The southern tip of England is one of the nation’s most renowned vacation destinations for not one but many reasons. Cornwall is one of some countries that counts on the best vacation destination list. And there are many fun things to do in Cornwall, we are sure that this place will steal your heart. Why? Well, there are plenty of reasons, from adventure activities to many fascinating tales of history, Cornwall has something for everyone. However, out of these many reasons, the sea, sun and sand top the list. The county has over 350 miles of glorious coastline, numerous miles of river, and dozens of cove-sheltered fishing villages harboring great seafood and has various authentic eateries, where you can enjoy good meals while enjoying your vacation.
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13 Best things to do in Cornwall
Cornish mile is an unpredictable thing and just being here among these stunning elements, is enough to unleash the knots of life. And to make the tasks on your part easier we have come up with a list of a few must-do’s to get you started.
1. Spot an eco bug at Eden Project
The pioneering eco attraction that is the Eden Project tops many visitors’ to-do lists of things while visiting Cornwall. Famously built in an abandoned China clay pit, this cluster of gigantic geometric greenhouses is home to two giant biomes that resemble the appearance of oversized footballs but actually contain various species of flora and it is also considered the world’s largest indoor rainforest.
The Mediterranean biome transfers you to temperatures of 9 to 25°C (48-77°F) and the fruits, herbs and flowers of Italy, Greece and Spain. Here you’re surrounded by bougainvillaea, cotton, olive trees, aloes and vines. You can experience the best here when it rains. Whereas in the Rainforest biome, you’ll feel the gradual increase in temperatures up to 18 to 35°C (64-95°F) as you wander beside rubber tree groves, banana trees and sugar cane plantations. You can even walk on a swaying bridge that is made up of wood and suspended high in the canopy. The biome also explores issues encircling palm oil and deforestation.
The artwork at Eden displays environmental issues and pushes us toward a greener, clearer and environmentally safe future. But the best thing to do in Cornwall is to visit Eden during one of the legendary Eden sessions – a series of summer music concerts that have portrayed artists from Tom Jones and Paloma Faith to Kylie Minogue, Oasis, Elbow and even Muse – tickets include a day-pass to the wider site.
2. St. Michael’s Mount
Another fun thing to do in Cornwall is exploring St Michael’s Mount. It is a tiny rocky, tidal island topped with an ancient castle and steeped with Cornish folklore. This magical place is one of Cornwall’s most famous places to visit. Less famous than its mirror image, Mont St Michel, over in Normandy, but spiritually, topographically and historically fascinating.
It has been home to the St Aubyn family for several generations, the mount has a castle, a chapel, and beautiful gardens.
There’s something so handsomely mystical about St Michael’s Mount. Situated just off the south coast of Cornwall, this crop of rocks is accessible via a causeway leading out from the small, salty town of Marazion. The causeway connecting the island to the mainland is only exposed at low tide, so plan your trip accordingly.
Pilgrims have been making this same crossing for hundreds of years in homage to the island’s namesake, the patron saint of fishers. As you make the climb up to the castle, make sure to take a look at the heart-shaped stone set into the cobbled path. Local legend believes that this is the heart of the giant Cormoran, slain by the Giant Killer Jack.
3. Live show at Minack Theatre
Chief among Cornwall’s cultural highlights, the Minack Theatre is quite possibly the most attractive open-air theatre in the UK, carved into a massive lump of rock and ending with the sea. It is an unbeatable location that is perched on a cliff-top near Penzance. From here, you can experience spectacular views as its stone seats face out onto the Atlantic Ocean.
The Minack is less than 100 years old. The Minack was built in the 1930s by Rowena Cade, who felt her cliff garden would be the perfect setting for a performance of The Tempest. Undoubtedly it does, with the dramatic drop to the sea you can now contemplate more than this one Shakespeare play here. So, it features a chance to enjoy open-air live performances and it is one of the fun things to do in Cornwall. Currently, over 200 live performances are staged every year (especially summer months) that dignify this unique stage, from plays and operas to children’s events.
4. Tate St. Ives
The clear light and scenic scenery of Cornwall have long drawn artists – from the impressionists of the Newlyn School of the 1880s to the abstract artists of the St Ives School in the 1940s. The native creative heritage was a factor in one of Britain’s most prestigious art institutions, the Tate, capitalising on the Cornish town’s history as a hangout for artists. It is an award-winning beach-side outpost in St Ives established in 1993.
Cornwall has an extended artistic tradition, thanks to special light from big skies, the beauty of the waves, and ( although very infrequent these days) inexpensive living in former fishermen’s and mine-workers cottages. From the outside, the Tate St Ives resembles a bit like a municipal swimming pool, but the architecture starts to make sense once you’re inside, spectating its windows swallowing in the sea. There are famous names in here that you can spot like Matisse, and Picasso as well as local artists such as Nicholson and Hepworth, who initially put St Ives on the map.
