The South Coast
Visit South Cornwall for an unforgettable break
Swap cliffs for gentle hills, strong currents for supine estuaries and surfboards for paddleboards and give Cornwall’s South Coast a chance. Its understated, quiet beauty might just turn your head.
Gentle
Gentle is the best bet if you were attempting to distil the feel of the South Coast of Cornwall into a single word. Cliffs don’t teeter here - they roll luxuriantly into calm, azure coves. Waves don’t crash, they ebb and flow, lapping into the sands and tugging placidly at the smooth pebbles of the area’s beaches. Even the harbour towns hum with a muffled kind of energy, as fishermen pootle out into the mouths of estuaries in small boats to gather oysters and mussels.
Don’t take this slower pace of life to mean you can’t fill your holiday calendar here though. The miles of branching rivers and limpid creeks are a kayaker's heaven, which you can rent from many of the safe, unspoilt beaches which are a haven for families and intrepid rockpoolers. Off the water, the sheltered subtropical gardens of the region are the perfect way to spend a day and lose yourself in a jungle world.
The South Coast is also home to two of the county’s best harbourside towns, Falmouth and Fowey, which draw in visitors with their flourishing food scenes and varied arts and culture events. Tucked away, you’ll also find two of Cornwall’s best-kept secrets along its coast - The Roseland and Rame peninsulas, which are understatedly, devastatingly beautiful.
A welcome breeze
The pace of life on the South Coast is slow, even for Cornwall. Craggy precipices are swapped out for gentle, thrift-carpeted cliffs, thundering waves are replaced by meandering estuaries, with stand up paddleboarders ruling the roost here, and stormy gusts of wind abate into a welcome breeze, that tugs on the ivory sails of the working boats that traverse this coast. Sheltered from the ravages of The Atlantic, this region offers visitors an understated beauty that never fails to quietly make its way into your heart for a lifetime, whether you realise it or not.
Hidden coves and sleepy estuaries
Exploring the South Coast’s inlets, hidden coves and sleepy estuaries gives you a glimpse into why this area was so popular with smugglers and romantics alike. Rivers branch off into hundreds of limpid creeks, often only accessible at the highest of tides, before supinely making their way into the turquoise, shallow seawater, fringed with impossibly beautiful beaches and rock pools that are teeming with multicoloured life.
Explore on the water
The best way to explore is of course on the water, retracing the routes of renegades by renting a kayak, paddleboard or on the wooden ferry along the Fal River, which runs unique high tide cruises to discover the oft-forgotten history of creekside life.
You’re often just as likely to find pebbly beaches along this stretch of coast as sandy stretches, which are some of the safest in the county, with a subdued swell making places like Pendower and Grebe the perfect hangout spots for families and those wanting to dabble in watersports.
Some of Cornwall’s best-kept secrets
The quiet splendour of this coast has meant that it still houses some of Cornwall’s best-kept secrets. The Roseland Peninsula is one of the most guarded and for good reason. Whilst names like St. Mawes and Portscatho might sound vaguely familiar, the rest of the area is largely unexplored and retains a hushed and pastoral grandeur, with gems like St. Just in Roseland, Portloe and Veryan well worth taking a detour off the beaten track to pass a peaceful few days in.
The Rame Peninsula, tucked away further up the coast, is often forgotten as visitors pass through Plymouth into Cornwall, but is well-deserving of at least a half-day’s pause before continuing your onward journey, with historic villages, some of the county’s best scenic walks and unspoilt beaches in mellow abundance.
A unique sub-tropical flora and fauna
The South Coast’s shelter from the infamous Cornish gales means that it's the best place to experience Cornwall’s unique sub-tropical flora and fauna, and there’s no better way than exploring the area’s world-renowned gardens. Top of your list should be The Lost Gardens Of Heligan, which were quite literally rediscovered in recent decades, yet have been expertly maintained to retain an air of magic and mystery that make visitors feel like they’re stepping back into a time long-forgotten.
Wildflower-blanketed valleys
Make sure to also head south and visit Trebah Gardens, especially in the summer, when the Gunnera Passage towers over you to prehistoric proportions, and the resplendent Glendurgan, where the wildflower-blanketed valleys lead you down to a peaceful beach for an afternoon of skimming stones. Whilst not always in the guidebooks, set aside time for the woodland walk of Trelissick Gardens, the Mediterranean paradise of Lamorran and the magnificent magnolia collection at Caerhays Castle.
Harbour Towns
You’ll often find a well-preserved harbour town at the mouth of the coast’s iconic estuaries. Falmouth has for centuries guarded, you guessed it, the entrance to the River Fal and today is one of Cornwall’s most culturally and gastronomically diverse urban centres, usually home to the hottest table in town and with an unrivalled arts scene on offer at venues like The Cornish Bank. Travel up the coast, taking a breather at Gorran Haven or Portmellon, to Fowey for another take on harbourside bliss and to experience the gourmand delights of Fitzroy and authentic Italian flavours at Bufala.
The South coast of Cornwall is a wonderful place to come for a holiday. A very family-friendly area, it has long attracted visitors looking for a traditional “bucket-and-spade” holiday, as well as foodies and walkers. beautiful scenery around every corner and vibrant towns will make you want to stay longer.
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