10 Places To Visit On The South Coast Of Cornwall

Cornwall. An English county I first visited in the very early 90s and one that I’ve explored in depth over the past two years. It’s utterly beautiful. There’s just no other way to describe it and no other place like it. The south coast of Cornwall in particular is a must-visit and one of my personal favourite areas!

If you’re reading this post you’ve likely booked a stay in Cornwall or are planning one. I guarantee you’ve made an excellent decision. There are so many different areas, all with a different look and feel but all equally stunning. I’ve already written a post on 12 Things To See And Do In Cornwall, all of which are spread around the county, but this post is specific to the south coast.

Why Visit The South Coast Of Cornwall?

Compellingly dubbed The Cornish Riviera, the south coast of Cornwall is overflowing with hidden coves, postcard-worthy harbour villages and quiet beaches. It’s scattered with sub-tropical gardens and the views in every direction (like the rest of Cornwall) are to die for. The south coast is tamer than the wild and rugged west coast and doesn’t have the same seaside and surf vibes as the north coast. It feels more village-y (not a word) and more tranquil.

If you’re deciding on where to base yourself in Cornwall or are planning a big road trip around the county, I’ve got the south coast covered in this post!

Keep reading for my list of 10 places you just HAVE to visit on the south coast of Cornwall.

1. Falmouth

Falmouth is a town overlooking the Fal Estuary, the largest estuary in all of Cornwall. It thrives on its position by the river and the sea and is all about the water. From sailing, to diving, to kayaking the River Fal, there are endless water-based activities in Falmouth.

When I visited, I was only there for an afternoon and after driving to Pendennis Point, spent time wandering in the town centre. There are so many independent boutiques and places to grab a coffee and a Cornish pasty on Market Street. In fact, The Cornish Bakery is supposedly home to the world’s best and I can vouch for their spicy chickpea and potato (whilst not traditional) being utterly delicious.

For an evening meal, head to Mangia, a family-run Italian restaurant with all pasta made fresh in-house. The Floris family are so friendly and the fresh pasta (and dessert!) is the best I’ve had in a very, very long time. It’s a tiny restaurant so get there early to make sure you bag a table!

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2. Polperro

One of my favourite villages in Cornwall. When visiting Polperro by car, there’s a huge dedicated car park just outside of the village. From there, you walk into Polperro itself, alongside a narrow stream and surrounded on both sides by pretty white houses on the hillside that are typical of the area.

Once you reach the harbour front I guarantee you’ll be reaching for your camera in an instant. The beauty is astounding, with boats bobbing in the turquoise water, steep tree covered hills all around and streets bursting with Cornish charm. When you picture Cornwall, no doubt this is the kind of village you conjure in your mind.

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Be sure to stop at The Three Pilchards pub and request a table on the secret rooftop terrace – the food was top notch and the views are unbelievable! This was actually my first visit to a pub/restaurant after our third long lockdown in the UK and I’m not sure I could have picked a more perfect place for it!

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3. Mevagissey

Mevagissey (pronounced Meva-gizzey) is the second-largest fishing port in Cornwall and is another gorgeous Cornish village. When the sun is shining, the harbour water here looks like you could be in the Mediterranean. It’s less than a 10 minute drive from The Lost Gardens of Heligan, so spend the day in the gardens and head to Mevagissey for the evening.

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Be sure to walk along the harbour wall to not only get a spectacular view out to sea and along the coast, but to look back at the village too. Boat trips regularly set off from the harbour and whilst I didn’t take one, the scenery from the shore looks incredible. Apparently dolphins can be spotted from Mevagissey too, so if that isn’t an incentive to jump on a boat I don’t know what is!

4. Veryan

The tiny village of Veryan sits inland and is famed for its five thatched-roof Round Houses. Admittedly there isn’t a lot here, but if you’re on the Roseland Peninsula I’d still recommend stopping by. There are two pairs of Round Houses at either entrance of the village and another in the middle. Famously built by Reverend Jeremiah Trist for his five daughters, they make for a brilliant photo opportunity!

There’s also a picturesque church in the centre of the village and a traditional English pub – The New Inn – to perch outside with a drink.

5. St Just in Roseland

If someone can tell me of a more beautiful church, I’ll be stunned. St Just’s church is set amongst sub-tropical gardens and flowers, right beside the calm water of St Just Creek. The atmosphere is indescribable; it’s one of those places you just have to visit for yourself.

