Cornwall: 5 days road trip
Introduction
Geography
Cornwall is a county located in the south west of England.
It goes from just after Plymouth to Land's End, the westernmost point of Cornwall (not including islands).
It's county town is Truro, located in the center of the county.
Its coastline is characterised by steep cliffs and, to the south, several rias, including those at the mouths of the rivers Fal and Fowey. It includes the southernmost point on Great Britain, Lizard Point, and forms a large part of the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The north and south coasts have different characteristics.
The north coast on the Celtic Sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean, is more exposed and therefore has a wilder nature and high cliffs. However, there are also many extensive stretches of fine golden sand which form the beaches important to the tourist industry, such as those at Bude, Polzeath, Watergate Bay, Perranporth, Porthtowan, Fistral Beach, Newquay, St Agnes, St Ives.
The south coast is more sheltered and there are several broad estuaries offering safe anchorages, such as at Falmouth and Fowey. Beaches on the south coast usually consist of coarser sand and shingle, interspersed with rocky sections of wave-cut platform. Also on the south coast, the picturesque fishing village of Polperro, at the mouth of the Pol River, and the fishing port of Looe on the River Looe are both popular with tourists.
Climate
Cornwall has a temperate Oceanic climate, with mild winters and cool summers. It has the mildest and one of the sunniest climates of the United Kingdom, as a result of its oceanic setting and the influence of the Gulf Stream.
Winters are among the warmest in the country due to the moderating effects of the warm ocean currents, and frost and snow are very rare at the coast and are also rare in the central upland areas. Summers are, however, not as warm as in other parts of southern England.The surrounding sea and its southwesterly position mean that Cornwall's weather can be relatively changeable.
Getting there
The nearest international airport is the Bristol Airport.
You can get there easily from many other european airports.
You can also arrive at one of the many London airports, but you have to know that London is farer to Cornwall than Bristol, so after you'll land with the plane the journey on the train will be longer.
As said, you can easily arrive in Cornwall from the main airports using the train. But from both Bristol and London airports you need first to go to the main station in the city center, and then from there take the train to Cornwall. Probably you will need to change train in Plymouth.
From Plymouth there are trains during the day that lead to Penzance, and on the way they stop in most of the Cornwall main cities.
Itinerary
I thought about an itinerary from west to east, so from the farthest place to airports to the nearest:
Day 1:
Arriving in Penzance
Day 2:
Land's End to Sennen Cove, St. Michael's Mount and St. Ives
Day 3:
Charlestown, the Lost Gardens of Heligan and Newquay
Day 4:
Boscastle to Tintagel
Day 5:
Looe and Polperro
Itinerary explained
Day 1
Arriving in Penzance
Wether you come from Bristol Airport or a London airport the journey by train taks about 5 hours and half, so even if you arrive at the airport in the morning you will be in Penzance in the late afternoon.
My advice is to book at the Mount View Hotel in Longrock, a small village next to Penzance. It's only a 40 minutes walk or 10 minutes bus ride to get to Penzance. It is cheap and it's great for just going to sleep.
In addition to the rooms, it also has a small pub with a beer garden and a pool table, if want to have your last drink before going to bed.
For the first evening in Penzance, after leaving your luggage at your accomodation, you can go for a little walk around the town center and the harbor area.
You can have a couple of beer at the One And All pub, next to the station, small but very nice and friendly and with a pool table, or at The Dolphin Tavern, full of shipping artifacts and with the past echoing in the aged granite walls.
After that, probably you'll be hungry.
You can go to have dinner at The Waterside Meadery and after dinner try their homemade mead.
Or another option is The Turks Head, with really wonderful furniture and decorations on the walls.
After dinner you have the time for another last beer before taking the last bus to Longrock.
Day 2
Land's End to Sennen Cove, St. Michael's Mount and St. Ives
If you sleep at the Mount View Hotel in Longrock wake up early and take the bus to Penzance.
Once in Penzance you can have breakfast at the Harbourside Cafe. It is very nice and the waitress is very friendly. She cooks everything in her little kitchen and makes delicious dishes. It opens at 8.00 so pay attention at the time you'll have to take the bus to Land's End.
So after breakfast return to the bus station and take the bus to Land's End. It will take about 55 minutes to arrive.
When you arrive in Land's End you find the Visitor Center, and around it some restaurants and gift shops.
Go straight ahed and go to the really end of the land.
You wil be there, standing on the cliffs and looking at the ocean, you'll be free!
You can also find the Land's End Sign, an iconic sign where you can put an indication of your choice with the distance from there.
Look at your right and follow the path and in 200 meters you arrive at another view point, with a nice cafè. It is called the First and Last Refreshment Hous in England.
Going ahead on the right it starts a very nice coast path that terminates in a little village called Sennen Cove.
