With over 400 miles of coastline Cornwall likely has more seaside towns than anywhere else in the country. With stunning views, hundreds of beaches and great people it is no wonder that Cornwall is possibly the most popular destination in the UK for people enjoying a “staycation”. For this reason we thought it’d be a good idea to see what all the fuss is about.
The first problem arose long before we even set off for the South West coast of England and that problem was deciding where to go down to the sheer amount of excellent choices available. St Ives, Newquay, Penzance, Looe and Guardian favourite Padstow all have their own fantastic unique features but we decided that the historic town of Falmouth should be the place we go.
The town of Falmouth was effectively created in the 16th century when Henry VIII built Pendennis Castle to defend the Carrick Roads and the port which we now know to be third largest natural harbour in the world, and the deepest in Western Europe. This history is something you cannot help but notice when visiting, especially as the castle still stands and is a popular visitor attraction.
Unsurprisingly given its’ geography much of the town revolves around the harbour which itself is another tourist attraction and is well worth seeing for yourself. From the port you can take a short ferry across the River Fal to St Mawes which is a small fishing town and home to St Mawes Castle which pairs with Falmouth’s Pendennis Castle. Overlooking the harbour is also the National Martime Museum Cornwall which has a large selection of objects, boats and archives.
The town itself is not too busy, though I’m told it is a lot busier in the summer when there are a lot more tourists. The town is full of cute narrow streets with a range of cafes and restaurants to eat in. But if you are going to go to Cornwall you have got to have the food that it is famous for and this is of course a Cornish pasty. There are plenty of places to get them as well, so you can be sure to not go hungry at lunch time.
Also in the town there are a large number of independent boutique shops alongside the bigger nationwide shops. Finally there are hidden surprises such as the Falmouth Aquarium which is a small aquarium located in a four storey town house in the middle of Falmouth.
When you have finished exploring the harbour and town you have the choice of five beaches: Castle Beach situated alongside Pendennis Point which is connected to Tunnel Beach, Gyllyngvase Beach the largest beach in Falmouth, Swanpool Beach where a range of water sports are available and slightly further afield the beautiful cove of Maenporth Beach. All five of the beaches are to the South of Falmouth town centre and have lovely sandy beaches with beautiful surrounding landscape.
Falmouth and Cornwall as a whole might be a bit of a trek for some people to get to, especially if you are looking at going for a couple of days, but no matter where you are it will be worth it because the area is like no other in the country.
Sometimes no matter what a town has it can be something else which makes you enjoy it, and that is the feeling that a place gives you. Falmouth really does give you the feeling that it is a happy community and that is infectious on to you. Sitting in the pub on a cold winters evening overlooking the harbour drinking traditional Cornish cider or a glass of wine is something we can all appreciate.
Seaside Pride 