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Park in the dedicated car park, grab yourself a tea and some cake from the lovely little tea room and then wander down the hill into the grounds of the church. Be sure to take a peek inside the church too, as the wooden beams on the ceiling and the flower arrangements in the pews are simply gorgeous.

6. The Eden Project

The Eden Project features in my 12 Things To See And Do In Cornwall post, but I had to include it in this one too because it’s just such a classic day out. I personally found the Mediterranean Biome to be substantially less interesting than the Rainforest Biome (there just wasn’t a lot going on in there…), but would still recommend visiting!

In addition to the Biomes, outdoor gardens and Invisible Worlds exhibition, you can also fly over the top of the entire site on England’s longest (and fastest!) zip line! There’s also a giant swing and other aerial activities to satisfy your inner dare devil. Whenever I’m next in the St Austell area, you’ll find me in the air!

7. Charlestown

Charlestown is a Grade II listed harbour, home to traditional wooden tall ships and a surprising number of bars and restaurants. Ok, that made it sound like there are hundreds; there are only a few but when you see the size of the harbour (it’s TINY), even a handful of places seems a lot!

The harbour itself is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it really does feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the 18th Century and Georgian times. Get there for golden hour to see the orange glow on the wooden ships, grab a drink at one of the waterside pop up bars and soak it all in.

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8. Fowey

Another Cornish place name that looks totally different to how it’s pronounced! This one’s pronounced “Foy”, so don’t pronounce it “Fo-wee” or you’ll get a few looks from the locals…!

Fowey is a coastal town, sat on the River Fowey right by the estuary. If you’re driving, park in one of the car parks just outside of the town and either walk in or make use of the minibus services. Note: if you park in the Main Car Park, the walk down to the town is STEEP and feels near-vertical climbing back up!

I really loved Fowey; it’s got some fantastic home interior shops (my favourites… even though I don’t own a house!) like Brocante, where I could have spent all of my money. There are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat or a coffee and sit along the waterfront looking out across to Polruan.

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I’d highly recommend a 45 minute river boat tour for just £9 per adult as the views are spectacular. The tour guide I had could have done with adding a little more enthusiasm to his speech and to sound a little less robotic, BUT it was still definitely worth it for the views and to spend time out on the water. You can also take a water taxi across to the village of Polruan – I can’t give any first-hand experience of that but it’s a very short distance and Polruan looks lovely from across the water!

9. The Lost Gardens of Heligan

Now, I should start this section with a caveat, which is that The Lost Gardens of Heligan didn’t hugely live up to my expectation. It felt a little unkept, to be honest. HOWEVER, I visited in April 2021, right after England had come out of (yet another) lockdown and so I’m giving them benefit of the doubt that they just hadn’t been able to maintain the site as well as they perhaps usually do.

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That being said, there’s still a glorious array of plants, trees and flowers to wander through and I still enjoyed it there! The Burmese rope bridge in the middle of the Jungle area is a fun addition to the site and seemed to be a firm favourite amongst the kids there!

I’ve included it on this list because it’s such an iconic location. The Lost Gardens are definitely somewhere to add to your list of places to visit, but I’d keep an eye on the latest reviews online! I don’t want to undersell Heligan, but I also want to keep it real and be honest!

10. The Hidden Hut

How does a takeaway picnic on the beach sound? That’s what The Hidden Hut offers. Freshly cooked food such as chowders, dhal, pasties and seafood paella from an uber cool hut at the back of Porthcurnick beach. There are a few picnic benches to sit at, but most people sit on the grassy banks to the side of the hut or take their food onto the beach itself.

It’s one of those places that you almost don’t want to talk about to keep it a secret from the masses. But, it deserves all the praise that it gets and is now one of the hottest foodie spots in all of Cornwall! Be sure to check out their website for their lunch serving times and menus and keep an eye out for any upcoming feast nights!

This photo does the place no justice at all but it’s (stupidly) the only one I took! Definitely take a look at their website or Instagram page to see what the hype is all about!

So there you have it, my list of 10 places that you should visit on the south coast of Cornwall.

If you do go to Cornwall and visit any of the places on this list, please come back and let me know what you thought of them! I’d love to hear all about your trip!

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