Walking on this path you'll have wonderful sights of the cliffs and the ocean, you will taste what it means the word "freedom". There'll be nothing except the sea, no other lands for your eyes to see, next stop is America.
It takes about half an hour to get to Sennen Cove.
When you get to Sennen Cove you find a quiet little village. Few people on the street, and in summer maybe you someone surfing on the waves.
I can tell you 2 places to stop here.
To eat you can go to the Old Success Inn, it is a restaurant and it also has rooms.
For a refreshing drink go to the Surf Beach Bar, at the end of the street. It has a nice style and a friendly staff. There is also a terrace where you can sit down and drink looking at the sea.
Later you can walk back to Land's End and take the bus to Penzance or you can wait for the bus in Sennen Cove (the same bus passes in both Land's End and Sennen Cove).
Back in Penzance bus station you can take another bus and stop in Marazion, a Penzance suburb.
And you see it, the St. Michael's Mount.
It's quite similar to the french one, only a little smaller.
It's a tidal island, so if you are lucky there'll be low tide and you can reach it by walk.
Go down to the beach and make the 5 minutes trail that leads you there. Go visit the garden and what remains from the old abbey. It well worth the trip and you'll be able to feel something mystical in the air.
Back to Longrock, it will be late afternoon, so you can stay one more night there or you can take the bus to St. Ives.
The bus takes about 25 minutes to get to St. Ives.
A nice place to sleep is the St. Ives Bay Hotel, it's cheap and confortable. And also it's just over the train station.
Once in St. Ives you can just roam around the town and have a look at its beautiful harbour full of shops and bars and restaurants.
If you want you can go for a walk to St. Ives Head and have a nice view of the sea and the cliffs.
For dinner you can have delicious seafood dishes at The Seafood Cafe or at The Rum and Crab Shack.
Day 3
Charlestown
Leaving St. Ives you have to take the train to St. Austell (change train in St. Erth).
In St. Austell there's not so much to see, so you can go directly to Charlestown. Take the bus at the bus station just outside the train station and in 15 minutes you'll be there.
Once in Charlestown it is very nice to walk on the piers, look at the boat moored at the dock and watch the sea.
And did you know? Charlestown has been used as a filming location for many movies, including Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland and an episod of the TV serie Dr. Who.
There's a nice museum that can be visited, the Shipwreck Treasure Museum.
Go exploring in a museum packed to the rafters. Seek out the objects that speak to you and discover the divers who first brought them all back to the surface.
And if you want a very special place to drink go at The Rum Sailor.
Just pop in for a quick drink, you'll believe to be a pirate.
The Lost Gardens Of Heligan
In about 50 minutes ride by bus from Charlestown you can reach the Lost Gardens of Heligan.
These gardens are located near Mevagissey, they are part of the family's Heligan estate, and are considered to be amongst the most popular in the UK.
The Heligan estate was originally bought by the Tremaynes in the 16th century, and earlier members of the family were responsible for Heligan House and the (still private) gardens that immediately surround it.
The creation of the gardens started with Henry Hawkins in the late 1700.
Henry Hawkins' descendants each made significant contributions to the development of the gardens, and before the First World War they required the services of 22 gardeners to maintain them.
Unfortunately in the middle of the XX century the gardens fell into a serious state of neglect, and were lost to sight.
After the childless death of Jack Tremayne, the Heligan estate came under the ownership of a trust to the benefit of several members of the extended Tremayne family. One of these, John Willis, lived in the area and was responsible for introducing record producer Tim Smit to the gardens. A group of fellow enthusiasts and he decided to restore the garden to its former glory, and eventually leased them from the Tremayne family.
In the late 1990's the restoration of the gardens started, and now they are leased by a company owned by their restorers, who continue to cultivate them and operate them as a visitor attraction.
Newquay
Next place to go and stop for the night is Newquay.
It takes about 1.30 hours by bus changing bus at St. Austell.
In Newquay, the best and cheaper place to go to sleep is the St. Christopher's Inn. It's an hostel in a central position and with a nice bar on the ground floor.
If you arrive in the afternoon you can go roam through the city center, go to the Blue Reef Aquarium, or see The Island House Bridge, an house built on a tiny islet on the beach.
But first of all take the road to the north, then the coast path and get to the Headland point.
It's an enchanting place on a hill over the sea with a beautiful panorama.
It's perfect to have a walk and breath some pure air, to see sunsets and to take fantastic pictures.
Back to the town center, The Central Inn and the Bertie O'Flannigan's are the right places to have a couple of beers before dinner. If you want a cocktail instead, there's the cozy Tom Thumb
To eat i recommend you to go to the Walkabout, a sport bar that makes tasty dishes and juicy burgers.
Day 4
Boscastle
It will take about 2 hours by bus (changing bus at Wadebridge) to get to Boscastle.
