Trewena

Cornwall, written by people who live here

Your guide to Cornwall.

Beaches, walks, attractions, food, days out, the seasonal stuff. Honest local recommendations from Rich and Hellen, who run Trewena and have walked, eaten and explored most of it.

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Worth a look first.

Godrevy Lighthouse on its rocky island off Cornwall's north coast, viewed from the rugged South West Coast Path with waves breaking over dark rocks in the foreground.

Walks and the Coast Path

Best Walks on Cornwall's South West Coast Path: A Local's Guide

A local's pick of seven spectacular South West Coast Path walks in Cornwall, from Pendeen mining cliffs to the Roseland's Mediterranean serenity.
Pedn Vounder beach near Porthcurno, with golden sand reaching into turquoise water and Logan Rock rising in the distance.

Beaches in Cornwall

Cornwall's Hidden Beaches and Coves: Secluded Coastal Gems

Beyond Cornwall's famous beaches lie quiet coves and tucked-away sands you'll mostly have to yourself. Seven of the best, plus how to find them.
A coastal view across the Lizard Peninsula's south coast in late spring, with sea thrift in pink flower in the foreground and turquoise water washing into a small cove below.

Day trips and itineraries

A One-Day Road Trip Around Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula

A complete one-day driving itinerary around the Lizard Peninsula. Six stops, around 60 miles of driving, taking in Church Cove, Kynance, Lizard Point, Cadgwith, the old serpentine works and Roskilly's farm.

Day trips and itineraries

11 posts
A couple sitting together on the sand at Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth on a clear spring day, with Pendennis Castle visible on the wooded headland in the background, the rocks of the eastern end of the beach to the left, gentle waves lapping the shoreline and a few other beachgoers walking along the wet sand.

Cornwall for Couples: Things to Do on a Slow Falmouth Weekend Getaway

A Cornwall couples' getaway built around a peaceful Trewena base near Falmouth: slow cottage mornings, the Argal Lake walk, a drive into town for harbour-front dinners and gigs, a Verdant pizza afternoon, beach days, and the Lizard and St Michael's Mount day trips on the days you fancy them.
St Mawes harbour on a clear summer day: a blue and white passenger boat moored at the pontoon in the foreground, with the white-painted houses and inns of St Mawes village rising up the hillside behind under a deep blue sky.

A Day Trip to St Mawes from Falmouth: The Ferry, the Castle and the Roseland Walks

A slow, ferry-led day trip to St Mawes from your Falmouth base: the harbour crossing, St Mawes village and castle, the Place ferry, St Anthony's Head and the walk to St Just in Roseland.
A bottle of white wine and a tall glass on a wooden table beside a lit firepit in the late-afternoon sun, with a wool throw over the corner of the table and a green meadow stretching away into golden Cornish trees behind.

A Long Weekend in Cornwall for Couples: A 3-4 Day Falmouth Itinerary

A practical 3-4 day Cornwall itinerary for couples, built around a Falmouth base. Detour stops on the way in, harbour-and-coast days, day-trips to the Lizard and St Michael's Mount, and where to eat at the end of each day.
The wide sandy curve of Sennen Cove (Whitesand Bay) on Cornwall's far western coast, with rolling Atlantic surf, surfers in the lineup, and rugged headlands in the distance reaching towards Land's End under a clear summer sky.

Sennen Cove and Land's End: A Cornwall Day Trip Guide

A guide to Sennen Cove and Land's End on Cornwall's far west: the wide sandy surf beach at Sennen, the cliff walk to Land's End, the parking trick and the legendary sunsets at the tip of mainland Britain.
The cobbled causeway to St Michael's Mount in Marazion at low tide, the medieval castle silhouetted on its tidal island against a low sun, with kelp-strewn rocks either side of the granite path.

