Berkshire

Does the idea of reversing down small lanes and trying to find a parking space by the beach put you off? Or do you want to reduce your carbon footprint? Don’t bother lugging loads of luggage either – from golf carts to surf boards, you can rent everything you need as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Penzance</h2>



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How to get there? The most glamorous way is to book a cabin on the sleeper from Paddington. Great Western Railway’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper" target="_blank">Night Riviera Sleeper</a> departs at 11.45pm and arrives at 8am into Penzance (board from 10.30pm and wake as you reach Cornwall). A more budget-friendly option is the sleeper without a cabin, or, just the regular old day time train which takes around five hours. The station is just at the edge of town, so it’s a short walk, or a taxi, depending on where you’re headed.



Where to stay?&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/chapel-house-penzance-review/" target="_blank">Chapel House</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.artistresidence.co.uk/our-hotels/cornwall/" target="_blank">The Artists Residence</a>&nbsp;are both on nearby Chapel Street, so within a few minutes walk (even with a suitcase).



Where to eat?&nbsp;In the town centre itself you’ll find&nbsp;<a href="https://theshorerestaurant.uk/">The Shore</a>&nbsp;on Alverton Street, or grab a pizza at the beautiful turquoise&nbsp;<a href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/totti-penzance/">Totti</a>.&nbsp;The Cornish Hen deli is in Market Place, owned by one of the makers of Penzance’s own gin. Just down the seafront is Ben Tunnicliffe’s pub,&nbsp;<a href="https://tolcarneinn.co.uk/">The Tolcarne Inn</a>&nbsp;at Newlyn (which made the national list of top 100 gastropubs in Jan 2022) and you’ll also find fish restaurant&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.argoenewlyn.co.uk/" target="_blank">Argoe</a>, where the fish is literally taken off the commercial quay and onto their grills. Wine is by&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.lovetts-newlyn.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lovetts</a>, a little wine bar, from which you can also watch the queue at the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://mackerelskycafe.co.uk/" target="_blank">Mackerel Seafood Bar</a>.&nbsp;Coffee and a sandwich from Joel at&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/roundhouse_pz/" target="_blank">The Roundhouse</a>&nbsp;at the top of Causeway Head is a must.



What to do? Take a dip at the Jubilee Pool, the UK’s largest salt water lido, now with <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/wellbeing/jubilee-pool-penzance/" target="_blank">new geothermal warmth</a> at one end. Check out the gorgeous indie shops on Chapel Street. You’ll find Muddy Award winning bookshop <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://edgeoftheworldbookshop.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Edge of the World</a> on Market Jew Street. <a href="https://newlynartgallery.co.uk/">The Exchange Gallery</a> isn’t just a nice gallery, it has a good gift shop and café, and there’s also Penlee House and Gallery within the town itself. Walk to Newlyn, or <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ebikecornwall.com/" target="_blank">hire e-bikes</a> and make a day of it with a trip to Mousehole or even further afield (or a ride and swim with <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.morswimmy.com/" target="_blank">Mor Swimmy</a> at a local spot). Walk or bike to Marazion and over to St Michael’s Mount. Get the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.firstbus.co.uk/adventures-bus/services/lands-end-coaster" target="_blank">Coastal Hopper</a> (a double-decker bus) round to Lands End, Zennor or even St Ives, departing and returning from the bus station (next to the railway station) in town.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Carbis Bay</h2>



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How to get there? Take the mainline train to St Erth (around five hours) and then change to the branch line. One stop before St Ives is the little station of Carbis Bay, so you won’t even need a taxi to your final destination.



Where to stay? There’s loads of holiday cottages in Carbis Bay (like this 2 bed property to rent from <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.stayincornwall.co.uk/cottages/rivington" target="_blank">Stay in Cornwall</a>) or blow the budget and follow in Biden’s footsteps and take a beachfront room with a hot tub at the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.carbisbayhotel.co.uk/" target="_blank">Carbis Bay Hotel</a>.



Where to eat?&nbsp;We absolutely loved our lunch at&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/adam-handling-ugly-butterfly-carbis-bay-restaurant-review/" target="_blank">Ugly Butterfly</a>, and there’s also&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.carbisbayhotel.co.uk/dine-with-us/walters-on-the-beach" target="_blank">Walters on the Beach</a>, or, walk the coast path to St Ives itself where you’ll find a whole host of options – check out&nbsp;<a href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/the-muddy-guide-to-st-ives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">our insider guide here</a>.