5. Fishing
Cornwall’s fishing industry is vibrant and character-rich, and a consistent ground of interest in television documentaries. It converges with tourism at numerous key ports, specifically on the south coast, that said, you can buy fresh fish on the quay as well as source sport-fishing trips — locations such as Looe, where the port is the banks of the Looe River, and Mevagissey, a suntrap of a harbour enclosing various great places to eat. There’s Cadgwith, where a fisherman has to trail their boats up and down the shingle, and Newlyn, host to the significance of the fleets, but with an unexpectedly clean family beach alongside.
6. King Arthur Castle
Whether he was a charming myth or a real-life mortal, King Arthur has become very much a part of the fabric of Southwest England’s story. The castle we see today was built in the 1230s, Tintagel was a throne of Cornish kings since the 5th century BCE, and one among them was King Arthur. So says the legend, at least. Long before tourists started visiting Cornwall for beach time and cream teas, this long way reach of England was the focal point of the King Arthur legends. And that story took birth in North Cornwall. Follow the King Arthur stream through these legendary landscapes to live the myth at places like Camelford, thought to be the site of Camelot, where a 6th-century stone inscribed in Latin supposedly remarks the site of Arthur’s final battle with his traitorous nephew Mordred.
7. Lost yourself in the underrated Garden of Heligan
This garden of Heligan is a magnificent botanic garden that was once lost and is now found. The story, the vision and, of course, the beautiful plants and vines are all worth admiring here. Well, that is certainly what The Lost Gardens of Heligan are about. The other overwhelming thing about this place is that the project celebrates not only the lords and ladies who owned the Heligan estate but also the ordinary, green-fingered men who gardened, isn’t that very thoughtful?
When Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote ‘The Secret Garden, she could not have thought that Britain would one day be a residence of a real secret garden rescued from neglect and restored to nurture. Rediscovered in the 1990s, it is effectively an open-air museum preserved behind the limelight for 19th-century horticulture. And exploring this incredible garden filled with greenery certainly is one of the fun things to do in Cornwall for all the anthophilous out there, having spent so long like its own Mud Maid sculpture — slumbering in the woods.
8. Explore the Cornwall Coast
As much as Cornwall is about extensive moors and wind-swept beaches, it’s also about water and considerably even more so. The creeks and bays of Cornwall’s south coast are perfectly suitable for sailing boats, with plenty of moorage and shelter for when it cuts up rough. And there’s a prolonged tradition of classic wooden yachts in the region, particularly pilot cutters, often seen riding at anchor in elegant St Mawes, in Charlestown with its film-set good looks, or up the creek in Fowey. Besides sailing, If water sports is something that interests you and you have some previous experience, consider exploring Cornwall through a kayak. We are sure that a kayak ride is enough to fill your lungs with fresh air, and get your arm muscles aching before debriefing over proper pub food.
9. Enjoy a good meal at a pub
A good lunch at an authentic pub in Cornwall is one of the fun things to do in Cornwall for adults, and who says no to a good meal anyway? The Tolcarne Inn resides just beside the harbour wall in the decidedly gritty port of Newlyn, and we’re sure that this restaurant can make your wish come true. It is a very welcoming, cosy, historic pub and here, chef Ben Tunnicliffe has created an amazing, unpretentious dining experience.
Besides, you can also head towards Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant which serves showpiece dishes such as lobster thermidor and turbot hollandaise. But that is not it, he also has a bistro, a café, a hotel and a chippie. Feel free to walk in one of these eateries to taste the best of Cornwall seafood recipes. His cookery school, on the quay along with the National Lobster Hatchery (which his enterprises support), attracts foodies of all sizes.
10. Relax in a warm geothermal tub
Cornwall has some of Britain’s warmest seas and that can make you think that an outdoor swim is considerably a chilly affair. In Cornwall, you can spot many open-air warm pools to relax in, one of which is Penzance’s art deco, open-air Jubilee pool. This triangular 1930s saltwater lido resides right beside the sea, featuring a geometric vision in blue and white. But what makes it a sensational swim spot is the unique geothermal section. It’s heated to a blissful 30 to 35°C by water that’s been extracted from a geothermal well that is 410m into the ground. It’s not only a remarkable place to float, it’s sustainable too as the whole heating process has a tiny carbon footprint. It is very renowned among both locals and tourists and one of the fun things to do in Cornwall for couples, therefore the geothermal tickets sell out fast and for that reason, we would recommend booking well in advance.
11. Transverse across the Wine-Vines
This is one of the fun things to do in Cornwall if your interest lies in wine and drinks. While foodies take a ride to Cornwall’s harborside restaurants, wine lovers go inland. The country is one of the best places to try first-rate local vintages in the UK. The wine sourced at Camel Valley is some of Britain’s best; under winemaker Sam Lindo, Camel Valley’s fizz has overpowered the French Champagne house, Bollinger, in global awards. Camel Valley is also a beautiful site to visit to explore rows of vines and sun-soaked slopes on the brink of Bodmin Moor. We recommend booking ahead for a guided tour or arranging to sip chilled wine by the glass on their vine-side terrace.