Penzance Day Trip: A Seaside Adventure from Newlyn to Marazion

A one-day itinerary through Newlyn, Penzance and Marazion, taking in working harbours, sub-tropical gardens, art galleries and St Michael's Mount. Less than an hour from Falmouth.
Porthmeor Beach in St Ives viewed from the headland called The Island, a wide arc of golden sand at low tide, the white-washed town and the Tate St Ives visible behind, a clear winter morning.

St Ives in a Day: A Local's Itinerary

How to do St Ives in a day from a Falmouth base. Park and ride, the four main beaches, the Tate and Barbara Hepworth Museum, where to eat, and a coast-path walk if you've got the legs.

Browse all 11 day trips and itineraries →

Beaches in Cornwall

8 posts
Church Cove at Gunwalloe on Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula, with the 14th-century Church of St Winwallow built right onto the edge of the beach, an ancient graveyard with weathered Celtic crosses, and a wide sandy beach with families on it leading off to the right.

Dollar Cove and Church Cove at Gunwalloe: A Visitor's Guide to the Lizard's Twin Beaches

A visitor's guide to Dollar Cove and Church Cove at Gunwalloe on the Lizard Peninsula: twin beaches sharing one car park, a 14th-century clifftop church and the legend of the Spanish silver-dollar wreck.
Kynance Cove on Cornwall's Lizard Peninsula on a clear summer day, with turquoise water, dramatic dark serpentine sea stacks rising from the bay, white sand visible at low tide, the small whitewashed Kynance Beach Cafe by the steps, and visitors on the path down to the cove.

Kynance Cove: A Visitor's Guide to Cornwall's Most Photographed Beach

A visitor's guide to Kynance Cove on the Lizard Peninsula: the turquoise water, the serpentine sea stacks, the National Trust car park, the cliff path, when to visit and how to make a half-day of it.
Pedn Vounder beach near Porthcurno, with golden sand reaching into turquoise water and Logan Rock rising in the distance.

Cornwall's Hidden Beaches and Coves: Secluded Coastal Gems

Beyond Cornwall's famous beaches lie quiet coves and tucked-away sands you'll mostly have to yourself. Seven of the best, plus how to find them.
Maenporth Beach on a calm sunny day, a wide arc of golden sand backed by rocky outcrops, with low headlands either side and clear blue sky.

Maenporth Beach, Falmouth: A Local's Guide

Maenporth is the wide sandy beach at the end of a wooded valley, a 10-minute drive from Falmouth. Family-friendly, sheltered, and home to The Cove restaurant and a beach cafe.
Sunrise over Falmouth Bay seen from above Castle Beach, with two swimmers in the calm water and the path along the wall in the foreground.

Castle Beach, Falmouth

Tucked under the western end of Falmouth Bay in the shelter of Pendennis Point, Castle Beach is the quiet rock-pooling cousin of Gylly. Wall to lean against, rocks to perch on, a cafe up top.
Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth at low tide on a sunny day, a wide arc of golden sand and dark rocky outcrops, walkers and swimmers along the shoreline, and Pendennis Castle on its headland in the distance.

Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth: A Local's Guide

Gyllyngvase, or Gylly to locals, is Falmouth's main beach. Award-winning Blue Flag sand, RNLI lifeguards in summer, sub-tropical Queen Mary Gardens behind, and a 10-minute walk from town.

Browse all 8 beaches in cornwall →

Walks and the Coast Path

13 posts
The summit of Rough Tor on Bodmin Moor, with stacked weathered granite slabs forming a natural rampart along the ridge, scattered boulders and rough grass in the foreground, and the open moorland stretching out to a wide cloudy sky beyond.

Brown Willy and Rough Tor: The Circular Walk to Cornwall's Highest Point

The classic Bodmin Moor walk to Brown Willy (Cornwall's highest point at 420m) and Rough Tor. Route, parking, what to expect underfoot, and how to fit it from a Trewena base.
A colony of Atlantic grey seals hauled out on the sand and shingle beach of Mutton Cove at low tide, photographed from the clifftop on Godrevy Head, with the Atlantic surf rolling onto the cove and the cliff face visible above the seals.

