What to do and see in Cornwall, England: The Best Things to do

October 9, 2021 Flossie Demartino

Cornwall is the extreme southwestern peninsula of England. It has the longest stretch of continuous coastline in Britain and it is one of the sunniest areas in the UK. With picturesque villages, Celtic ruins, light blue waters, gardens and parks and unique architecture it certainly is among the most scenic areas of England. Home of many events and festivals and the land of Cornish pasty, it is definitely worth visiting.
Restaurants in Cornwall

1. Porthminster Beach

St Ives England
Excellent
79%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,569 reviews

Porthminster Beach

A favorite place for a family outing, this lovely stretch of beach overlooks Godrevy Lighthouse in the distance.

Reviewed By BO88INS

Excellent beach with a weekly (Tuesday) open air cinema across summer, we watched an afternoon showing of The Greatest Showman - thoroughly enjoyed it. Showings sell out quickly so book in advance to avoid disappointment. VIP tickets best, include popcorn, Gin or soft drink and deck chairs at the front. However, seating was provided for standard tickets and you could get pretty near the front if you arrived early.

2. Minack Theatre

Porthcurno, Penzance TR19 6JU England +44 1736 810181 [email protected] http://www.minack.com/
Excellent
83%
Good
13%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 5,211 reviews

Minack Theatre

This open-air theatre is dramatically situated on the cliffs at Porthcumo, near Land's End, and hosts a season of plays and musicals from March to November.

Reviewed By SophisticatedLady17 - London, United Kingdom

Following a great scenic drive from St Ives past Zennor, St Just and Sennen Cove we arrived at the theatre. Luckily it was a stunning sunny day. The Covid precautions were well managed and the staff all had a friendly welcoming and positive attitude. The play was brilliant and the actors all very talented. The acoustics were amazing even when doing battle with a passing helicopter! The setting is magical - just make sure you have warm clothes and/or a rug as when the sun goes down, it does get a bit chilly.

3. Fistral Beach

Headland Road, Newquay TR7 1HY England +44 1637 850584
Excellent
71%
Good
22%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 4,365 reviews

Fistral Beach

This splendid beach offers excellent water for surfing and body boarding.

Reviewed By mummatash73

Love love this beach ... The facilities are fab.The Life Guards are highly trained & observant ..We are generally here most weekends .And while Covid has played havoc this season in Cornwall & UK .. Procedures are mainly respected with a one way system in place for restaurants /toilets ... Although it is a dog friendly beach.You wouldn’t know it the owners are in a huge majority of cases respectful

4. Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

Barnoon Hill, St Ives TR26 1AD England +44 1736 791108 [email protected] http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives/barbara-hepworth-museum-and-sculpture-garden
Excellent
72%
Good
23%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,487 reviews

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

Timed tickets are required. Please book in advance from website. The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden contains the largest group of Hepworth's works, permanently on display where she lived and worked from 1949 until 1975.

Reviewed By RedJock

Lovely little sculpture garden in the middle of St Ives with some amazing sculptures set in a lovely garden.

5. Pendennis Castle

Pendennis Castle, Falmouth TR11 4LP England +44 1326 316594 [email protected] http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/pendennis-castle/?utm_source=Trip%20Advisor&utm_campaign=Local%20Listings&utm_medium=Trip%20Advisor%20Profiles&utm_content=pendennis%20castle
Excellent
58%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,022 reviews

Pendennis Castle

Explore one of Henry VIII's finest coastal fortresses, Pendennis Castle, which has defended Cornwall against foreign invasion since Tudor times. Discover how the castle has evolved, and experience the sights and sounds of battle. Explore the fascinating new exhibition which examines the role of the castle as part of Fortress Falmouth during the First World War.

Reviewed By Trucks47 - Newton Abbot, United Kingdom

Had a great few hours touring around the castle and the grounds, amazing views and the weather was on our side????The real highlight were the excellent tour guides of the Keep tower and Half moon battery and special mention to "Sergeant Steve" who was very informative and is a real asset in the service he provides. Good value and well worth a visit.????????????????

