St Michaels Mount
bathed by him celtic sea to the north and west, and to the English Channel to the south, Cornwall It is presented as the ideal destination for lovers of convulsive seas and for those who seek a truce from the big cities. Our itinerary begins in Ponzance and passes through Newlyn, Mousehole, Marazion and Land's End, the westernmost part of England, which ends in the form of a cliff. Discover its emblematic and magical places with us. We promise a lot of fish and chips and literature beer taverns.
PENZANCE
In Penzance one has the strange feeling of being in Galicia and not in the west of England . The same damp smell, the same stone houses, the same rough sea. This first stop is close to Marazion – another important destination on this itinerary-, in addition to being the city where we will find more opportunities to spend the night (and suitable for any pocket).
Penzance is popular for its historical pirates. In fact, the opera The Pirates of Penzance (1879) by Arthur Sullivan and W.S Gilbert, is inspired by those freebooters who dropped anchor on the shores of Mounts Bay, which bathes the city. But it is also recognized for its fantastic art galleries , which give it that bohemian prism, and for its enviable views of the sea and the St Michael's Mount Castle , which seems to magically float on the water and which, of course, we will pass through before leaving our odyssey through Cornwall.
Houses in Penzance
To do?
walk through the gardens Morrab Gardens Oceanfront. The walk will take you to the Victorian age, when the area became a public park in 1889. If you are vintage lover , stroll through the Chapel Street , you will find antique shops of all kinds. Among the row of 18th-century houses, look for Building No. 25, where Maria Branwell raised greats of English literature: Charlotte, Anne and Emily Brontë , author of Wuthering Summit.
In the evening, the street becomes home to a large number of pubs . Don't forget to have a drink at the old ** Admiral Benbow Inn **, the same one that appears in the first pages of the famous novel of the Treasure Island of Robert Louis Stevenson . Although if your thing is to spend the night enjoying a movie, then don't hesitate to visit the Savoy Cinema in Penzance, believed (although not proven) to be the most historic cinema in all of England. With a lot of black humor on the billboard, it offers a long string of independent and auteur films from the UK.
Home of the Brontës and house of thrift and antique shops
You can also pay a visit to the **Penlee House Museum** which offers an introduction to the most artistic aura of Cornwall through his well-known collection of paintings from the Newlyn School of Artists , as well as interesting displays of antiques and local objects. Indeed, in the place there is a cafe whose pancakes will taste like glory.
Another thing that should be on your list of activities - although only if you go in the summer - is to take a dip in the ** Jubilee Lido ART Deco **, a natural seawater pool built in the 1930s and located on the promenade Penzance waterfront, with views towards St Michael's Mount. It is open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the months of June, July and August..
Where to eat?
If you leave Cornwall without having tried their Fish and Chips, you are committing a third degree offence. I ask on the street where I can eat this traditional English dish and they assure me (and reassure me) that the best fish and chips of the city prepare it in the The Pirates Rest . Indeed, fresh fish, potato wedges, the big ones, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
Start your art tour of Cornwall here
Where to sleep?
Penzance takes great care of its image and its local business, so forget big hotel chains, you will only find small boutique hotels or cozy bed and breakfasts . But that's the best thing about Cornwall: your hosts will treat you exceptionally well, as well as point you to the best places in the city. Our recommendations for spending the night in Penzance are two. The ** Summer House **, the perfect summer house, located in a building with only five rooms decorated with antiques and the school's personal collection Newlyn Pictures.
However, forget about this place if you want to spend your holidays with your family, because they do not allow children to enter. You can also stay in the Trelew Farm Bed and Breakfast , a 17th century farm converted into a beautiful lodging place. It is on the outskirts of Penzance, ideal for those seeking tranquility and the compelling sound of the sea.
A building with only five rooms
NEWLYN
Just twenty minutes walk from Penzance, going around the coast to the south, you will find Newlyn , home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the entire United Kingdom and with a port of more than 16 hectares.
In 1579, the port of Newlyn was sacked by the famous Spanish Armada, who invaded, looted and burned this town. Although little of old Newlyn remains, remnants of the centuries-old English wall surrounding the quayside are still visible.
To do?
Newlyn surprises because, despite its small size, its artistic activity is enormous. Facing the sea you will find the Newlyn Art Gallery , designed by Passmore Edwards and built in 1895 to house the works of the Newlyn School Artists (the same ones that are now exhibited at Penlee House in Penzance) .