Mutton Cove: When and Where to See Cornwall's Atlantic Grey Seal Colony

Mutton Cove on Godrevy Head, north Cornwall — when seals haul out, where to park, and how to watch them without disturbing the colony. Plus how it fits a day from a Trewena base on the south coast.
Looking out from Pendennis Point in Falmouth on a clear winter day: a preserved WWII concrete gun emplacement and tall aerial mast stand on the open headland, with calm blue water stretching to the horizon, the white lighthouse on St Anthony's Head visible on the far headland to the left, and dry grasses and gorse in the foreground.

A Falmouth Walking Tour: A 4-Mile Itinerary Through Castle, Beaches and 350 Years of Town History

A self-guided four-mile walking itinerary of Falmouth: harbour, Pendennis Castle and headland, Cliff Road, Castle Beach, Gyllyngvase, Princess Pavilion, the High Street and Jacob's Ladder. With the history of the Killigrews, the Packet port and the lighthouse that featured in Fraggle Rock.
Argal Reservoir in Mabe parish on a frosty winter dawn: the still water of the reservoir reflecting the rising sun's golden light, with bare-branched trees and bracken on the far slope, the medieval tower of St Laudus Church visible on the hilltop above the wooded shore, and frosted grass in the foreground.

Mabe, Cornwall: A Local's Guide to the Granite Parish Near Falmouth

Mabe, the granite parish on Falmouth's doorstep: the quarrying history that built Tower Bridge and the Wolf Rock lighthouse, the Cornish hedges, the views over Falmouth Bay, Argal Reservoir, St Laudus Church, the pubs, the Verdant taproom and the parish attractions.
Walkers and a dog on the South West Coast Path with the Lizard headland and lighthouse in the distance, on a sunny day with rocky coves below the path.

The Salt Path in Cornwall: Walking the South West Coast Path

A guide to walking the Cornish South West Coast Path made famous by The Salt Path: routes, logistics, kit and where to break the journey from a Falmouth base.
Lanyon Quoit, a Neolithic dolmen on the Penwith Moors. A massive granite capstone resting on three upright slabs, with green fields and an old mining chimney on the horizon.

Cornwall's Ancient West: Walks, Mysteries and Megaliths in Penwith

Seven of the most evocative prehistoric sites on the Penwith Moors, from Lanyon Quoit and Men-an-Tol to Chysauster's Iron-Age village. With practical access notes for each.

Browse all 13 walks and the coast path →

Things to do in Cornwall

37 posts
The summit of Rough Tor on Bodmin Moor, with stacked weathered granite slabs forming a natural rampart along the ridge, scattered boulders and rough grass in the foreground, and the open moorland stretching out to a wide cloudy sky beyond.

Brown Willy and Rough Tor: The Circular Walk to Cornwall's Highest Point

The classic Bodmin Moor walk to Brown Willy (Cornwall's highest point at 420m) and Rough Tor. Route, parking, what to expect underfoot, and how to fit it from a Trewena base.
A colony of Atlantic grey seals hauled out on the sand and shingle beach of Mutton Cove at low tide, photographed from the clifftop on Godrevy Head, with the Atlantic surf rolling onto the cove and the cliff face visible above the seals.

Mutton Cove: When and Where to See Cornwall's Atlantic Grey Seal Colony

Mutton Cove on Godrevy Head, north Cornwall — when seals haul out, where to park, and how to watch them without disturbing the colony. Plus how it fits a day from a Trewena base on the south coast.
The Polly Joke poppy field in full bloom on the West Pentire headland, a deep red carpet of poppies sloping down towards a turquoise Atlantic bay, with the sandy beach of Crantock and the dune system behind under a blue sky with scattered cloud.

Polly Joke Poppies: When and Where to See Cornwall's Cliff-Top Poppy Field

The poppy field above Polly Joke (Porth Joke) on Cornwall's north coast — when it blooms, where to park, and what else to see at West Pentire, Crantock and Holywell Bay.
A couple sitting together on the sand at Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth on a clear spring day, with Pendennis Castle visible on the wooded headland in the background, the rocks of the eastern end of the beach to the left, gentle waves lapping the shoreline and a few other beachgoers walking along the wet sand.

