West Cornwall · Coast
St Ives
Beaches, galleries, harbour streets and one of Cornwall's best-known coastal settings.
Explore St Ives →Atlantic coast, harbour towns and roads that keep going west
Cornwall is a place of long coastlines, fishing towns, old mining landscapes, gardens and villages that feel shaped by the sea. From St Ives and Padstow to Falmouth, the Lizard and Land's End, there is far more here than a single beach day.
Go a little further west
Coastline, character and places that reward the detour
Clifftop roads, artists' towns, subtropical gardens and small harbours give Cornwall a rhythm of its own.
Explore Cornwall
Choose somewhere to begin
Use the map to explore Cornwall's towns, coastlines, gardens and historic landscapes. Pick a place that suits the kind of trip you want, then open its guide to discover what else is nearby.
Featured places
Where to go in Cornwall
Start with the part of Cornwall that suits your trip, then use the local guides to join together towns, coast and nearby places.
North Cornwall · Harbour
Padstow
A busy harbour town surrounded by beaches, estuary views and some of north Cornwall's best coastal exploring.
Explore Padstow →
South Cornwall · Harbour
Falmouth
Maritime heritage, beaches, gardens and a natural base for exploring the Fal estuary and south coast.
Explore Falmouth →
Far West · Coast
Land's End & Penwith
Granite coast, mining heritage, small villages and some of Cornwall's most dramatic Atlantic scenery.
Explore Penwith →
South Coast · Heritage
Fowey
A steep-sided harbour town with estuary views, coastal walks and easy access to south Cornwall.
Explore Fowey →
South Cornwall · Landscape
The Lizard
Clifftop walks, coves and a wilder stretch of coast on Britain's most southerly mainland peninsula.
Explore the Lizard →
St Austell · Attraction
Eden Project
Huge biomes, gardens and a transformed former quarry that has become one of Cornwall's major visitor attractions.
Explore the Eden Project →
North Cornwall · Coast
Tintagel
Clifftop ruins, Atlantic views and one of Cornwall's strongest combinations of landscape and legend.
Explore Tintagel →
Central Cornwall · Landscape
Bodmin Moor
Open moorland, granite tors and quieter routes through Cornwall's rugged interior.
Explore Bodmin Moor →
Choose your kind of day
What is Cornwall best for?
Cliffs, coves & beachesAtlantic Coast
Old engine houses & harboursHeritage
Greenhouses & subtropical plantingGardens
Small towns & slow roadsHarbours & Villages
Easy combinations
Places that work well together
Cornwall is easier to enjoy when you group nearby places rather than crossing the county several times in one day.
St Ives, Zennor & Penwith
A strong west-Cornwall combination of art, coast and wild granite scenery.
- St Ives for beaches and galleries
- Zennor for village character and coastal walking
- Penwith for mining landscapes and Atlantic views
Padstow, Rock & Tintagel
Harbour life, estuary views and legendary north-coast scenery fit naturally into the same part of the trip.
- Padstow for the harbour and food scene
- Rock for beaches and estuary views
- Tintagel for cliffs, ruins and legend
Falmouth, Lizard & Helford
A gentler south-coast route combining maritime history, gardens and quieter coves.
- Falmouth for maritime culture
- Helford for creeks and woodland
- The Lizard for clifftop scenery
Cornwall works best when you choose a base
Cornwall is long and narrow, and summer traffic can make short-looking journeys take longer than expected. Pick the part of the county you most want to explore, then build days around nearby towns, beaches and attractions.
For a dayStay within one part of the coast or one cluster of towns.
For a weekendChoose one base and explore outward rather than changing areas constantly.
For a longer staySplit the trip between west, north or south Cornwall if you want wider coverage.
In summerStart early for popular beaches and allow extra time on main roads.
When you know where you are going
Stay · Do · Explore
Once you have chosen a part of Cornwall, the local guide will help you turn it into a complete trip.
Continue east
Explore more of South West England
Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Bath, Bristol, Dartmoor and the Jurassic Coast are all part of the wider South West journey.