Cornwall

You can't get further west than the ancient Celtic kingdom of Cornwall (or Kernow, as it's known to Cornish speakers). Blessed with the southwest's wildest coastline and most breathtakingly beautiful beaches, this proudly independent peninsula has always marched to its own tune.

While the staple industries of old – mining, fishing and farming – have all but disappeared, Cornwall has since reinvented itself as one of the nation's creative corners. Whether it's exploring the space-age domes of the Eden Project, sampling the culinary creations of a celebrity chef or basking on a deserted beach, you're guaranteed to feel the itch of inspiration. Time to let a little Kernow into your soul.

Since 2006, Cornwall's historic mining areas have been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site, the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape (www.cornish-mining.org.uk).

Explore Cornwall

Eden Project
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…
Lanhydrock
This magnificent manor, 2.5 miles southeast of Bodmin, offers a fascinating insight into Upstairs, Downstairs life in Victorian England. The house was…
St Michael's Mount
Looming up in the middle of Mount's Bay and connected to the mainland at Marazion via a cobbled causeway, this abbey-crowned island is an unforgettable…
Tate St Ives
After an 18-month, multimillion-pound refit, St Ives' most illustrious gallery reopened its doors, complete with a monumental exhibition space that's been…
T
Tresco Abbey Garden
Tresco's key attraction – and one of Scilly's must-see gems – is this subtropical estate, laid out in 1834 on the site of a 12th-century Benedictine…
Kynance Cove
A mile north of Lizard Point, this National Trust–owned inlet is an absolute showstopper, studded with craggy offshore islands rising out of searingly…
Tintagel Castle
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…
Godolphin
This wonderful medieval house and garden was the family seat of the Godolphin family who, during the 17th and 18th centuries, were one of Cornwall's great…
Lost Gardens of Heligan
This is Cornwall's real-life secret garden. Formerly the family estate of the Tremaynes, Heligan's magnificent 19th-century gardens fell into disrepair…

Eden Project
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…
Lanhydrock
This magnificent manor, 2.5 miles southeast of Bodmin, offers a fascinating insight into Upstairs, Downstairs life in Victorian England. The house was…
St Michael's Mount
Looming up in the middle of Mount's Bay and connected to the mainland at Marazion via a cobbled causeway, this abbey-crowned island is an unforgettable…
Tate St Ives
After an 18-month, multimillion-pound refit, St Ives' most illustrious gallery reopened its doors, complete with a monumental exhibition space that's been…
T
Tresco Abbey Garden
Tresco's key attraction – and one of Scilly's must-see gems – is this subtropical estate, laid out in 1834 on the site of a 12th-century Benedictine…
Kynance Cove
A mile north of Lizard Point, this National Trust–owned inlet is an absolute showstopper, studded with craggy offshore islands rising out of searingly…
Tintagel Castle
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…
Godolphin
This wonderful medieval house and garden was the family seat of the Godolphin family who, during the 17th and 18th centuries, were one of Cornwall's great…
Lost Gardens of Heligan
This is Cornwall's real-life secret garden. Formerly the family estate of the Tremaynes, Heligan's magnificent 19th-century gardens fell into disrepair…

Latest Stories from Cornwall

Wildlife & Nature Sleep on the sands at Cornwall's latest pop-up glamping site
Aug 3, 2020 • 2 min read
From restored railway carriages to huge bell tents that should have been used on this summer’s music festival circuit, the unique spaces to camp across…
Family Travel Dive back into childhood by spending a night in the Fraggle Rock lighthouse
Mar 5, 2020 • 1 min read
The lighthouse home of the Fraggles and Doozers is available to rent for a unique and relaxing holiday away from the rest of the world
Sustainable Travel Cornwall's Eden Project to be powered by the 'hot rocks' beneath it
Oct 18, 2019 • 2 min read
A plan to heat the giant biomes of the Eden Project by tapping into the “hot rocks” beneath the Cornish attraction has received a boost.
Sustainable Travel Talkin’ trash: 6 beach cleans you can join in cities around the world
Oct 16, 2019 • 7 min read
Volunteering for a beach clean allows travellers to do good, get outdoors and meet locals. Here are six cities where you can help to clean the coastline.
Beaches Spending Diary: a couple's five-day trip to Cornwall
Sep 30, 2019 • 7 min read
Balancing Cornish pasties, ice creams, seafood and cider with refreshing swims in the Atlantic and coastal walks with spectacular views.
Beaches Accessible England: ten of the best places for visitors with a disability
Mar 21, 2019 • 7 min read
England is a spectacular showcase of some the world's finest attractions, both natural and manmade. For many with limited mobility or another disability,…
Food Penzance on a plate: a tour of Cornwall’s latest foodie hotspot
Jul 11, 2018 • 6 min read
In the southernmost corner of England, at the very end of the westbound train line, lies a secret. Often overlooked by food lovers in favour of its…
Beaches Shipwrecks, tin mines and smugglers’ coves: scouting out Poldark in Cornwall
Apr 25, 2017 • 5 min read
There are many things for which Cornwall is famous: wind-blown cliff-tops, white sandy bays, crumbling tin mines, the Cornish pasty. But a new spotlight…
Story The world's largest tree comes to Europe as first redwood forest planted in Cornwall
Mar 14, 2016 • 1 min read
Europe got its first ever redwood trees today after a forest of the huge American trees was planted in Cornwall.
Art Southwest England’s unsolved mysteries
Oct 14, 2014 • 7 min read
Southwest England’s very soil is steeped with mystery. Travellers here encounter crumbling abbeys and millennia-old monoliths, and are bewitched by dark…
Food Six great Cornish experiences
May 29, 2012 • 3 min read
It's not all about the pasties! In an excerpt from Lonely Planet Magazine, we share six unmissable things to do in picturesque Cornwall.
Food Is this the UK's best food destination?
Jan 25, 2011 • 4 min read
Working on the second edition of Lonely Planet's guide to Devon, Cornwall and Southwest England, my co-author Belinda Dixon and I were lucky enough to…
Beaches Cornwall: it's wonderful way out west
Jul 13, 2010 • 3 min read
If you were creating a perfect holiday haven from scratch, you’d probably come up with Cornwall. This rugged wedge of rock offers impossibly pretty…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Cornwall.

See
Eden Project
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…
See
Lanhydrock
This magnificent manor, 2.5 miles southeast of Bodmin, offers a fascinating insight into Upstairs, Downstairs life in Victorian England. The house was…
See
St Michael's Mount
Looming up in the middle of Mount's Bay and connected to the mainland at Marazion via a cobbled causeway, this abbey-crowned island is an unforgettable…
See
Tate St Ives
After an 18-month, multimillion-pound refit, St Ives' most illustrious gallery reopened its doors, complete with a monumental exhibition space that's been…
See
Tresco Abbey Garden
Tresco's key attraction – and one of Scilly's must-see gems – is this subtropical estate, laid out in 1834 on the site of a 12th-century Benedictine…
See
Kynance Cove
A mile north of Lizard Point, this National Trust–owned inlet is an absolute showstopper, studded with craggy offshore islands rising out of searingly…
See
Tintagel Castle
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…
See
Godolphin
This wonderful medieval house and garden was the family seat of the Godolphin family who, during the 17th and 18th centuries, were one of Cornwall's great…
See
Lost Gardens of Heligan
This is Cornwall's real-life secret garden. Formerly the family estate of the Tremaynes, Heligan's magnificent 19th-century gardens fell into disrepair…

Guidebooks

Purchase our award-winning guidebooks

Get to the heart of Cornwall with one of our in-depth, award-winning guidebooks, covering maps, itineraries, and expert guidance.