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…
Must-see attractions in West Cornwall
Isles of Scilly
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…
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…
The Lizard
A mile north of Lizard Point, this National Trust–owned inlet is an absolute showstopper, studded with craggy offshore islands rising out of searingly…
The Lizard
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…
Isles of Scilly
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…
West Cornwall
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…
West Cornwall
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…
St Ives
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…
West Cornwall
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…
Isles of Scilly
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…
Isles of Scilly
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…
West Cornwall
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…
St Ives
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…
The Lizard
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,…
West Cornwall
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,…
Isles of Scilly
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…
West Cornwall
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…
West Cornwall
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…
West Cornwall
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…
West Cornwall
At this clifftop site, one of the world's only working beam engines is still in thunderous action. Built in 1840, these great engines were the powerhouses…
West Cornwall
This rugged cove is part of the private Porth-en-Alls Estate. There’s a small public car park signposted off the A394, from where the coast path meanders…
Penzance
Down a muddy track lined by hawthorn hedges, this natural spring has been revered since ancient times, and its waters are reputed to have magical and…
Penzance
The cream of Penzance's heritage architecture can be seen along Chapel St, which is lined with a wealth of beautifully preserved Georgian buildings.
West Cornwall
Little now remains of this Iron Age hillfort, but in its day, this man-made stronghold would have been one of the best fortified redoubts in Penwith. As…
West Cornwall
This fascinating museum charts the unlikely tale of Porthcurno's role in transatlantic telecommunications. In 1870 an underwater cable was laid here,…
The Lizard
This titchy village is truly a postcard come to life. With its idyllic huddle of thatched houses and fisher’s cottages, set at the foot of a lung…
Penzance
This inventive garden opened just outside Penzance in 2012. The landscaped gardens sit in a sheltered valley awash with artworks and installations: look…
The Lizard
Across the centre of the Lizard sprawls the barren Goonhilly Downs, a flat, grassy heathland which – rather improbably – also happens to be home to one of…
The Lizard
Mullion's beaches are inevitably busy in summer, so if you're after a bit of solitude then you're best off hiking south along the coast path from Mullion…
Penzance
This secret garden is the very definition of a labour of love. When the owners bought it in 2001, it was little more than a tangle of brambles and…
West Cornwall
Perhaps the most impressive of all of the ancient sites in this part of Penwith, this is a classic example of a quoit, or dolmen – a table-like structure…
West Cornwall
About a mile south of Mousehole is the weeny cove of Lamorna, a pocket of rocks, cliffs and pebbly sand which was a popular subject for many of the key…
West Cornwall
Cut into the cliffside, this steep cove looks inescapably romantic, with its little cluster of stone-walled cottages and a steep slipway sliding down into…
West Cornwall
This baffling monument is the only one of its kind in Cornwall, consisting of two upright menhirs flanking a hollow, ring-shaped stone. Squeezing through…
The Lizard
If you were to sit down and design the perfect riverside village from scratch, chances are you'd come up with something pretty close to Helford. It's a…
West Cornwall
This idyllic cove ticks pretty much all the boxes you can think of: sand, slipway, translucent blue water and tall cliffs – not to mention that all…
West Cornwall
Looming high above the village, the hilltop above Zennor is littered with strange rock formations, runnels, hollows and stacks that are imbued with many…
West Cornwall
While the crowds throng for Gwithian and Godrevy, savvy locals head for the opposite side of the Hayle Estuary, properly known as Porth Kidney. Though not…
West Cornwall
The huge expanse of tidal flats around Hayle is a twitchers' paradise, and an important RSPB reserve. It's worth visiting whatever the season: in winter,…
