Cornwall is a place that has it all. Golden beaches that stretch on for miles, sub-tropical gardens, wild moorland, giant cliffs and more castles than you can shake a stick at. Cornwall is rugged and refined, beautiful, wild and inspirational. Here we list 17 essentials which simply cannot be missed when visiting the Duchy of Cornwall.
Tiny, pretty, cutesy Mousehole (pronounced Mow-zel) – famous thanks to the children’s book, The Mousehole Cat – is true Cornwall through and through. Wander the little curvy streets, squeeze into pokey art galleries and snack on ice cream with your legs swinging over the harbour wall.
Wild and barren Bodmin Moor is often wet and windy, but get it on a good day and it is one of Cornwall’s most underrated attractions. Walk for miles, bag tors, climb Brown Willy and wild camp with the Beast and its legends.
It’s a crime to go to Cornwall and not visit St Ives. Amble the cobbled streets, taste the seafood straight from the harbour, take an art class or simply enjoy that wonderful sea air. Watch out for the seagulls – they are known for stealing chips right out of people’s hands.
If there is ever a place in the world where you can sense witchcraft in the air, this is it. Walk down the river to the harbour and climb onto the cliffs for an attack of the elements, before hitting the Witchcraft Museum and then the pub.
Legend has it that a giant once used these enormous stepping stones as a shortcut across the bay. Nowadays, it’s a stunning stretch of sand and steep cliffs with dramatic rock formations scattered across the beach.
If it’s surfing you’re into, go to Fistral in Newquay. The surf is pumping, the views are epic, the sunsets are dreamy, the bars are busy. Seriously. Go now.