Cornwall for Couples: Things to Do on a Slow Falmouth Weekend Getaway

A Cornwall couples' getaway built around a peaceful Trewena base near Falmouth: slow cottage mornings, the Argal Lake walk, a drive into town for harbour-front dinners and gigs, a Verdant pizza afternoon, beach days, and the Lizard and St Michael's Mount day trips on the days you fancy them.
Looking out from Pendennis Point in Falmouth on a clear winter day: a preserved WWII concrete gun emplacement and tall aerial mast stand on the open headland, with calm blue water stretching to the horizon, the white lighthouse on St Anthony's Head visible on the far headland to the left, and dry grasses and gorse in the foreground.

A Falmouth Walking Tour: A 4-Mile Itinerary Through Castle, Beaches and 350 Years of Town History

A self-guided four-mile walking itinerary of Falmouth: harbour, Pendennis Castle and headland, Cliff Road, Castle Beach, Gyllyngvase, Princess Pavilion, the High Street and Jacob's Ladder. With the history of the Killigrews, the Packet port and the lighthouse that featured in Fraggle Rock.
Argal Reservoir in Mabe parish on a frosty winter dawn: the still water of the reservoir reflecting the rising sun's golden light, with bare-branched trees and bracken on the far slope, the medieval tower of St Laudus Church visible on the hilltop above the wooded shore, and frosted grass in the foreground.

Mabe, Cornwall: A Local's Guide to the Granite Parish Near Falmouth

Mabe, the granite parish on Falmouth's doorstep: the quarrying history that built Tower Bridge and the Wolf Rock lighthouse, the Cornish hedges, the views over Falmouth Bay, Argal Reservoir, St Laudus Church, the pubs, the Verdant taproom and the parish attractions.

Browse all 37 things to do in cornwall →

Where to eat in Cornwall

7 posts
Inside the Verdant Brewery taproom in Penryn: a hand-painted chalkboard menu listing the day's beers (Definitely Not A Cult, Little Palais, Orcas Need Clean Water, Gus Knows, Cheeky Westy, Don't Tell Gus, Travel Rugs) with prices and ABVs in bright colours, a member of the brewery staff in a yellow Verdant t-shirt walking past in soft focus to the left, and the working brewery visible behind them through the open partition between the taproom and the brewery floor.

Verdant Brewery and Taproom, Penryn: Cornwall's Modern Brewing Star

Inside Verdant Brewery in Penryn: one of Britain's most acclaimed modern breweries, its hazy IPAs, the public taproom, on-site pizzas and how to slot a visit into a Falmouth weekend.
Rows of oak cyder barrels in the dimly lit cellar at Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm near Truro, with the Cornish Cyder Farm logo painted on the barrel ends, dates marked from 2012 and 2013, and the cobbled stone floor of the maturation room.

Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm: A Family Day Out at Cornwall's Biggest Cyder Maker

A visitor's guide to Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm near Truro: tractor tours, cyder tasting, the Rattler and Little Orchard festivals, animal feeding and a properly atmospheric barrel cellar.
Close-up of a piece of golden battered fish broken open to show flaky white flesh, with thick chips, a lemon wedge and a pot of tartare sauce.

Cheap Eats in Falmouth: A Guide to Dining Well Without Breaking the Bank

How to eat well in Falmouth on a budget. Pubs that let you bring your own food, the best takeaways to pair with a pint, and the affordable sit-down spots locals rate.
A vibrant vegan bowl with crispy spiced tofu, sliced avocado, shredded red cabbage, grated carrot, fresh arugula, quinoa and sesame seeds.

Falmouth's Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants

Where to eat vegan and vegetarian in Falmouth and around. Sloth and Sparrow, Planted Cafe, Boo Koos, Thai Orchid, Potager Garden Cafe and the gourmet burger surprise at Meat Counter.
A romantic restaurants guide to Falmouth: candlelit dining and harbour views.

