A short list of the places we'd send you to first
If you've never been to Cornwall before, or if you've been but haven't really got past the obvious places, we wanted to put together a short list of where we'd send you first. These aren't the postcard spots that everyone already knows about. They're the places we genuinely think are worth your time, drawn from up and down the South East and mid Cornwall coast, with a couple of stretches further afield.
We've grouped them in two halves: doorstep places (within 30 minutes of West Kellow Yurts, our peaceful glamping site near Looe), and bigger day trips (within 90 minutes by road). All 10 are in Cornwall. All 10 we'd happily recommend whether you're staying with us or anywhere else in the area.
For each one, we've kept it short here and linked through to the full guide post. If you want the practical detail (parking, dog policy, accessibility, opening times, what to do nearby), the linked guide is the place.
Doorstep places (within 30 minutes by road)
1. Looe Island Nature Reserve
Where: A mile off the coast at Looe, South East Cornwall
Distance from West Kellow: 10 minutes by road, then a 20-minute boat ride
Best time to visit: Approximately Easter to end of September
If you've stood on Looe seafront you'll have seen Looe Island, a small green hump in the bay about a mile out. Officially St George's Island, but always Looe Island to anyone local, it's a 22-acre marine nature reserve owned by Cornwall Wildlife Trust. The wardens, Jon and Claire, live on the island year-round. You can visit by booking the boat from Looe Sea Safari from approximately Easter through September, weather and tide permitting. You'll have around two hours on the island with a self-guided trail, and you'll likely see grey seals, oystercatchers, the largest breeding colony of great black-backed gulls in Cornwall, and a flock of Shetland sheep doing the conservation grazing. Numbers are limited to around 11 per boat, so book ahead.
Read the full guide to visiting Looe Island
2. The Looe to Polperro coast path
Where: South West Coast Path between Looe and Polperro, South East Cornwall
Distance from West Kellow: 10 minutes to the start at Hannafore
Walk distance: Around 4 miles each way
If you only do one walk during your stay, do this one. The South West Coast Path between Looe and Polperro is around 4 miles each way, takes in an 11th century monastery, the secluded Talland Bay (with a cafe at the perfect halfway point), and ends in one of Cornwall's most picturesque fishing villages. There are some steep climbs, but nothing technical. Allow around 2 hours each way. You can bus back from Crumplehorn (just above Polperro) on the 73 service if you'd rather not double back, or turn around at Talland Bay for a shorter day. Sturdy footwear, water, and a bit of weather-checking before you set off.
Read the full guide to the Looe to Polperro coast path
3. Kilminorth Woods
Where: West Looe, South East Cornwall
Distance from West Kellow: 10 minutes to Millpool car park
Walk distance: Circular walk around 2.7 miles
For a quiet woodland walk on a day when the coast is too windy, Kilminorth Woods is the easy default. One of the largest valley oaklands in Cornwall, classified as semi-natural ancient woodland, continuously wooded for at least 400 years. The lower riverside path from the Millpool car park is mostly level and suitable for pushchairs; the upper paths get steeper. Look out for kingfishers on the river, bluebells in spring, and the strange remains of the Giant's Hedge running through the trees. Free to enter. Dog-friendly (one of the best dog walks within easy reach of Looe).
Read the full guide to Kilminorth Woods
4. Polperro
Where: Fishing village just west of Looe, South East Cornwall
Distance from West Kellow: 15 minutes by road, or walkable along the coast path
Polperro is the Cornish fishing village that the rest of the world pictures when it thinks of Cornwall. Whitewashed cottages tumbling down a steep-sided valley to a working harbour, lanes you can't drive down, an artists' tradition going back over a century, and a smuggling history that's still part of the local identity. Park at Crumplehorn at the top of the village (don't try to drive into the village itself), then walk down. The harbour, the Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing, the Three Pilchards pub, and short walks along the Warren or Chapel Cliffs will easily fill a half day. Best visited early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the crowds in summer.
Read the full guide to Polperro
Day trips (within 90 minutes by road)
5. Lantic Bay and Pencarrow Head
Where: Between Polruan and Polperro, near Fowey
Distance from West Kellow: Around 45 minutes by road
Lantic Bay is one of the South Cornish coast's best-kept secrets and a serious contender for the most beautiful beach within easy reach of West Kellow. A sweep of turquoise water, sand and shingle tucked beneath the cliffs of Pencarrow Head, with no road access and no facilities. The walk down from the National Trust car park is around 15 to 20 minutes, including a steep zig-zag, and the climb back up is a workout. There's no lifeguard service, so treat it as an unpatrolled beach. Bring water, food and sun protection (none for sale anywhere nearby). On a clear day you can see Bolt Head in Devon to the east and the Lizard to the west.
