Destinations

Here is where you will find information on all the favourite towns and villages in Cornwall.

One of the UK’s favourite summer destinations, holiday makers flock to Cornwall for its sandy beaches and surf-ready waves but look beyond the coast and you’ll be rewarded with world-class galleries, fantastic food & drink and many one-of-a-kind attractions.

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Helston

Welcome to our new website, we are still adding pages, images, links etc, which means you might not be able to find everything you want to know about Cornwall at the moment. If you have a question you can't answer please email us at Visit Cornwall and we will do our best to reply ASAP

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Perranporth

A lively bustling village with a strong sense of community, fascinating history, and truly exceptional beach, we recommend a visit to Perranporth to experience a quintessentially Cornish seaside resor...

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Bude

A popular seaside town in North Cornwall, Bude is well known for its great beaches, unique townscape, exciting activities and fascinating maritime history, making it a perfect holiday destination for ...

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Fowey

A pretty harbour town situated on the west side of a deep estuary, where the Fowey River reaches the sea. Immortalised in novels by Daphne Du Maurier and a popular sailing destination.

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St Ives
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Land's End

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.

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Padstow

Made famous by Rick Stein over the last 30 years or so, there’s much more to Padstow than just great places to eat. It’s still a working harbour, it’s surrounded by glorious beaches, and offers a base...

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Coverack

Spread along a graceful bay, the pretty village of Coverack, on the east side of the Lizard Peninsula, is still home to a small fishing community as well as being a popular tourist destination.

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From the rugged coastline to the inland moorlands, from charming towns to fishing villages, Cornwall has something to keep you all enthralled. We are not sure if it's the mild climate or the way the sun shines in a different light, we just know that it has managed to captivate and delight for many lifetimes. Come and experience it for yourself.

Our Regions

Discover your Cornwall

Long sandy beaches, hidden coves, rugged moorland, quaint fishing villages, deep wooded valleys, bustling seaside resorts, industrial heritage, rocky headlands, colourful gardens, idyllic rivers and a bijou city, Cornwall has a bit of everything for those who want to explore.

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    Beaches to visit out of season

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    Beaches

    Gyllyngvase Beach

    Falmouth’s largest and most popular beach, Gyllyngvase Beach is a golden crescent of sand with stunning views out along the South Cornwall coast and up to Pendennis Castle.

    FalmouthRead more
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    Beaches

    Perranporth Beach

    Surrounded by tall cliffs and rolling dunes, this vast sandy beach has something for everyone, whether that be snorkelling, sunbathing or a splash about in the surf.

    PerranporthRead more
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    Beaches

    Crackington Haven Beach

    Tucked away on Cornwall’s north coast in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Crackington Haven is an unspoiled sand and shingle cove nestled between imposing cliffs.

    BudeRead more

    FAQs

    Everything you need to know to plan your perfect Cornish getaway.

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    • 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.

    What's On in Cornwall

    Plan ahead

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    JUDO LESSONS

    FALMOUTH JUDO CLUB.

    Sep 21, 21 - 7:30 pm — Sep 2, 25Cornwall College, PenrynBook now

    Life Drawing Group

    Weekly life drawing session in Pencoys, near Redruth.

    Oct 28, 21 - 6:30 pm — Jun 26, 42RedruthBook now
    XplorTINCOAST App

    XplorTINCOAST App

    A free interactive map of the Tin Coast.

    Jan 26, 22 — Jan 6, 25Tin CoastBook now

    Lostwithiel Walks

    Booklet describing 6 walks around the historic town of Lostwithiel.

    Jun 1, 22 — Jan 1, 26LostwithielBook now

    Monday Yoga

    Weekly Evening Yoga with Beth.

    Jul 4, 22 - 6:30 pm — Jul 3, 23BudeBook now

    Parent Support Group

    Weekly Parents Support Group Every Monday Morning.

    Jul 4, 22 - 10:00 am — Jul 3, 23BudeBook now

    Open Space

    The Pearl Exchange Office Every Wednesday.

    Jul 6, 22 - 10:00 am — Jul 5, 23BudeBook now

    Arty Fridays

    Weekly creative workshop.

    Jul 8, 22 - 2:00 pm — Jul 7, 23BudeBook now
    Shallal launches interactive ebooks

    Shallal launches interactive ebooks

    Multimedia exhibition artwork free to enjoy via two creative, interactive ebooks

    Oct 24, 22 — Oct 24, 23Digital & Online Events, Digital & Online EventsBook now

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