West Cornwall

You’re never far from stretches of gorgeous sand and coastal bliss and some claim this area boasts some of the best beachside scenery of the entire county. You’re bound to have the azure waters of Porthminster Beach on your itinerary already, and with good reason. However, ensure you leave enough time to explore the hidden inlets and mermaid pools, from which you can spot seals, basking sharks and even the distant humps of the subtropical Isles of Scilly on a clear day.

West Cornwall is also home to Gwithian and Godrevy sands, part of a three mile stretch of golden sands, backed by high dunes (or towans as they are called in Cornwall). Looking out across St Ives Bay, these beaches are well worth dedicating a whole day to. Be it to surf, swim or just laze about.

The aptly named Whitesands Bay sits just north of Land’s End. From here the full force of the Atlantic can be felt, producing waves loved by surfers. But it can also be a serene place, with a large expense of sands stretching away from Sennen Cove, loved by the families who flock here during the summer and walkers in the shoulder seasons.

And don't forget Mount's Bay, named after the iconic island that rises up out of the clear blue waters for half the day and becomes virtually part of the mainland for the other half. A walk along the South West Coast Path here leads you from Marazion onto Penzance and around to the impossibly pretty Mousehole, with hardly a hill to climb.

But it’s not all beaches, the contrasting landscape means there are long stretches of coastline where the cliffs drop hundreds of feet into the sea, majestic if at time terrifying! The most striking location to see this must be at The Minack Theatre, carved out of the cliffs with the sea pounding below, whilst across the bay the epic outline of a granite headland rises out of the waves.

And that’s why people love West Cornwall

The varied landscape of West Cornwall has attracted artists for centuries and forged the creative communities that now draw many to the area like St. Ives, home of the Tate, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and the Penwith Studios. The town is famed for its quality of light, boasting a cerulean harbour and many a culinary and Cornish cultural delight fringing its sandy shores. The view out over St Ives Bay to Godrevy Lighthouse inspired the writer Virginia Wolfe, DH Lawrence lived just down the coast for a while and Rosamunde Pilcher was born in Lelant and drew on her memories of Cornwall for many of her novels.

On the south side of the narrow isthmus between Hayle and Marazion, artists flocked to Newlyn in the late 1800s. It’s now a lively fishing port intermingled with a relaxed arts and crafts scene, but to see the works produced in its artistic heyday, head for the Penlee Gallery in Penzance. While you’re there head down to the promenade to take a dip in the Jubilee Pool, the UK’s largest and best-preserved art deco lido. Penzance is a fine place to base yourself for exploring the West Penwith area, the town itself has plenty of shops to investigate and there’s also a good choice of places to eat, especially on Chapel Street.

Of course, and as many locals would assert, the magnetism of West Cornwall lies in its strange and savage places, not just its urbane charm or pretty beaches. The Penwith Peninsula is one such magical spot. Littered with prehistoric burial sites, settlements and hillforts, this hinterland is wilderness personified and it’s well worth a short diversion on your way to Land’s End to make the time to properly explore the inland tors and moors.

Take a trip along the winding B3306 west from St Ives, possibly the most scenic route in the UK? and be prepared to stop several times to take in the views. Take a left turn at any point and you will start climbing into an ancient landscape of fields and open moorland little changed for 4000 years. Be sure to search out Lanyon Quoit, the Mên-an-Tol, Chysauster village and the Merry Maidens, just four sites that will take you back in time to when this part of Britain was far removed from the centres of population, or was it?

Why not stay a little longer and explore everything this captivating region has to offer? Discover quaint guest houses and cosy inns & pubs, family holiday parks and luxurious hotels.

Plan your next adventure and find things to do in this captivating region. With art and culture in abundance, coupled with golden beaches and quirky heritage sites, there's never a dull day on the West Coast.