Read the full guide to Lantic Bay and Pencarrow Head
6. Lanhydrock
Where: Near Bodmin, mid-Cornwall (National Trust)
Distance from West Kellow: Around 45 minutes by road
Allow: A full day
Lanhydrock is one of those National Trust properties that justifies the membership fee on its own. A late Victorian country house with a 12-acre formal garden, a 900-acre estate of ancient woodland and parkland, riverside walks along the River Fowey, dedicated cycle trails, and one of the best below-stairs kitchen tours in the country. Two routes guide you through the house: upstairs through the family rooms, downstairs through the kitchens, sculleries and dairy. Outside, the Beech Avenue, the Great Wood and the Respryn Ramble along the river all reward a wander. Three pawprint National Trust place for dog-friendliness. Free parking for members.
Read the full guide to Lanhydrock
7. Golitha Falls
Where: Draynes Wood, southern edge of Bodmin Moor
Distance from West Kellow: Around 30 minutes by road
Allow: 1 to 2 hours
Golitha Falls is a series of cascades on the upper reaches of the River Fowey, set within an ancient oak woodland on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor. It's a National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest, with over 150 species of mosses, liverworts and lichens recorded in the woodland alone. The walk down to the main falls is around half a mile on mostly level paths. The falls are most dramatic after rain, but the woodland itself is always atmospheric and the shade is welcome on a hot day. Free to enter. Dog-friendly. Inkie's Smokehouse next to the car park does excellent barbecue if you're hungry afterwards.
Read the full guide to Golitha Falls
8. The Cheesewring and the Hurlers
Where: Minions village, Bodmin Moor
Distance from West Kellow: Around 30 minutes by road
Walk distance: Loop of around 2 miles
A walk that takes in two of Bodmin Moor's most striking sights in a single easy loop. The Hurlers are three Bronze Age stone circles dating from around 1500 BC, sat just outside the moor village of Minions. From there it's an easy uphill walk across open moorland to the Cheesewring, a natural granite tor of huge weathered slabs stacked impossibly high. The whole loop is around 2 miles, with sweeping views over the moor in every direction. Sheep and Dartmoor ponies graze freely. Free parking and free entry. The Cheesewring Hotel in Minions village (the highest pub in Cornwall) is the obvious stop for a pint afterwards.
Read the full guide to the Cheesewring and the Hurlers
9. Cotehele
Where: St Dominick, near Calstock, in the Tamar Valley (National Trust)
Distance from West Kellow: Around 60 minutes by road
Allow: A full day
Cotehele is one of those National Trust places that genuinely feels like time travel. A rambling Tudor granite and slate house perched high above the River Tamar, lived in by the Edgcumbe family for nearly 600 years, and one of the least altered Tudor houses in the country. Inside: a great hall with arch-braced timber roof, tapestry-clad rooms, and what's believed to be the oldest working domestic clock in England (installed 1489). Outside: 1,300 acres of woodland, orchards, formal terraces, and a working watermill, plus Cotehele Quay on the Tamar with the restored sailing barge Shamrock. Cream tea at the Edgcumbe is the recommended halfway stop.
Read the full guide to Cotehele
10. The Lost Gardens of Heligan
Where: Pentewan, near St Austell, mid-Cornwall
Distance from West Kellow: Around 45 minutes by road
Allow: Half a day minimum, a full day to do it properly
The Lost Gardens of Heligan is one of those Cornish places that lives up to its reputation. Lost to the brambles after the First World War (when most of the gardeners didn't return) and rediscovered and restored from 1990 onwards, it's now over 200 acres of Victorian productive gardens, formal flower gardens, woodland trails, the UK's only outdoor Jungle, and rare-breed farm animals. The Mud Maid and Giant's Head sculptures alone are worth the entry, and the Heligan Kitchen serves food made with produce from the gardens themselves. Three to four hours minimum to see it properly. Dogs welcome on short leads year-round. Free parking. Tickets can be upgraded to a 7-day pass at no extra charge if you ask at the gate, which is excellent value if you're staying nearby.
Read the full guide to the Lost Gardens of Heligan
Planning your week
If you're trying to fit some of these in around the rest of your stay, our advice is to mix doorstep with day trip. Two or three doorstep walks (Looe Island, the coast path, Kilminorth Woods, Polperro) for the half-days when you don't want to drive, paired with one or two of the longer trips (Lanhydrock, Cotehele, Heligan) for the days when you want to make a proper outing of it.
Bodmin Moor (Golitha Falls and the Cheesewring) is a great half-day combination if you want to see two distinct sides of the moor: woodland gorge then open moorland tor. Drive between the two takes around 15 minutes, and you can easily fit both into a single afternoon.
If you're visiting in summer and want to add some events to the week, our 10 unmissable Cornwall events guide covers the music festivals, beer festivals, sea shanty weekends and traditional carnivals worth planning around. And if you want the full collection of Cornwall guides we've put together, the Matt's Local Picks category page has everything in one place.
Whatever you end up doing, our biggest piece of advice is the same one we'd give anyone visiting Cornwall: don't try to do everything. Cornwall rewards an unhurried week. Pick three or four of these, leave room for an empty morning or two, and you'll come back rested rather than ready for another holiday.
