Must-see attractions in West Cornwall

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…

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…

After an 18-month, multimillion-pound refit, St Ives' most illustrious gallery reopened its doors, complete with a monumental exhibition space that's been…

A mile north of Lizard Point, this National Trust–owned inlet is an absolute showstopper, studded with craggy offshore islands rising out of searingly…

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…

Bryher is fringed by fabulous beaches, but Rushy Bay is the largest – and many would say the loveliest. South-facing and sheltered by the hummock of Watch…

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…

Clinging to the cliffs near Levant, this dramatic complex of mine-workings is one of the most atmospheric sights from Cornwall's industrial past. The main…

While other St Ives artists broke new ground in sculpture and abstract art, potter Bernard Leach was hard at work reinventing British ceramics in his…

Penwith's moors would have been littered with Iron Age settlements 2000 years ago. Most have vanished, but a few remain – and Chysauster is the best…

On the remote north side of the island, this large expanse of sand is aptly named – it's great indeed, both in size and scenery. It feels wonderfully…

For the best views on the island, hike up to the top of Watch Hill, from where you can drink in a panorama right across the archipelago. It's a truly…

Just north of St Just near Pendeen, this historic mine closed in 1990 and now provides a powerful insight into the dark, dingy and dangerous conditions in…

Barbara Hepworth (1903–75) was one of the leading abstract sculptors of the 20th century and a key figure in the St Ives art scene. Her studio on Barnoon…

Trekking out to Lizard Point is a fine way to while away an hour or two. A trail leads here from the village, past the lighthouse to the point itself,…

This spectacular stretch of cliffs along the road between Portreath and Gwithian are where you'll find the steepest drop in Cornwall: all 88m of it,…

While Neolithic settlers probably only visited Scilly sporadically, by the Iron Age settlers had arrived and made a life here, eking out a living by…

Perched on the end of the headland above Porthcurno, this massive boulder once famously rocked back and forth on its own natural pivot with only the…

Pronounced boscawen-oon, this is a large and well-defined stone circle (actually an ellipse), consisting of 19 upright stones, plus one leaning stone near…

This Iron Age village is one of only a few in Penwith to have survived the centuries relatively intact. The remains of several circular huts can still be…