Top choice
The restaurant that started the Stein dynasty, and still one of Cornwall's top places to dine. Stein senior rarely puts in any hours these days – Rick's son Jack runs the show. As ever, fish is the raison d'être: from fresh lobster to turbot, John Dory and fruits de mer, all served in an elegant, light-filled dining room.
You'll generally need to book months in advance, although last-minute lunch tables sometimes crop up.
15.05 MILES
Looking like a cross between a lunar landing station and a James Bond villain's lair, the gigantic hemispherical greenhouses of the Eden Project have…
12.59 MILES
This magnificent manor, 2.5 miles southeast of Bodmin, offers a fascinating insight into Upstairs, Downstairs life in Victorian England. The house was…
11.79 MILES
Famous as the supposed birthplace of King Arthur, Tintagel's epic clifftop castle has been occupied since Roman times and once served as a residence for…
18.57 MILES
This is Cornwall's real-life secret garden. Formerly the family estate of the Tremaynes, Heligan's magnificent 19th-century gardens fell into disrepair…
22.79 MILES
Grandly located at the head of the Fal estuary, 4 miles south of Truro, Trelissick is one of Cornwall's most beautiful aristocratic estates, with a formal…
21.16 MILES
Two miles from St Agnes is one of Cornwall's most beautiful coves, Chapel Porth, a wild, rocky beach framed by steep, gorse-covered cliffs, owned by the…
19.47 MILES
Around 1.25 miles west of St Cleer, these crashing waterfalls are one of the most renowned beauty spots on the moor. Around the falls are the remains of…
29.68 MILES
These wonderful side-by-side beaches join up at low tide to form one epic stretch of golden, flat sand. At the eastern end is the small, National Trust…
0.15 MILES
In an effort to combat falling lobster stocks, this harbourside hatchery rears baby lobsters in tanks before returning them to the wild. Displays detail…
0.43 MILES
Much favoured by directors of costume dramas and period films, this stately Grade I–listed manor was built by the Prideaux-Brune family, purportedly…
1.28 MILES
This huge, white sandy beach is the best on this side of the estuary, so unsurprisingly it's packed in midsummer – but it's large enough that you can…
1.35 MILES
Given how close it is to Padstow, this grand beach stays surprisingly quiet most of the year. It looks out over the mouth of the Camel Estuary and, thanks…
1.41 MILES
Up on the dunes above Daymer Bay so adored by John Betjeman, this seaside chapel is where the poet was buried on a drizzly Cornish day in May 1984. It…
1.83 MILES
The nearest beach to Padstow is this small bay sheltered from the wind by Roundhole Point. It's a good place for swimming, and has a lifeguard in summer.
2.72 MILES
For a proper surf, this wide, sandy beach is the best option within easy reach of Padstow. There's a surf school based here, and summer-long lifeguarding…
3.2 MILES
This young vineyard has a fast-growing reputation in the wine world, and it's a fine place to sample vintages in a dreamy Cornish setting. In total there…