Location: Polperro, just west of Looe, South East Cornwall
Distance from West Kellow Yurts: 15 minutes by road, or walkable along the coast path
Allow: Half a day (longer if you walk to or from Looe)
Polperro is the Cornish fishing village that the rest of the world pictures when it thinks of Cornwall. A tight cluster of whitewashed cottages tumbling down a steep-sided valley to a working harbour, with narrow lanes you have to walk single file, an artists' tradition going back well over a century, and a smuggling history that's still part of the local identity.
What to expect
Polperro is small and walkable. Most visitors come down through the village from the top, past the old mill at Crumplehorn, and follow the lane (or the river path) into the heart of it. The harbour is the focal point: a tidal inlet protected by a sea wall and gate that closes against the worst of the swell, with fishing boats still working out of it.
Around the harbour you'll find a handful of independent cafes, fish and chip shops, gift shops, a pub or two (the Three Pilchards is the classic), and the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing, which is small but well-curated and worth the modest entry fee. The Polperro Model Village in the village is a charming oddity if you've got kids.
For walking, two short paths leave the harbour. The Warren climbs east through woods towards Talland Bay (and on to Looe). Chapel Cliffs climbs west, with views back over the harbour and on to the rugged stretch of coast towards Lansallos. Both are part of the South West Coast Path and well waymarked. A Polperro to Lansallos out-and-back is around 2 miles each way and gets you away from the village crowds quickly.
Getting there from West Kellow
Drive: 15 minutes, mostly on the A387 south through Looe and on towards Polperro. Park at the Crumplehorn car park at the top of the village (a pleasant 10-minute downhill walk into the harbour). Don't try to drive into the village itself; the lanes are narrow and parking is genuinely impossible.
A small electric "millennium bus" runs from Crumplehorn down to the harbour and back if you don't fancy the walk.
Walking: from Looe along the South West Coast Path is around 4 miles via Hannafore and Talland Bay (see Looe to Polperro coast path for the full guide).
Practical info
Crumplehorn car park is pay and display. There are public toilets in the village. Polperro is busy in summer (school holidays especially), so an early start or a late afternoon visit gives you the best of it without the crowds.
Is Polperro dog-friendly? Yes. Dogs are welcome in most pubs and cafes (check individually) and along the coast path. Polperro's harbour beach is dog-friendly with seasonal restrictions in peak summer.
Is Polperro accessible? The walk down from Crumplehorn is steep in places. The harbour itself is mostly level. The narrow lanes have steep gradients and uneven cobbles in places, so pushchairs and wheelchairs need to plan the route carefully.
What's the best time to visit Polperro? Spring and autumn are quieter. Summer is busiest but liveliest. June (during the Polperro Festival) is particularly good for live music and atmosphere.
While you're there
Pair Polperro with a longer day on the coast path: walk from Looe to Polperro (or vice versa) and bus back. If you're driving, combine it with Lantic Bay further west towards Fowey.
Find out more: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/coast-beaches/things-to-see-and-do-around-polperro-looe-and-whitsand-bay