This wonderful village and fishingport on the north coast of Cornwall is a natural inlet protected by two stone harbour walls built in 1584.
A flash flood on 16 August 2004 caused extensive damage to the village. Residents were trapped in houses, on roofs, in cars, and on the river's banks, and the village's visitor centre was washed away.
In the years between 2004 and 2008 the people of Boscastle rebuilt the whole village and a new visitor center.
Here you can have beautiful views of the harbour and of the small stone roads, or you can climb up the hill and have amazing sightseeings of the sea and of the cliffs.
You can stop to the new visitor center, at its gift shop or at the National Trust Cafè to have a little break.
You can walk in the cozy Valency Row, eat something at the Boscastle Bakery or have a beer at the Cowebb Inn and at The Wellington.
If you want a magical experience then, go at The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic, one of Britain's most unique and well loved independent museums.
After that just go up the top of the hill and reach the Boscastle Coastwatch Station.
From there it starts the coastpath to Tintagel.
Boscastle to Tintagel
And now it starts the amazing coast path from Boscastle to Tintagel.
It is a 7 km walking trail just above the cliffs that makes you feel to be inside a Lord Of The Rings movie.
Up and down the hills, steep stone stairs down to a stream and again up to thed top of the mountain, large meadows with muddy paths, narrow passages in the middle of the trees and ancient stone walls to climb over.
All accompanied by the constant view of the ocean and the waves crashing on the rocks.
Do it alone, it will be just you, the wind, the sea and the sound of the seagulls. In perfect harmony with nature and God.
It will take about 2 hours to get to Tintagel.
Tintagel
First of all, if you arrive in Tintagel from the Boscastle coast path, you'll find yourself at the Tintagel Castle cafe, near the Merlin's Cave.
Just climb up the road to get to the town center and you'll get to a beautiful small village very warmy and friendly.
The best place to stay in Tintagel is the Dolphin's Backpacker. Its owner is very friendly and the rooms are clean, big and confortable.
There is a nice living room and also a TV room with some game consoles.
Really recommended.
Now, the first thing to do in Tintagel is to visit the Tintagel Castle.
Just follow the signs and you arrive at the ticket office.
Tintagel Castle is a really historic site.
Due to the rugged coastal landscape, there are steep slopes, sheer drops and uneven surfaces which can present a challenge to visitors. If possible, they ask to visitors to follow a one-way route around the site which means leaving via 140 steep steps.
Inextricably linked with the legend of King Arthur, for centuries this dramatic castle and coastline has fired the imaginations of writers, artists, and even the brother of a king.
Now it's your turn to be inspired, so immerse yourself in history, myth and stunning scenery.
Take a journey across the spectacular award-winning footbridge, meet Gallos, the larger-than-life bronze sculpture of an ancient king and explore Merlin’s Cave.
But most of all take in dramatic coastal views and look out for wildlife on the clifftops.
Back to the little town center, I can advice 2 places to go.
The first is the Ye Olde Malthouse Inn, made of wood and stones, with a warm fireplace inside and some good beers.
The second is the King Arthur's Arms Inn, where you can also eat and with a large selection of local beers. Take a sit (outside if it's not too cold) and chill out the night.
Day 5
Looe
It will take about 3 hours and a half to get to Looe from Tintagel, but it worth it.
Looe is located on the south coast of Cornwall and it's divided by the East Looe River.
It's a very nice village, with its narrow road and the houses climbed up on the hill.
Just roam around the harbour and the center, take a walk on the river bank and on the pier, and if it's hot chill out on the beach.
You can have a coffee at The Pier Cafe, or some sweet at Sarah's Pasty Shop.
You can eat good seafood at The Old Sail Loft or at The Sardine Factory.
Or just stop for a beer at the quaint Ye Olde Salutation Inn or at the stunning Smugglers Cott.
Polperro
In 15 minutes by bus from Looe you will get to Polperro, a little and cozy harbour village.
Here you can go down at the harbour and watch the moored boats, and if you want there is a nice picnic area on the pier with a beautiful view of the sea.
Around the center you can find some very quaint restaurants and places to eat or drink, like The Ship Inn, the Polperro Royal British Legion, and the Nelson Restaurant Seafood.
Wants a taste of the history of Polperro? Go to the Polperro Harbour Heritage Museum.
Now you finished your 5 days through Cornwall you can go back to the airport.
From Polperro it will take less than 2 hours to get to Plymouth by bus.
Once in Plymouth you'll be able to reach the Bristol Airport in about 3 hours and the London airports in about 4 hours.
The End!
🌍Here you can find some of my other UK guides✈️:
Did you appreciated this guide?
I’d be so grateful if you...
📌SAVE this guide
👍SUBSCRIBE to my channel
❤️DONATE a small tip (anything you want)
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!😉
The home for unique & authentic travel
