Romantic Cornwall

There is a stretch of narrow road in West Cornwall between St Ives and St Just, the B3306 in fact, that has been voted one of the most romantic places in the UK. A survey by car giant Vauxhall revealed the humble road was thought to be one of the best places in the country to watch the sun set and feel all starry-eyed. So where better to start a love-in than on the rugged Cornish coast?

Friday Night: A luxury hotel overlooking the beach in St Ives is a perfect location to start a weekend of relighting fires, kindling flames or just simply celebrating your love for each other. From here the very best of Cornwall’s wild landscape is close by, perfect for bringing out the romantic soul in you.

Saturday Morning: Get yourselves across the bay to see Godrevey lighthouse. Thought to be the inspiration for Virginia Woolf’s novel, To The Lighthouse, the tower stands tall on a small island just out from a stunning 3-miles stretch of golden sand. Take of your shoes and walk barefoot on the beach while the Atlantic rollers put on a dramatic show out in the bay. Stop off at the Sunset Surf Café for a mug of hot chocolate, cuddle up on the terrace and enjoy the view.

Saturday Afternoon: A few miles away in Zennor, a cute village hanging off the coast where legend has it a mermaid fell in love with the voice of a local chorister and lured the young man into the sea. An ideal spot to feel that there is just you the sea and the sky, walk out to nearby Gurnard’s Head which juts out into the ocean.

Saturday Evening: Windswept and wild, it could be a perfect place where you might want to pop the question. To celebrate, stop in at the Gurnard's Head Hotel for dinner where the award-winning menu majors on local seasonal produce.

Sunday Morning: After a lie in, have brunch at the ultra trendy Porthminster Beach Café in St Ives followed by a flirtatious rendezvous surrounded by sensuous art at the Barbara Hepworth Museum where you can feel the curves and sinews in the work of one of Britain’s most celebrated sculptors. Take a stroll around the town’s narrow streets full of art and craft shops, make your way to the harbour, watch the small fishing boats and grab a ultra creamy ice cream at the Moomaid ice cream parlour.

Sunday Afternoon: For a taste of the exotic even in winter, visit Trevarno Gardens near Helston where you can wander under the leaves of huge Jurassic-like ferns and get lost together in the 70 acres of lush vegetation. Spend early evening at the cosy Queens Arms pub in Botallack near St Just around a glowing fire and soak up the local atmosphere and warm welcome. 

Sunday Evening: And back on that B3306 don’t forget, as the sun starts to set and the landscape turns to fiery amber, get yourselves down on the cliffs to Botallack Mine, a ruined building that has become an iconic Cornish view, and watch the whole romantic display unfold.