Destinations

The geology of the Lizard is unique, which leads to amazing formations which can be viewed along the coastline. This also allows for a wide range of unique flora and fauna, and the area is, as such, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Land's 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. It's one of Britain's best loved landmarks, famous for its unique location and beautiful scenery and the finishing/starting point of many trips from/to John O Groats.

Yes... loads!

The mild climate caused by the Gulf steam means the south side of Cornwall has some fantatstic gardens to visit. Perhaps the best known are the Lost Gardens of Heligan near Mevagissey. Come in the spring and be blown away by the colours...

Down near Falmouth there's Trebah and Glendurgan, sitting side by side and running down valleys to the Helford Passage, there a must if your in that area.

Smaller gardens such as Pinetum Park and the Hidden Garden are on the outskirts of St Austell. as is the Eden Project, not technically a garden, more a environmental wonderland!

And if you're in the far east of Cornwall, a visit to Mt Edgcumbe Country Park should be on your list, and allow a day to do the place justice. The formal gardens are amazing, and then there's the deerpark and all the rest of the surrounding countryside.

Travel to Cornwall by car

It takes less than five hours to get from London or Birmingham to the heart of Cornwall by car.

Drive along the M4 motorway from London, or M6 from Manchester, and then the M5 to Exeter and finally either the A30, that is mostly dual carriageway, or the A38 passing Plymouth and Saltash into South East Cornwall.

Alternatively if you enter Cornwall from North Devon, there is the scenic A39 Atlantic Highway running through Bude, which you can join from Junction 27 on the M5.

Due to the high volume of traffic on Cornwall's roads during the summer months the main routes can become congested especially at weekends. Travelling overnight or outside peak rush hours is recommended to avoid long delays.

• To plan your journey use the AA Route Planner for a tailor made travel plan with timings and mileage
• For information on possible delays or roadwork's throughout the UK or in Cornwall visit Traffic Watch
• Travelling to Cornwall with a caravan? Check out our Caravan Towing guide

PLEASE BE AWARE. Sat-Navs can lead you to some wonderful places in Cornwall, many of them down narrow country lanes with high hedges and few reversing points. If you are not sure...don't go on. Better to turn around and find another route than end up lost in the middle of nowhere.

Travel to Cornwall by coach and bus

National Express operate a full service into Cornwall as far as Penzance, Megabuss also go to a few towns including Newquay and Falmouth.

Coach travel times from London or Birmingham to the city of Truro are around 7-8 hours

Many tour operators offer coach holidays to Cornwall, contact your local travel agent for details.

For information on public transport, including local bus timetables, once you are in Cornwall, Click here.

To plan your journey in advance, journey planning websites such as Traveline South West can be useful.

If you are bringing a coach to Cornwall, did you know Cornwall Council now offers a weekly coach rover ticket. This is available for all car parks where coaches are permitted and costs £15 for 24 hours or £50 for 7 days and £35 for 4 days. These can be obtained by creating an account to use the ZatPermit system.

Yes , but please keep them on leads during nesting season and also when sheep are lambing. This stretches from March 1st until July 31st.

Help our farmers and our wildlife.

Spoilt for choice!

St Ives alone has five wonderful beaches, with both Porthminster and Porthmeor being awarded Blue Flags in 2022. Across the bay you will find three miles of golden sand stretching north from the Hayle Estuary. Then there's Porthtowan and Portreath just up the coast...

Sennen Cove right down near Land's End is another popular stretch both with surfers and families, whilst Mount's Bay provides endless walking and is often home to kite surfers.

There's also countless small secret coves, ideal for hiding away in, we would tell you where they are, but they wouldn't be secret then!

Some you can, some you can't, and for many it depends on the time of year and the time of day. To find out more about the restrictions on individual beaches, see our 'Beaches' pages.