What to do?&nbsp;Gaze at Godrevy Lighthouse and read Virginia Woolf, who stayed at the hotel itself as well as St Ives and Zennor. Take surfing lessons at the beach – or hire kit to get on the water at the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.oceansportscentre.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ocean Sports Centre</a>. Visit artist mecca St Ives (visit the galleries, or take painting lessons at the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/st-ives-school-of-painting/" target="_blank">St Ives School of Painting</a>. Walk the coast path.&nbsp;<a href="https://dickpearce.com/pages/surf-wood-for-good" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wooden body boards can be borrowed free&nbsp;</a>from Little Goat Gruff in St Ives.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Kingsand, Cawsand and Rame</h2>



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How to get there? Take the train to Plymouth and then get a bus or taxi over to the Cornish side of the Tamar – destination the Rame peninsula and the tiny villages of Cawsand and Kingsand. If you arrive between April and October, you can catch the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.plymouthboattrips.co.uk/ferries/cawsand-ferry/" target="_blank">Cawsand Ferry</a> over from the Barbican Landing Stage in Plymouth, which is a 10 minute taxi ride from the station.



Where to stay?&nbsp;<a href="https://instagram.com/oldschoolhousecornwall">No.3 The Old School House</a>&nbsp;is right on the beach and has its own kayaks.&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/boutique-retreats/" target="_blank">Boutique Retreats</a>&nbsp;also have some beautiful&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://boutique-retreats.co.uk/luxury-cottages/kingsand-and-cawsand.html" target="_blank">self-catering cottages</a>&nbsp;in both Cawsand and Kingsand which sound pretty awesome too.



Where to eat?&nbsp;<a href="https://instagram.com/thestores_cornwall">The Stores</a>&nbsp;is a coffee shop and deli open seven days a week, plus there’s plenty of pubs and restaurants. Ex-River Cottage chef Nick’s laid-back café-come-restaurant&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/makercanteen/" target="_blank">The Canteen at Maker Heights</a>&nbsp;gets rave reviews and while it is a bit of climb to get to, it is worth the effort.



What to do? Cawsand is a pretty old Cornish fishing village so lots of pottering around, swimming and watersports (I once sea-kayaked there, which was super fun). Two miles inland you’ll find <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/the-byre-gallery/" target="_blank">The Byre Gallery</a> at Millbrook. The coastal walk round the Rame peninsula is often mentioned by Muddy interviewees as a favourite dramatic walk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Newquay</h2>



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How to get there?&nbsp;Either by train (change at Par for the Newquay branch line) or fly into Cornwall Airport Newquay and get the bus into town.



Where to stay? You’ll likely need to get a taxi over to family-friendly <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/the-esplanade-hotel-newquay/" target="_blank">The Esplanade</a> as its above Fistral (but once you’re there you won’t need to get back in the car as everything is within walking distance) or there’s <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.cornishsecrets.co.uk/secret-stays-cornwall/" target="_blank">self-catering</a> options too. Adults only <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.fistralbeachhotel.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fistral Beach Hotel &amp; Spa</a> is next door if you fancy a weekend in a blissful kid-free zone.



Where to eat? So many options – if you don’t fancy eating at the hotel restaurants then in the town itself is Cove 24 and the harbour food truck complex at The Boathouse. There’s also the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.thefishhousefistral.com/" target="_blank">Fish House</a> restaurant just above Fistral Beach, where you’ll also find <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.rickstein.com/restaurants/fistral/" target="_blank">Rick Stein’s Newquay restaurant</a>. You’ll also find cafés and restaurants including <a href="https://newquayorchard.co.uk/canteen/">Canteen at the Orchard</a>, Pavilion (other branches are in London Fields), <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/boxandbarber/" target="_blank">Box and Barber</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.jamjar.cafe/" target="_blank">Jam Jar</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://sushea.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sushea</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.gilmoresnewquay.co.uk/" target="_blank">Gilmores</a> (tacos and mini golf), <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.greatwesternbeach.co.uk/" target="_blank">Great Western Beach Cafe</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.thefishhousefistral.com/" target="_blank">The Fish House</a> and various chef-led pop-ups including MMW Kitchen and ex-Fifteen head chef, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.adambanks.uk/" target="_blank">Adam Banks</a>.