The Most Romantic Restaurants and Pubs in Falmouth

Where to take a date in Falmouth. From a fireside seat at the Chain Locker to fine dining over the harbour at the Greenbank, plus the Cove at Maenporth and a handful of quiet local favourites.
A sharing platter at Windjammer Cafe in Falmouth: pulled pork, beetroot falafel, mac and cheese, chunky chips, sweetcorn and slaw.

The Best Restaurants in Falmouth and Penryn

Where to eat in Falmouth, Penryn and the villages around them. Waterfront seafood, gastropubs, Penryn pizzerias and a Michelin Green Star tasting menu.

Browse all 7 where to eat in cornwall →

Events and seasonal guides

14 posts
The Polly Joke poppy field in full bloom on the West Pentire headland, a deep red carpet of poppies sloping down towards a turquoise Atlantic bay, with the sandy beach of Crantock and the dune system behind under a blue sky with scattered cloud.

Polly Joke Poppies: When and Where to See Cornwall's Cliff-Top Poppy Field

The poppy field above Polly Joke (Porth Joke) on Cornwall's north coast — when it blooms, where to park, and what else to see at West Pentire, Crantock and Holywell Bay.
The Victorian wrought-iron bandstand in Gyllyngdune Gardens at the Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, with people on the bandstand holding Cornish St Piran flags during a community celebration, flower beds in the foreground and the conservatory of the Princess Pavilion visible to the right under a bright sky.

The Princess Pavilion, Falmouth: Theatre, Gigs and the Gardens by Gyllyngvase

Falmouth's Victorian concert pavilion in Gyllyngdune Gardens: what's on, the bandstand, the cafe, the historic gardens and how to fit a visit into a Falmouth weekend.
A carpet of bluebells in full bloom in the wooded valley of Glendurgan Garden in Cornwall on a sunny spring morning, with mature trees on the hillside above, a mown grass path winding through the bluebells, and two people sitting reading together on a bench under the trees in the background.

Spring in Cornwall: Bluebells, Microclimate Gardens and the Quiet Shoulder Season

Why spring is Cornwall's best-kept shoulder season: bluebells at Glendurgan and Trebah, magnolias and rhododendrons in the Cornish microclimate gardens, clear-air skies, quiet beaches, first sea swims, St Piran's Day and the Falmouth Spring Flower Show.
The Barefoot Bandit playing a live gig at the Cornish Bank in Falmouth: a five-piece band on stage under red lights, with saxophone, trombone, guitar, drums and percussion, performing in front of the venue's distinctive Cornish Bank backdrop.

The Cornish Bank, Falmouth: Live Music, Comedy and the Old Bank Building Reborn

Inside the Cornish Bank: Falmouth's independent music and culture venue. Gigs, comedy, spoken word and community nights in a characterful old bank building.
The Red Arrows displaying over Falmouth Bay during Falmouth Week, viewed from the granite ramparts of Pendennis Castle, with sailing boats anchored in the bay below.

Falmouth Week 2026: Fireworks, Red Arrows and Sea-Soaked Summer Fun

Falmouth Week 2026 runs Friday 7 to Sunday 16 August. Red Arrows on Wednesday 12, fireworks on Friday 14. The complete guide: dates, daily highlights, and where to watch.
Low tide on a Cornish beach at golden hour, sun setting behind a distant headland, with wet sand reflecting the sky and a calm tidepool in the foreground.

Cornwall Weather and Falmouth Weather: What to Expect Year-Round

What the weather is really like in Cornwall and Falmouth, season by season. Average temperatures, the south-coast microclimate, what to pack, and answers to the questions visitors ask most.

Browse all 14 events and seasonal guides →

Plan your stay around it.

Three one-bedroom cottages on a smallholding on the edge of Falmouth. A genuine Cornish base for couples and singles.

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