6. Padstow Harbour

Padstow PL28 8DT England
Excellent
55%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
2%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 2,558 reviews

Padstow Harbour

Reviewed By RachieShillito - Doncaster, United Kingdom

Had an amazing day here today despite being really busy, parked in the park and ride at the top of the hill £5 all day and free bus down to Padstow - well worth it as the town car park is always full! Had fun crabbing on the harbour, had lovely fish and chips from Chips Ahoy and also went on the ferry over to Rock for the first time today (return tickets are £4 for adults and £2 for children ) - spent a couple of hours exploring the area and enjoying the views!

7. Cornish Coastal Path

England
Excellent
77%
Good
21%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 73 reviews

Cornish Coastal Path

Reviewed By TravellingPassion78 - Bern, Switzerland

The section Portreath beach - Hayle is gorgeous to walk and not too strenuous. If you start at Portreath, you have to go up and down twice, but then it is more or less flat. If the tide is low, you can walk along the beach from Godfrey to Hayle - amazing! At Godfey, there is a nice beach café for a break. You can get to Porthreath by bus, in Hayle you can take the train or the bus.

8. Bude Sea Pool

Summerleaze Beach, Bude England +44 1288 488118 http://www.budeseapool.org
Excellent
77%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,008 reviews

Bude Sea Pool

Bude Sea Pool is a part-natural, partially man-made tidal swimming pool on the beach at this popular seaside town in North Cornwall. It was built in the 1930s under the cliffs of Summerleaze Beach to provide safe bathing in sea water, but away from the dangerous Atlantic currents in the bay. Measuring around 91m by 45m, it is topped up at high tide by the Atlantic Ocean. Since 2012 it has been managed by the Friends of Bude Sea Pool, a not-for-profit charity that took over the facility when public funding was withdrawn. The spacious Pool provides plenty of room for paddling or serious swimming: inflatables, snorkels, surfboards and even scuba divers are welcome - just be considerate of other users, please. Bude Sea Pool is open throughout the year and is FREE for all to enjoy. Children must be accompanied at Bude Sea Pool at all times. Swimming in the Pool is FREE but there are donation boxes at the Pool if you enjoy your splash and want to help us maintain this wonderful facility.

Reviewed By moley666

We were finally able to travel to Bude in July this year. I had been dreaming about swimming in the sea pool throughout lockdown! So wonderful to be back in the water. Lovely shallow area to test out the temperature and then just delicious salt water swimming. Can’t wait to be back to visit again.

9. The Camel Trail

Padstow England +44 300 123 4202 http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/countryside/cycle-routes-and-trails/the-camel-trail/?page=13412
Excellent
68%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 728 reviews

The Camel Trail

Reviewed By 00_I_00 - Maidstone, United Kingdom

We hired bikes in Padstow and cycled along the Camel Trail to Wadebridge. The trail itself is a smooth flat surface which makes for pretty easy cycling (or walking) and the route along the old railway line provides some excellent views out over the estuary. During our trip we were fortunate to see several Heron, Kingfishers and a wide variety of seabirds and waders - there are numerous places to stop and admire the view or watch for wildlife along the route. I would agree with some of the other comments regarding the speed/attitude of some cyclists - there are some lycra-clad speed freaks but these did seem to be few in number during our trip and caused us no real issues.

10. Bude Tunnel

Crooklets Road, Bude EX23 8ND England http://www.facebook.com/tunnelinbude
Excellent
88%
Good
4%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
5%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 929 reviews

Bude Tunnel

The only tunnel Bude has to offer is open to the public free of charge, walk from the Sainsbury's car park to Crooklets Road completely undercover, protected from the elements whilst maintaining your view to the spectacular surroundings of Bude. Consisting of 36 metal arches and over 70m long, nowhere else in Bude can you walk this far undercover in a continuos straight line, all ages are welcome

Reviewed By Powell3131 - Bridestowe, United Kingdom

I think this is a great depiction of modern architecture, this tunnel has given me many hours of joy as I look at its stunning curves, as it protects me from the wind for my 30 second walk to the store from my car.

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