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Mevagissey

Narrow streets and steep valley sides lead down to the centre of the old Mevagissey where the distinctive twin harbour provides a safe haven for the many fishing boats that land their daily catch.

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Mevagissey Harbour
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Mevagissey Harbour

Feast Week

Each year at the end of June, Mevagissey celebrates Feast Week, a week of family fun, music, and floral dances through the streets. There has always been a celebration in Mevagissey, dating back hundreds of years. Originally celebrations were held in December, though this was a busy period for fishermen. In 1752, Mevagissey adopted St Peter as its patron saint and has celebrated on 29th June ever since.

Today the whole village takes part with plenty of singing and dancing, as well as food and drink. Along with boat races, children's entertainment, competitions and parades, there is also a large fireworks display.

FAQs

A medieval quay was first established in 1430 to give some protection to the fishing boats, but people would have lived in the area for thousands of years before that. By the 1770s the fishing trade had grown so much, and with the quay falling into disrepair, it was felt necessary to provide greater protection for the fishing fleet and the village and so an outer harbour was created. This was improved in the late 19th century.
It would be very wrong of Visit Cornwall to say one place was nicer than the other, that's a decision only a visitor can make. The two destinations are different, Mevagissey being more of a fishing harbour whilst Fowey caters for the yachts and pleasure boats. Another difference is that Fowey is on the river rather than facing directly out to sea, so there's always something going on, even when the sea is stormy. With a working docks upriver, it's not unusual to see large ships making their way past the town, and in the summer cruise ships often visit for the day. Mevagissey is a working harbour with fishing boats coming and going on the tide. It doesn't have a beach as such but nearby you have Portmellon and Gorran Haven.
The gardens themselves recommend at least four hours to have a look around. Visit Cornwall suggest you could easily stay there all day! A lot depends how interested you are in gardens, plants, etc and what time of the year it is...
Mevagissey has no beach (apart from a small one accessed by a very steep stairway) so most visitors head over to Porthmellon, just to the south, for a dip. Further afield, the village of Gorran Haven makes for a nice day out with a sheltered beach tucked inside the safety of a harbour wall.
The beach is dog friendly but between Easter and September they need to be kept on leads.

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