Polperro, Cornwall: A Family Day Out at the Postcard Fishing Village

Polperro is the small fishing village that everyone has seen in postcards — a tight harbour ringed with whitewashed cottages, a steep walk down from the car park (cars are not allowed in the village in summer; horse-drawn carriage and milk-float taxis run instead), and the famous Polperro smugglers’ history. The harbour itself is genuinely working — you’ll see fish being landed in the morning.

Main things to see and do

1. Polperro harbour. The reason most people come. Walk the whole harbour wall; buy fish on the slipway from the boats; eat at the Plantation Restaurant overlooking the water.
2. Polperro Heritage Museum. Small but properly good museum on the harbourside telling the smugglers’ story and the lifeboat history. Modest entry; not pre-bookable.
3. The walk to Talland Bay. South West Coast Path west around the cliffs — about 90 minutes one way. Stop at Talland Beach Café for lunch; bus back to Polperro from Talland Cross.
4. The Polperro Tram (in summer). Horse-drawn carriage and electric milk-float taxi service between the car park at the top and the harbour — useful with very young children or for less-mobile visitors.
5. Crumplehorn Inn. Old water-mill pub on the way down to the harbour; the wheel still turns. Family-friendly with a proper garden.

Where to stay

If you are making a weekend of it, Cornwall has more good self-catering than is reasonable. We use Sykes Holiday Cottages for most of our family breaks here — their holiday cottages in polperro and along the south cornish coast cover most of the price brackets and most of the dog-friendly properties. (Affiliate link — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

Practical bits

• Postcode: PL13 (centre)
• Region: south Cornwall
• OS map: OS Explorer 107 — St Austell & Liskeard, Fowey & LooeBuy from OS →
• Public transport: Cornwall Transport for “First Kernow” services cover the coast; the Cornish Main Line trains stop at most major towns.