the care of the National Trust, gives you a short, low-effort stop that fits neatly around a longer walk.

Heritage and the mining story

Tintagel Castle handles the Arthurian side of things, and it involves a fair bit of walking and steps. For fortifications, Crownhill Fort, Trematon Castle, Star Castle and Cromwell's Castle each tell a different chapter, and Predannick Anti-Aircraft Battery near Falmouth covers the twentieth-century end. Glynn House is the choice if you'd rather see a stately home than a ruin.

Cornwall's mining heritage is best understood at King Edward Mine and Michell's Engine House, both on the Falmouth side. Down towards Looe, the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling & Fishing covers the coastal trade that ran alongside it.

Grouping it into a sensible day

Cornwall's roads are slower than the map suggests, so build days around one area rather than one theme. A Penzance day might be Penlee House, Gallery & Museum in the morning, lunch, then St Michael's Mount or the Minack Theatre in the afternoon. A St Austell day pairs the Shipwreck Treasure Museum with Mevagissey Museum and a harbour wander. A Looe day works well as The Monkey Sanctuary followed by the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling & Fishing. Falmouth suits King Edward Mine and Michell's Engine House together, with Kernow Adventure Park as the family alternative.

Where to eat

These all hold 5-star hygiene ratings, which is a reasonable starting filter when you're picking somewhere unfamiliar:

  • Malcolm Barnecutt — bakery stops, and the easiest way to sort lunch before a walk.
  • Kellaway's Fish and Chips — the traditional end to a beach day.
  • Victoria Inn and Try Dowr — pubs for a proper sit-down evening meal.
  • Bread & Butter — tea rooms, useful for an afternoon reset with children.

Making it a short break

Three or four nights lets you split the county sensibly. Two nights around Penzance covers Land's End, the Minack Theatre, St Michael's Mount and Tate St Ives; two nights around Looe or St Austell covers the wildlife attractions and the maritime museums. If you only have a weekend, pick one coast and stay put — driving between Bude and Penzance eats a day you'd rather spend outdoors.

Before you go

Check tide times for St Michael's Mount and opening days for the smaller museums, as several are seasonal. Book Minack Theatre performances well ahead. Take layers even in August, carry cash for small car parks, and assume any journey will take longer than you planned.

Frequently asked questions

Which parts of Cornwall are best to base yourself in?

The main bases are Newquay, Padstow, Falmouth, Bude, Penzance, Looe and St Austell. Penzance suits Land's End, the Minack Theatre and St Michael's Mount; Looe suits The Monkey Sanctuary and the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing; Bude gives you the Cornwall at War Museum, RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum and Davidstow Creamery Museum. There are 2,189 places to stay in the region on BritStays.

What is there to do in Cornwall when it rains?

Plenty indoors. Around St Austell there's the Shipwreck Treasure Museum and Mevagissey Museum. Around Penzance you have Tate St Ives, Penlee House, Gallery and Museum, St Ives Museum and Marizion Museum. Near Bude, the Cornwall at War Museum, RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum and Davidstow Creamery Museum can fill a full wet day.

Where should we take young children in Cornwall?

The Tamar Valley Donkey Park near Looe works well for younger children, as does Spingfields Fun Park and Pony Centre with its rides and ponies. The Screech Owl Sanctuary is a good half-day, The Monkey Sanctuary near Looe is calmer than a theme park, and Kernow Adventure Park near Falmouth is the pick for a hot day.

Are there any National Trust places in this list?

Yes, The Net Loft is the National Trust property among the landmarks listed here. It makes a short, low-effort stop that fits easily around a longer coastal walk.

Where can we learn about Cornwall's mining history?

King Edward Mine and Michell's Engine House, both on the Falmouth side, cover the mining story. They pair well as a single day. For the related coastal trades, the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing near Looe covers smuggling and fishing.

Where can we eat with confidence in Cornwall?

Malcolm Barnecutt for bakery stops, Kellaway's Fish and Chips after a beach day, the Victoria Inn and Try Dowr for a sit-down pub meal, and Bread and Butter for an afternoon tea room break. All of these hold 5-star hygiene ratings.

Cornwall on the map

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🎭 Theatres near Cornwall

All UK theatres →
Lane Theatre

Lane Theatre

Newquay · 6.9 mi

 Hall for Cornwall

Hall for Cornwall

Truro · 11.6 mi

 Little Theatre

Little Theatre

Padstow · 9.9 mi
🎭

Burrell Classrooms & Theatre

Falmouth · 11.5 mi

🎭 Venues with something on in Cornwall

What's on at each, with tickets and places to stay within walking distance.

🎪 What's on in Cornwall

Events from SkiddleSkiddle

Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Fri 13 Nov · 12:00

Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Old County Hall, Truro, Truro · 12.0 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Sat 14 Nov · 12:00

Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Old County Hall, Truro, Truro · 12.0 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Sun 15 Nov · 12:00

Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Old County Hall, Truro, Truro · 12.0 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Mon 16 Nov · 12:00

Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Old County Hall, Truro, Truro · 12.0 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Fri 4 Dec · 12:00

Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Old County Hall, Truro, Truro · 12.0 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Evening of Mediumship with Nikki Kitt - Chacewater

Fri 4 Dec · 19:30

Evening of Mediumship with Nikki Kitt - Chacewater

Chacewater Village Hall, Chacewater · 15.2 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Nookie No Friends

Sat 5 Dec · 20:00

Nookie No Friends

The Mermaid Inn, Newquay · 7.0 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

 Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Sat 5 Dec · 12:00

Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey

Old County Hall, Truro, Truro · 12.0 mi

Tickets on Skiddle ↗

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