12. Encounter tranquillity in Bodmin moor
Cornwall’s coastal paths are well-known, but inland there is an abundance to entice walkers, too. Overshadowed by neighbouring Dartmoor, Cornwall has its very own rugged moorland, Bodmin Moor. This moorland is full of rock stacks or tors, bronze age burial chambers and stone circles. If you are big on outdoor adventure, we suggest you take a walk on Bodmin Moor. It is a remote, heather-strewn moorland whose bleak but beautiful landscapes provide the perfect setting for adventure. Even in peak season, it still feels as though there is nobody practically here.
Bodmin Moor rises to 1,378ft exceeding the sea level at a peak called Brown Willy (derived from Cornish terms meaning the “highest hill”). It is indeed the highest point in Cornwall and one of the UK’s best hiking locations. And hiking surely is one of the fun things to do in Cornwall for all the adventurous tourists. But don’t miss soaking up the sunset views from atop Brown Willy after a long fun day. It is traditionally home to tin and copper mines, of which many ruins remain. This was also a smugglers’ hideout in the late 18th century, as celebrated in Daphne du Maurier’s novel Jamaica Inn, a building that is still a landmark of hospitality. And we are sure that all the fans of Cornwall’s most famous author, Daphne du Maurier, won’t want to miss the real-life Jamaica Inn that is located at the heart of the moor.
13. Take a bike ride to China clay trails
Walkers rightly adore the Cornish stretches of the mighty 630-mile southwest coast path for a memorable hiking trip along with enjoying the incredible views. But for all those people who would any day choose a bike ride over a walk, they might wanna explore the street of the 18-mile Camel Trail. Especially the flat, it is a 6-mile scenic stretch between Padstow and Wadebridge. But for some of the majority crowd who have a keen interest in the unique insight into Cornwall’s past, Clay trails can be just the right path to head towards. It is one of the most interesting yet unusual things to do on a Cornwall trip. Fanning out from St Austell, this network of 3-to-5 miles of both walking and cycling paths leads right into the heart of China’s clay country. It is an area mined for Kaolinite for several years.
Wildlife has reclaimed much of this landscape, so your insight into industrial heritage comes accomplished with buzzards and kestrels, wildflowers and vivid yellow gorse, with large parts of the area feeling like a martian landscape. The unusual and towering white-peaked clay tips, made up from the mining waste are the large hills that are known affectionately if ironically as the Cornish Alps.
Here you can spot tail snakes beside immense clay tips, working clay pits, and drying chimneys; the luminous blue lakes and glittering turquoise dams make them look as inviting as a beach in the Maldives. So make sure to experience the best scenic views here before packing your luggage.
And this wraps up the list of our best things to do in Cornwall. Whether you’re on a day trip with family or a romantic break with your better half, there are numerous fun things to do in Cornwall.
Extensive beaches, sophisticated hotels and moody poldark filming locations – it seems picturesque Cornwall is hardly off British TV screens. But while the county is filled with sandy beaches and genuine pubs, there’s also a much richer narrative to explore. While on the trip make sure to take advantage of the often stunning weather by surfing off Atlantic coves, ambling across extensive granite moors or pacing out on the South West Coast Path across Cornwall’s sandy beaches and wildflowers-filled clifftops. And that is not it, there’s, even more, to unleash in this country be it historic or adventurous. And to know it all, this vacation book a ticket to Cornwall and live it all!
FAQs
Where can I go at night in Cornwall?
During the nighttime, you might want to take advantage of exploring Cornwall’s darker spots when you’re there. In addition to St Agnes and Chapel Porth, similarly designated dark sky locations are Carnewas and Bedruthan Steps. Here, you can have a view of the fireball display or even talk up to the moon in mid-light.
Besides, if you are looking forward to some fun things to do in Cornwall, you would be more than happy to know that Cornwall also has some of the best nightlife to offer and if you are tight on budget, consider spending time at The Hub Portreath, The Colwith Farm Distillery in New York is home to various award-winning vodka and last but not the least is Lizard lighthouse heritage museum, if you have a keen interest in history and ancient tales, you can easily spot various things to do in Lizard some out of which is, enjoying the breathtaking views and discovering its secrets.
Is Cornwall Ontario worth visiting?
If outdoor adventure is one of those activities that interest you, then Cornwall is your ideal destination for a vacation. Being one of the oldest settlements in Canada, Cornwall boasts its landscape and turquoise blue seas that are perfect for fun activities like hiking, bike riding and kayaking. Besides, it is a great place to explore various beautiful gardens and authentic pubs.
What is the most visited town in Cornwall?
Undoubtedly, it is Newquay! This town is home to various stunning beaches. Some of the most renowned beaches of this town are: Fistral beach, which is known for amazing fun activities like surfing, next on the list is Lusty glaze, this is a private beach that is ideal for anyone who wants their time all to themselves. Besides, there is Watergate bay that is located just a little away from the town and Town beach. These beaches boast incredible views and are best for hiking.
Is Cornwall posh?
Although Cornwall is economically drained and ranks amongst the poorest in eastern Europe, it has some amazing residences and mansions with several of the country’s villages known for being the best place to be for many celebrities and millionaires. So, if not entirely, you can expect to come across various posh regions in Cornwall.
