West Cornwall

A large part the land here was once an island, and even though nowadays joined to the mainland, a feeling of individuality remains. Brown and yellow heathland covers the granite outcrops and the area is scattered with remnants of an incredibly ancient heritage. 

As you slip off the edge of the map into rocky gorges where tiny fishing villages face a wild ocean it’s as if you have slipped off the edge of time where Cornwall reveals its most individual and captivating side.  The long stretch of golden sand that sweeps around the bay at Hayle is usually full of keen kite surfers and para gliders with their multicoloured sails catching the breeze off the Atlantic Ocean. Rounding the headland you’ll catch the graceful symmetry of the Tate Gallery building in St Ives. For decades Cornwall’s colony of artists has been inspired by the light and landscape of the area and as you wander the streets of this famous harbourside town, check out the creative stars of tomorrow in the scores of galleries.

Leaving St Ives and you’re on one of the most breathtaking stretches of road in the county as you drop down the coast past tiny moorland hamlets as old as time where the power of the ocean broods just below the cliffs. From the rugged location of the village of Zennor suddenly Cornwall’s past comes to life in dramatic style. Silhouetted by the sea, ruined mine buildings evocatively tell their story. Neolithic quoits, burial chambers and stone circles are scattered everywhere in one of the richest areas of archaeological remains in Europe.

St Just was at the hub of the copper and tin mining boom in the 19th century and in the centre of the village you’ll discover a medieval amphitheatre once used for performing mystery plays. Today you’ll receive a warm welcome in the traditional pubs surrounding the market square and the village is an ideal base from which to explore the area. Inland you can get a an even older taste of the past as you walk around the courtyards and terraced gardens at the well-preserved Iron Age villages of Chysauster and Carn Euny.

As you curl along the contours of the coast there is a sense of the exotic, it seems warmer, the gorse flowers smell faintly of coconut and the sea turns turquoise. From the cliff’s edge at Cape Cornwall and Land’s End the ocean stretches out before you, as if you’re standing on the edge of the world and dropping down to Sennen, the massive rollers that hit the beach are breathtaking. Here the laidback town manages to keep its old fishing port character with the added attraction of being a great surfing centre.

Heading south, the village of Porthgwarra with its lofty rock stacks, mysterious tunnels bored into the rocks and steep slipways has always been a safe haven from the sea and as you travel further you’ll stumble upon the gorgeous sandy beach at Porthcurno.

A sultry, humid air hits you as you approach Lamorna, hidden down a lush wooded valley where the dramatic coastline plunges into the sea revealing a handful of cottages and an old inn nestling in the cove. A great centre for walking, the coastal footpath leads east and west from here where you’ll discover some of the most beautiful views in Cornwall. Described by Dylan Thomas as the ‘loveliest village in England’ Mousehole doesn’t fail to impress with its small harbour and narrow streets that wind between the thick-walled cottages.

Look across the bay and you’ll glimpse the theatrical sight of St Michael’s Mount where a fairytale castle sits at the top of a small island.  On to Penzance, the town bristles with life and all the amenities you’d expect from a great seaside destination. Dotted around the grand old town there are fine Regency and Georgian buildings along with a number of museums and galleries plus a wonderfully nostalgic Art Deco swimming pool on the seafront. 

Just inland the lively town of Helston is home to the famous floral dance that takes place every May and also boasts the oldest private brewery in the UK at the Blue Anchor Inn where you can sample their famous Spingo Ale. As you head further south onto the Lizard the scenery changes and the rare geology of the area creates a haven for exceptional plants and flowers that carpet the landscape.

At Praa Sands, an ideal destination for a family day by the sea, the blinding light that to this day still attracts hoards of artists to the area reflects on the golden beach. And just down the road at Porthleven, the most southerly working port in the UK, the huge granite sea walls frame this pretty village where you’ll find several shops selling local crafts and restaurants specializing in freshly caught seafood. 

Mullion is the largest village on the Lizard and a good place to stock up and explore the coastline. Further south where you’ll find Kynance Cove, a gorgeous white sandy bay with jagged rocks jutting out in to the sea and best at low tide. You can also discover the part Cornwall has played in worldwide communication by paying a visit to the Marconi Centre at Poldu Cove.  In this part of Cornwall the land is exposed, revealing a hard, natural landscape, the sea boils below you and as you stand facing the ocean you’ll feel a million miles from the modern world.

Head north back up the coast and at every turn there is yet another piece of the impossibly  picturesque Cornish jigsaw to uncover. Cadgwith, just like an illustration from a children’s picture book with tiny thatched cottages flung down the valley to the bay, the village of Coverack clings to the side of the cove in a perfect semi-circle overlooking the sea and St Keverne quietly surrounds a village square where a cluster of shops and pubs provide as good a setting as you’ll find to relax and listen to the male voice choirs and brass bands that perform there in summer.