The Open Road Travel

The English County of Cornwall is known for its stunning beaches, pretty countryside, and its famous pasties. It is one of the most scenic areas in England and a popular destination for Brits wanting a seaside holiday.

Surrounded by a dramatic coastline, Cornwall’s spectacular beaches provide a playground for various water sports, while its quaint harbour villages give you a glimpse into quintessential Cornish life.

With so much on offer, it can make choosing the 10 best things to do in Cornwall challenging. That's why we have decided to do the hard work for you, so you can easily plan a dream travel itinerary for when you make the trip yourself.

Cornwall is located in England, on the southwestern tip of Great Britain. It is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east by the county of Devon.

Cornwall is the UK’s 9th largest county, although it is home to only one city, Truro. Despite this, the population of Cornwall has been gradually increasing since the 1960's.

Prior to the 18th century, Cornwall was its own country, separate from the rest of England. It eventually became a part of Great Britain, but with its own language, culture, and unique traditions, Cornwall is still considered by some to be its own country.

The best time to visit Cornwall depends entirely on what sort of vacation you are after.

The summer months of July and August generally have the highest temperatures; however, Cornwall tends to get very busy during this time of year, as tourists flock to enjoy the warm beaches.

For this reason, springtime is a lot quieter and so is the best time to go to avoid the crowds while still having a high chance of great weather.

Meanwhile, September, when the majority of holidaymakers have usually left, allows you to enjoy pleasant weather too while avoiding the crowds.

Moving on to our list of the best things to do in Cornwall, we are going to suggest a range of different things to see and do.

These will include things that appeal to travellers with various interests and age ranges, ensuring you have something to cover everything that the English county of Cornwall is best known for.

The picturesque fishing harbour and seaside town of St Ives is one of Cornwall's most famous destinations.

A popular seaside resort and once named the best UK seaside town, St Ives boasts some of the mildest winters and warmest summers in Britain, so it’s no wonder it is such a popular tourist spot in the summertime.

For starters, there are at least four main beaches, each one unique, and these are all within easy walking distance of the town.

But if you don’t fancy getting sand between your toes, take a stroll down the winding, cobbled streets lined with fishermen's cottages and visit the many independent shops that St Ives has to offer.

There are additionally a number of cafes and restaurants overlooking the harbour and the beaches, allowing you to indulge in local food while taking in the stunning views.

St Ives is also renowned for its number of artists and its vibrant art scene. From small, independent galleries to the larger scale Tate St Ives and Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, St Ives is the perfect destination for art enthusiasts.

The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago of five inhabited islands, along with numerous deserted ones, located just off the Cornish coast.

While we’re including visiting the islands in our list of the best things to do in Cornwall, a trip to the Scilly Isles can make a great vacation in itself.

The beautiful and unspoilt islands feel like a world away and offer you a peek into a simple way of life.

There are around 2,000 residents scattered across the five populated islands of St. Mary’s, Tresco, St. Martin’s, Bryher, and St. Agnes, and the islands enjoy largely traffic-free roads.

St Mary’s is the largest of the islands yet covers an area of just over 6 square miles. St Mary’s also offers a great base for exploring the rest of the islands as they are so close together, and boat rides between them only take around 15-25 minutes.

With a laidback vibe and pretty coastal trails, along with beautiful, exotic gardens, the Isles of Scilly make a wonderfully relaxing trip and is a location you are guaranteed to love.

The Scilly Isles also boast the mildest climate in the UK, so you can be sure to enjoy strolling along the many countryside paths and stunning beaches.

You can reach the Scilly Isles either by ferry or helicopter from Penzance or by a small passenger plane from either Land’s End, Newquay, or Exeter.

One of the top seaside towns in Cornwall, Newquay boasts some of the best sandy beaches in the country and is a surfer’s paradise.

Situated on the North Coast of Cornwall, approximately 12 miles (19 km) north of Truro, Newquay has a population of around 25,000 people.

However, during the summer months, this number rises significantly to around 100,000, as holidaymakers descend upon the popular town.

This just goes to show what a fantastic location Newquay really is, and while the harbour town may be best known for being Cornwall’s 'surf city', Newquay has something to offer everyone.

It has a lively nightlife scene with a wide range of bars and nightclubs to suit every taste but also has plenty of family-friendly attractions, including Newquay Zoo and the Blue Reef Aquarium.

For those who do fancy taking a shot at surfing, at Fistral Beach you’ll find a surf school and a surf hire facility offering rental wetsuits, surfboards, and a fantastic selection of beginner surfboards for rookies.

St Michael’s Mount is a rocky, tidal island that is home to a medieval castle, located in the waters of Mount’s Bay, off the coast of Marazion, a town in southwest Cornwall,

The island is connected to the mainland by an ancient causeway that you can walk across during low tide. This will take you around 15 minutes, but you can always take a boat instead. You will of course need to take a boat during high tide.

Not only will you find the historic castle, which dates back to the 14th century and is still home to the St Aubyn family, but there is also a church and a beautiful, terraced garden, which features many sub-tropical plant species.

It is a bit of a trek up to the castle and can be steep, so if this is something you’d rather not attempt, you can still get great views of the castle from the village at the base of the hill.

This small, harbour village on the island has shops and a few places to eat, and today, around 30 islanders still live there.

Situated on the South coast of Cornwall, Charlestown is a village and port which retains much of its Georgian character.

Not only does Charlestown boast a charming Grade II listed harbour housing wonderful tall ships, but it has also become one of the most popular filming locations in Cornwall.

The harbour has frequently been used in the British historical drama television series Poldark, and has even been featured in the Hollywood blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. However, this is not the only thing that draws visitors to Charlestown.

