If you only had 3 days in Cornwall, here’s how you should spend it!
At Meadow Lakes, we often get asked where to go and what to do by people visiting Cornwall for a long weekend, and while it is incredibly difficult to condense this beautiful county into just 72 hours, this is how we would suggest spending it. Prepare yourselves, as this is a jam packed schedule!!
Day One
We hope you have a lot of energy stored, because you are going to need it for this trip!
Our first recommendation involves the West Coast Path; Wheal Coates. We’d suggest starting at Trevaunance Cove in St. Agnes and carrying on the coast path up around the Heritage Coast to St. Agnes’ head and eventually Wheal Coates and Townroath Engine House. This spot has the most epic views with Cornwall’s mining culture!
You can continue this walk and stop for a Croque monsieur and a hedgehog ice cream for lunch at Chapel Porth beach, or carry on to Porthtowan beach and enjoy a meal at the Blue Bar.
Depending on your speed, this walk can take anywhere between 1 and a half to 2 and a half hours, so double that if you need to go back to get the car after lunch!
When it reaches the afternoon its best to head down to the coast to St. Ives Bay, and remember to take the coast road along Portreath and Godrevy cliffs! You can stop off at the many picnic spots along the way to admire the views; including Hell’s Mouth and Godrevy Lighthouse itself!
Carry on to St. Ives town itself and spend the afternoon exploring the town with all its quaint white houses and boutique galleries (or the Tate Gallery if you fancy!), or hang out at one of its beaches; both Porthminster and Porthmeor are absolutely stunning on a clear day.
Day Two
Head down towards Land’s End and stop off for a walk along the cliffs at Porthcurno, get a glimpse of the Minack Theatre (or feel free to switch this day around if there’s a performance on in the evening – you don’t want to miss that!!), and head down to the beach to paddle in the crystal clear waters.
You can then take the coast road from Porthcurno through Newlyn and Penzance for a snapshot tour of Cornwall’s beautiful fishing harbours, then finally come to a stop in Marazion, where you can find the awe-inspiring view of Mount’s Bay and St. Michael’s Mount.
Once you’re finished exploring, hop in the car for a short drive to the stunning Rinsey head, for wild views of the Atlantic and more Cornish heritage engine houses. From here, you can also drive to Porthleven for the evening. There are heaps of great restaurants and bars here, and the harbour is beautiful in the sunset!
Day Three
If you’re up early and the sun is shining, we’d totally recommend a quick stop to Kynance Cove on the Lizard. Its infamous rock formation makes for great pictures, and the water there is stunning.
The Lizard is a beautiful area and could warrant three days to itself, but we’ll just include two spots in this mini-guide. From Kynance Cove, journey through the wilderness of the Lizard to the adorably quaint Helford village, where you can walk on the path along to Frenchman’s Creek or stop for lunch in the Shipwright Arms – or both!
The End of Day Three…
if you have time and you think you can squeeze a bit more walking in – we’d recommend heading to the other side of the Helford and exploring Mawnan for an hour or two. Once you’re done there, you can take the coast road (the scenic route of course) over to Falmouth. Start at Gylly beach for a relaxing stroll or even an hour SUP session out on the water, and head to Pendennis Castle and views from the Point.
Then in the evening, if you’ve got the energy, you’re basically spoilt for choice in Falmouth; it’s a student town so there are loads of fantastic bars and great restaurants to discover too!
Phew!