Culture Trip's Guide to Cornwall, England

Cornwall is a magical place full of stunning landscapes, sweeping beaches and Arthurian legends
Cornwall is a magical place full of stunning landscapes, sweeping beaches and Arthurian legends | © James Osmond / Alamy Stock Photo
Photo of Mischa Smith
Mischa Smith
9 October 2020

A ready collection of bookable travel ideas inspired by what you love. Discover things to do, where to stay, and the best spots to eat and drink.

Characterised by majestic landscapes, marshy heaths and sprawling stretches of beach, Cornwall, at the southwestern tip of England, offers an otherworldly experience. This county’s craggy outline reaches right down to the end of the isle with the aptly named Land’s End, which along with the moorland monoliths, Celtic Sea and mythical Arthurian tale creates an ethereal feel.

Where to stay

Breakers

Budget Hotel
Map View
Courtesy of Breakers / Expedia
Newquay is a well-known haven for booze-fuelled celebrations, and it’s likely that many of those start the night at Breakers. Conveniently near the beaches, bars and restaurants, Breakers is made for socialising, whether that’s in your own no-frills dorm, or over smoked sausages by the BBQ pit where surfers swap stories of being barrelled at Fistral Beach.
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Artist Residence Penzance

Hotel
Map View
Artist Residence, Penzance copy
Courtesy of Artist Residence / Expedia
Eclecticism is the artistic force behind the Instagram favourite Artist Residence. Offering plenty of Pinterest fodder in the form of claw foot bathtubs, hodgepodge upholstery and enough foliage to please the most discerning Millennial, the Penzance pad is designed to house everything an aesthetically conscious traveller might want. This means in-house art collections, a fairy light-strewn terrace and cosy clubhouse. Though tempting to batten down the hatches, Penzance has plenty to lure you outside – the sleek Art Deco Jubilee Pool is a reprieve from the visual overload of Artist Residence.
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Carbis Bay

Luxury, Hotel, Resort
Map View
Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate copy
Courtesy of Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate / Expedia
Cornwall flourished in the late 19th century as Victorians flocked to coastal towns to soak up the sea’s restorative properties, and the physical remnants of this boost in tourism can be seen in the abandoned hotels scattered across the county. Fortunately, the rambling Carbis Bay Hotel has undergone extensive renovation and today caters to a new generation of sea-seekers eager to enjoy nature’s bounty. Sitting on 125 acres (50ha) of lush green land, the luxury hotel laps at the edge of the sandy bay, and with picture windows aplenty, you won’t even need to leave the grounds to get that vitamin sea hit.
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    • What to do

    ToursSunset tour
    From $275 per person
    4 hours
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    Few can resist the allure of a sunset – and as the sky cracks open into apricot across Cornwall’s dramatic coastline, you’ll see why “the sun’s fiery kiss to the night,” as Crystal Woods wrote, has inspired everyone from Paulo Coelho to the Beatles. From Perranporth Beach, you’ll see the sun slip towards the sea, then when hot pink begins to burn through the sky you’ll move to rugged Cape Cornwall, while Fistral Beach is your final stop and chance to catch a glimpse of Neptune’s Wink – that illusive, mystical flash of green.

    Where to eat and drink

    Coffee/brunch – Cherry Trees Coffee House

    Cafe, Tea Room, Tea , Coffee, $$$
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    UK, Cornwall, Padstow, The Strand, Cherry Trees cafe
    © travelib europe / Alamy Stock Photo
    With a menu that spans bubble and squeak, banana pancakes and Cajun chicken baguettes, it can be difficult to know what to get – opt for something baked, it’s what this harbourside café does best. The focus is on feel-good food, which for Cherry Trees looks like full plates and fluffy pancakes ravished with berry compote and enough maple syrup to still be mopping it up at the last bite.
    Open In Google Maps
    West Quay Padstow, England, PL28 8AQ, United Kingdom
    +441841532934
    Visit Website

    Atmosphere:

    Relaxed

    Restaurant – The Fish House

    Restaurant, Seafood, European, British, $$$
    Map View
    Fish house restaurant Newquay,Fish house restaurant Fistral Beach,Fish house restaurant Cornwall,
    © Robert Taylor / Alamy Stock Photo
    Trained under Rick Stein, Paul Harwood’s new outpost, the Fish House, is a truly Cornish endeavour as well as a personal one. On the arc of Fistral Beach, the restaurant draws inspiration and dishes directly from the harbour. An avid surfer and traveller, Harwood’s friendly presence is felt everywhere, from the low-key shipping container-like exterior, to the Asian-inspired cod tempura, likely picked up from a surfing trip – in Bali, perhaps – and the Fish House’s neighbours: a surf shop and Rick Stein’s restaurant.
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    5, International Surfing Centre Headland Road, Newquay, England, TR7 1EW, United Kingdom
    +441637872085
    Visit Website

    Bar – The Front

    Pub, Beer, $$$
    Map View
    The saying “proper job” is a typically Cornish colloquialism applying to anything from a bumper crop to a well-poured pint, and is used with such frequency that St Austell Brewery even named one of their IPAs after it. Consider this low-slung pub the epitome of the motto. Aptly named the Front, it sits, quite literally, on the harbour – and believe us, there’s no front to this down-to-earth, locals’ favourite boozer.
    Open In Google Maps
    Custom House Quay Falmouth, England, TR11 3JT, United Kingdom

    Atmosphere:

    Traditional, Relaxed
    These recommendations were updated on October 9, 2020 to keep your travel plans fresh.
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