There are plenty of lovely spots to take a stroll, either around the harbour, on the beach, or along coastal paths. Once you’re done exploring, the historic village then has a number of cosy cafes and pubs to unwind in.

The town also boasts the award-winning Shipwreck Treasure Museum, where visitors can take a look into the history of Charlestown and view the biggest private collection of shipwreck artefacts in Europe.

With over 8,000 items recovered from more than 150 shipwrecks, a trip to the museum is sure to fascinate you.

The small village of Tintagel, located on the rugged North Cornwall coast, is probably most well-known for its association with the mystic King Arthur.

The village is popular with tourists and the amazing, medieval ruins of Tintagel Castle with its links to the tales of the King is what draws most visitors to the area.

While the walk up to the ruins is steep and can be exhausting for some, a walk around the ruins of Tintagel castle is a great experience and you'll get some fantastic views from the hilltop.

Don’t forget to check out the ghostly statue ‘Gallos’ while in the village. This 8-foot-tall bronze sculpture is commonly called the ‘King Arthur Statue’ and stands powerfully above the cliffs.

Between the towns of Bodmin and Launceston on the remote Bodmin Moor, sits the world-famous Jamaica Inn.

Built as a coaching inn in 1750, Jamaica Inn gained its legendary status from Daphne du Maurier’s novel of the same name. Daphne was inspired to write her novel in 1930 after she became lost in the fog while out riding a horse on the moors.

Historically, Cornwall has long been associated with pirates and smugglers, and Cornwall's most famous smugglers' inn, Jamaica Inn, is today an amazing pub and restaurant, offering homemade dishes, as well as accommodation.

The Inn also has the Smuggling Museum, where you can find out more about Cornwall’s smuggling past and see some of the finest collections of smuggling artefacts.

Another thing the historic Jamaica Inn is known for is its many cases of alleged paranormal activity.

Many guests staying here overnight have reported strange incidents and the Inn uses this to its advantage by holding ghost tours and paranormal investigations which are definitely not for the faint-hearted!

With over 200 acres of superb grounds, winding paths, and walled gardens, the Lost Gardens of Heligan are considered to be among the most popular gardens in the UK.

The gardens were created from the mid-18th century to the beginning of the 20th century by members of the Tremayne family but became overgrown and neglected after the outbreak of the First World War.

Fortunately, the unique gardens were restored in the 1990s and are now a popular tourist attraction and a paradise for plant lovers.

The Lost Gardens of Heligan are home to a collection of rare plants and ancient rhododendrons, along with subtropical plants including giant tree ferns.

There is however more to see at Heligan than its many plants.

Along the Woodland Walk, you will discover a number of iconic sculptures emerging from the scenery, including the Giant's Head and the Mud Maid.

Carved into a granite cliff in Porthcurno, 4 miles (6.5 km) from Land's End, Minack Theatre is a unique, open-air theatre set in spectacular gardens overlooking the sea.

Whether you go to watch one of the live performances on offer or just to explore the sub-tropical gardens and witness the breathtaking views, Minack Theatre is one of Cornwall’s must-sees.

The stunning gardens cover 1.5 acres and feature rare plants from all across the world.

The creator of the Minack Theatre was a lady by the name of Rowena Cade, who moved to Cornwall after the First World War. She not only designed the Greek-inspired amphitheatre but also helped build a lot of the structure, which was done largely with hand tools.

Today the theatre has the Rowena Cade Exhibition, which tells the remarkable story of how she built it using visual displays, artworks, and artefacts.

Plays and musicals run for seventeen weeks from May to September, and if one of these exciting performances is something you want to experience at Minack Theatre, make sure to book well in advance.

A small, traditional fishing village situated on the North Coast of Cornwall; Port Isaac is a charming, much-loved holiday spot. Its narrow lanes that lead down to the shingle beach and harbour are lined with picturesque, whitewashed cottages.

Due to its beautiful location, Port Isaac is also a popular film and television location, perhaps being most famous for appearing in the British TV series, Doc Martin and Fisherman's Friends films.

If you're a fan of the show, you can even take part in a Doc Martin tour, which will show you around the village and take you to many of the spots used in the popular TV series.

The cobbled streets of Port Isaac offer plenty to tourists and there are a number of delightful shops and cafes for you to pay a visit to.

Driving in Port Isaac is not recommended as the lanes are so small and, interestingly, the village is home to one of the narrowest alleyways in Britain, Squeezy Belly Alley.

As for the best hotel to stay at in Cornwall, we’ve decided to pick somewhere close by to the pretty seaside town of St Ives.

Situated on a hill overlooking the harbour town, Tregenna Castle Resort offers stunning sea views along with comfortable, traditional hotel rooms and apartments.

The hotel was originally built as a 12-bedroom private home in 1774 and is set within 72 acres of private grounds which guests can explore during their stay.

Rooms at the hotel come with free Wi-Fi, TVs, and tea and coffee-making facilities.

Along with the main hotel, the resort offers a number of self-catering properties within the grounds, including cottages, lodges, and coach houses.

Being just a 15-minute walk from St Ives train station while also offering free parking on site, Tregenna Castle Resort is the perfect accommodation for those travelling both with and without their own vehicle.

Cornwall is a stunning, peaceful part of Great Britain full of historic sites, quaint villages, and beautiful landscapes.

Our list of the 10 best things to do in Cornwall will have hopefully given you a few ideas of what you want to get up to, so you can plan your dream travel itinerary for when you visit the area.

All that’s left for you to do is get booking your exciting trip to the historic county. With so much to see spread out over a wide area, you may even want to bring your car and make your visit part of a road trip to Cornwall.