In 2007 they opened their most popular art gallery, The Exchange Gallery , a large exhibition space that features national and international works, along with the best of those produced in the local area.
Where to eat?
The fish and chips English is fishermen's daily menu And they are not as sought after as in London! You can try them in two small and pleasant pubs that caught our attention, the Fisherman Arms Pub and The Swordfish, rich fish at a good price.
Where to sleep?
Find accommodation in Newlyn it is a bit complicated, due to its small size and the closeness of its sister Penzance. But there are several Bed and Breakfasts facing the harbor that are perfect for spending the night, such as the Harbor View .
Newlyn
MOUSE HOLE
Literally 'mousetrap' in Spanish , this small town is a pretty, if long walk from Newlyn. In forty-five minutes you can plant yourself in this bucolic place - fisherman's home - Yes you follow the road up , although we certainly recommend that you get lost, that you go down and up rocks, because it will be worth photographing the cliffs and their dominant waves.
The picturesque harbor of Mousehole is surrounded by narrow streets and houses where yellow lichens grow, which huddle together creating an impressive place. Along Harbor Road you'll find galleries, gift shops, and restaurants.
To do?
It is a city of passage, of views, of photography. What Mousehole offers is a lazy day by the sea. You can, for example, taste an appetizing tea in the Rock Pool Cafe , where, if it doesn't rain (which is highly unlikely), you can enjoy its incredible terrace at the heights of the sea , where they dispense blankets to protect you from the cold.
mouse hole
Half an hour's drive from Mousehole you can enjoy a magical starlight show at the famous open-air theatre. Minack Theater which usually works in summer and in which, by the way, you can take your picnic prepared . For the next seasons you will find the show Minack's Christmas Cracker , a concert of his local band.
Where to sleep?
Without a doubt, the place that will take better care of you is The Old Coastguard Hotel . Show off the best views in Cornwall and the best cuisines in England, with popular chef Tom Symons.
Tea with sea views
MARAZION
Marizon is one of the seaside towns not just in West Cornwall, but in the whole of the UK most requested by tourists . Its name comes from the Jewish community that settled in this area, exactly from one of its most important fairs and markets in the area, established in 1070. Some of these centuries-old markets remain, such as the Marghas Byghan and the Marghas Yow or Jew.
Marazion is home to thousands of seagulls. You will find them inns on the promenade of its beach, in any car parked in its streets or even at the table of the restaurant that you have chosen to eat. Marazion was the town council of West Cornwall until the late medieval period, when Penzance began to expand and seized the title from it. During the winter, daffodils color the gray and damp landscape of the city.
ST MICHAEL'S MOUNT
Around 300,000 visitors climb the small mountain of St Michael's Mount every year. Its Victorian-era castle and monastery are the juiciest attractions for tourists. This island, located 366 meters from the shore of Mount Bay, is linked to Marazion by an artificial road made of granite cobblestones, very slippery and passable only when the tide goes out.
The guide they offer recalls that this was the place of "barefoot pilgrims, leather boots, soldiers during the war of the roses , of monks singing in the convent, of the smell of gunpowder in the air”.
St. Michael's Mount
LAND'S END
The westernmost point of England has been called Lands End . the individual UK Finistere It is a place with wonderful scenery whose protagonists are none other than the cliffs sculpted by the Atlantic Ocean.
Since prehistoric times, this place has been home to millions of nomads who settled there. He was known as Belerion or the land that shines, and as Penwith Steort (year 997) which in Cornish means 'final end'.
To do?
Land's End is a place of inspiration where you will find a natural heritage that dates back to the Mesolithic (10,000-4,000 BC). You will see Neolithic settlements and constructions such as the cemetery that can be seen at the top of its cliffs. You will also find the iconic rock formation of Enys Dodnan.
Enys Dodnan... The beach of the Cathedrals in Ribadeo?
Get into the RSPB Discovery Center (The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) . Using the binoculars and their telescopes you will be able to see dolphins, seals, black-backed gulls, the so-called peregrine falcon, choughs... The center is open from May to September.
But what you should not miss, under any circumstances, It's her sunrise and her sunset over the Longships lighthouse.
Where to eat? Where to sleep?
Do it all in the only place that exists in this particular Finisterre: the ** Land's End Hotel **. Located near the cliffs, with unrivaled views and a menu to make you hungry.
Although you can also spend the night in the legendary hostel First & Last Inn (the first and last hostel), built in the 17th century and located about five minutes from Land's End by car.
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Land's End, the Finistere of Cornwall