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CornwallCornwall: A Family Guide to Days Out, Beaches and Where to Stay

Cornwall rewards the family that plans by coastline rather than by county. The north coast — Padstow, Newquay, Bedruthan and Tintagel — is surf, cliffs and the Camel Trail. The south coast trades Atlantic breakers for sheltered harbours at Fowey, Mevagissey, Polperro and St Mawes, and for gardens that barely notice winter, from Heligan to Glendurgan. Out west, beyond Penzance, Penwith is a different country again: the old tin-mining coast around St Just, Land’s End, St Ives, and St Michael’s Mount off Marazion. Inland, the National Trust’s great houses — Lanhydrock, Cotehele, Godolphin — earn their keep on the days the sea is grey.

Every town and village we’ve written up has its own card below; tap one for the days out we’d go back for. Two practical notes from experience: in August the A30 and the harbour-town car parks fill by mid-morning, so arrive early or come in May, June or September; and many smaller attractions keep shorter hours out of season, so check before you set off.

Information correct as of May 2026 — please check with venues before you travel.