What to do?&nbsp;Newquay still has its fair share of the attractions that made it stag-party-central including nightclubs, arcades, bars and so on, but there’s so much more than that too. From world-class surfing to fishing, boat trips, jet skis, yoga, golf, and seven different beaches within walking distance of the town, there are is plenty to do for everyone. For little ones there is also a zoo and an aquarium too –&nbsp;<a href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/the-best-things-to-do-in-newquay-cornwall/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">see more options in our guide here</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Falmouth</h2>



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How to get there?&nbsp;Hop off the main-line train at Truro and get the branch line to Falmouth Town or, carry on to Falmouth Docks, where you’ll emerge, yes, you’ve guessed it, just opposite the docks (handy for the Maritime Museum, Rick Stein’s, and the shops. You might need a bus or taxi to get to some places if you have lots of luggage, but there’s plenty within walking distance of the stations too.



Where to stay?&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/greenbank-hotel-falmouth/" target="_blank">The Greenbank</a>&nbsp;Hotel is also on the water, and has it’s own quay, so you could get the water taxi from the dock, otherwise regular road taxi is your best bet if you’ve luggage. The St Mawes ferry also runs from Falmouth, so you could head over to&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://tresanton.com/" target="_blank">Hotel Tresanton</a>&nbsp;for some grown-up glamour.&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.cornishholidaycottages.com/" target="_blank">Cornish Holiday Cottages</a>&nbsp;have lots of self-catering options, as do&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/little-black-book/directory/creekside-cottages-restronguet-falmouth-cornwall/" target="_blank">Creekside Cottages</a>, that are in the town centre itself.



Where to eat?&nbsp;So many options in Falmouth you could eat somewhere different for breakfast, lunch and supper and still not eat the same thing twice – but Muddy faves include Restaurant MINE, Verdant Seafood bar, Origin coffee warehouse, The Star and Garter pub and the restaurants at the aforementioned Greenbank, plus newby underground fine dining&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://themulberryfalmouth.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Mulberry</a>&nbsp;who just won best restaurant at the Muddy Awards this summer.



What to do?&nbsp;Well, we named&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/cornwall/falmouth/" target="_blank">Falmouth</a>&nbsp;one of Muddy’s best places to live 2022, so loads! From art galleries and museums to shopping and cafes, there’s everything you need from a small city break, coupled with beaches, walks, watersports and more.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Isles of Scilly</h2>



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How to get there? Being off the Cornish coast you’ll need to leave quite a few hours of travelling, but it is <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.visitislesofscilly.com/" target="_blank">totally worth it</a>. Take the train to Penzance (as above) and outside the station you can pick up a minibus which will take you to Lands End airport, from where you can take the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk/" target="_blank">Scilly Airbus</a>. Or, those with stronger constitutions can head just across the harbour to board the Scillonian (it is not nicknamed the vomit rocket for nothing). Flying out and ferry back is an easier to stomach combination as the rolling is more pleasant on the way back. With dolphins and birds to view, you’d be crazy to fly both ways. Once on St Martin’s you can hire golf carts or bikes to get around the island, with boats to the ‘off-islands’.



Where to stay?&nbsp;Lots of self-catering and&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/travel/pitch-up-peace-out-10-spectacular-cornish-camping-spots/" target="_blank">campsite</a>&nbsp;options, but I’m eyeing up a treat of a room at&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.hellbay.co.uk/" target="_blank">Hells Bay</a>&nbsp;hotel on Bryher.



Where to eat? <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.julietsgardenrestaurant.co.uk/" target="_blank">Juliet’s Garden</a> on St Martin’s had an amazing garden and there’s plenty of pubs, cafés and even fine dining to choose from in the summer. If you’re self-catering, the fish landed locally is amazing, as is the ice-cream!



What to do?&nbsp;I think part of the appeal of Scilly is that you don’t need to do anything at all. But, if you have to, take a walk along the coast path using the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.coastaltimetripping.com/" target="_blank">Coastal Timetripping app</a>&nbsp;which brings to life Scillies history, including shipwrecks and stories. Swim with seals. Bird watch. Lie on the beach and pretend you’re not in the UK at all.

6 places to visit in Cornwall without using your car

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